Good music sweetly sung – unpopular, of course

By MORTON GOLD

The cassette under review in this space was produced in 1990. Its title is “A New Hebrew Art Music—Sacred Song.”

This is the third volume of Series Two, Russian Jewish Composers. As such (alas), it is not destined to appeal to a wide audience as yet another klezmer CD might.

The composers it showcases are Ephraim Schklar 18 71-1943(?); Michael Gnessin 1883-1957; Lazare Saminsky 1882-1959; David Nowakowski 1848-1952; Leo Low 1878-1952; and Zavel Zilberts 1881-1952.

That these composers are not exactly household names these days is in itself unfortunate. The word “new” as in “New Hebrew Art Music” is not exactly accurate. The music of these composers may have been new in the 1920s or 1930s—not today. Yet, oddly enough, their music is very new today simply by not being well known.

Its unfamiliarity follows from the fact that it is rarely performed. (Which came first, the chicken or the egg?) Either way, we may regard this old music as new.

As a community we are not interested in art music in general, judging by the sale of various CDs as one measure of popularity. Sales figures indicate we are even less interested in Jewish art music.

One could readily expect to fill a concert hall or temple auditorium with some folk singer or group, especially one that featured electric guitar and percussion players. One could normally not be expected to pack the house for any vocal artist, instrumentalist, or choral group performing anything that smacked of art.

The implication is that art is dull, tedious, especially so since the music may be unfamiliar. That this genre of music takes some effort as well as education to acquire a taste for, this acquired patina of culture makes it doubly difficult to sell.

On top of that, the audience is not expected to participate except by actually being there and listening to the music. That is a tall order these days. The soloist in the Sacred Songs is David Levine, a tenor who is most ably accompanied by pianist Robert Wallace. Levine has served as cantor at several (unidentified) “leading” congregations in the New York area, according to the notes with the CD.

He has a sweet lyric tenor voice that he uses intelligently. His renditions are all musically done, and he sings as if he understands what he is singing about. His voice is even in quality from low to high and from soft to loud. While I enjoyed all the performances, I must single out the “Kol Dodi” by Nowakowski, particularly from the standpoint of performance, and the two works by Leo Low for their originality in harmony and for the beautiful singing by Levine.

Most of these selections were recorded in Cami Hall and the American Academy of Arts and Letters in New York City. The precise dates are not given, but they must have taken place in the late ‘80s or early 1990 since the cassette was not copyrighted until 1990. One may acquire this cassette by writing to: Barry Serota, Musique Internationale, 3111 W. Chase Avenue, Chicago, IL 60634. This cassette is a class act and highly recommended.

Updated 3/19/03