Lazar Weiner (1897-1982) – Yiddish art songs
“My entire life [before 1919] it was Mozart, Beethoven, Bach, Brahms, Schubert… Here in America, I discovered the Yiddish song!”
For the past 1000 years, the Jewish people have largely been grouped into two categories: Ashkenazim and Sephardim. Present-day Ashkenazim are originally Yiddish-speaking Jews and descendants of Yiddish-speaking Jews from North and East Europe. Sephardim originate from the Iberian Peninsula (Spain and Portugal) and Arab countries.
Yiddish or (outdated) Judeo-German is a Germanic language spoken by about three million Jews worldwide. Yiddish is typically written from right to left using the Hebrew alphabet, but is based on medieval German dialects. Yiddish is not linguistically related to Hebrew. The name is derived from Middle High German Jüd, meaning Jew. There are different dialects of Yiddish. From this semester, teacher Danielle Zaidman-Mauer is offering a Yiddish course at the University of Amsterdam. (see NRC article, February 5, 2023)
Of course, there are many folk songs, old songs that were never written down but passed down from generation to generation. The Art Song is a song form from the 19th century, which takes the content and tone of a poem as its starting point; the piano accompaniment becomes an essential element of the song. In this program, you will hear newly composed songs by Lazar Weiner.
Playlist:
Lazar Weiner (1897-1982)
“A Nign” (a melody) (L. Magister)
Baritone Robert Abelson and Barry Snyder piano.
Three songs (poems by Abraham Joshua Heschel)
a. “Got geyt mir nokh umetum” (God follows me everywhere)
b. “Khoyves” (Doubts)
c. “Got un mentsh” (God and man)
Tenor David Ossenfort and pianist Yehudi Wyner.
a. “Tsela-tseldi” (lightly to the sound of the cymbal) (Jacob Glatstein)
Soprano Ida Rae Cahana and pianist Jehudi Wyner.
b. “Der sholem-zokher” (Welcome feast for Izaak) (Itzik Manger)
Tenor Raphael Frieder and pianist Jehudi Wyner.
c. “Toybnshtile” (Silent doves) (Mani Leib)
Tenor Harold Orbach and pianist Barry Snyder.
d. “Viglid” (Lullaby) (Esther Schumiatcher-Hirschbein)
Soprano Re’ut Ben-Zeév with pianist Jehudi Wyner.
e. “Fun vayte teg” (Days of Yore) (H. Leivick)
Baritone Robert Abelson and Barry Snyder piano.
“Two Humoresques” (text by Aron Tsuker)
a. “Bald vet zayn a regn” (Soon it will rain)
b. “A papir vil bageyn zelbstmord” (A piece of paper wants to commit suicide)
Soprano Susan Davenny-Wyner and Yehudi Wyner piano.
a. “Shitile Tener” (Quiet tones)
b. “Ikh hob far dir a sod” (I have a secret for you) (2 texts by Nahum Baruch Minkoff.)
Mezzo-soprano Elizabeth Shammash and pianist Yehudi Wyner.
a. “Der yid mitn fidl” (The Jew with the violin) (Aaron Tsuker)
Baritone Robert Aborn, Barry Snyder piano.
b. “Baym bentshn likht” (At the lighting of the candles) (Joseph Rubinstein)
Mezzo-soprano Elizabeth Shammash and pianist Yehudi Wyner.
c. “A Gebet” (A prayer) (Joseph Rolnick)
Soprano Re’ut Ben-Zeév with pianist Jehudi Wyner.
d. “A foter tsu zayn zun” (A father to his son) (Jacob Glatstein)
Baritone Robert Aborn, Barry Snyder piano.
e. “Volt mayn tate raykh geven” (If my father were rich) (Aaron Nisserson)
Soprano Ida Rae Cahana and pianist Jehudi Wyner.
Lazar Weiner, Susan Davenny-Wyner, Yehudi Wyner
Info: https://www.milkenarchive.org
