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Something Old, Something New

A recent concert recalls two of the worlds
most beloved cantors.

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GIDEON KEREN SPECIAL TO THE JEWISH NEWS

DOES NOT INCLUDE CLOSE-OUTS, USED MERCHANDISE, IMPORTS OR IN-HOUSE FLYERS.

"Even to be a Jew in the cul-
n event took place recently tural sense, you can't derive the
at the Tower of David, just culture from new ideas without
inside Jerusalem's Old City, Jewish roots," he said.
that appealed to religious
Cantonal music basically orig-
and secular music lovers alike.
inates from the Levites, with its
It was the commemoration of roots in the Holy Temple. But it
a historical concert given nearly developed, especially in the 19th
70 years ago in the same location century, with the adoption of
by one of the greatest cantorial modern interpretations of har-
stars ever known, Zawel Kwartin. mony, composition and full-voice
In the anniversary concert, at- choirs, gaining fans among Jews
tended by Israel's chief rabbi and and gentiles alike. The great
N
Jerusalem Mayor Ehud Olmert, opera singer Enrico Caruso was
four of the world's leading cantors a close friend of Yossele Rosen-
— Chaim Adler, Yakov Motsen, blatt, and often went to hear him
and brothers Chaim Eliezer Her- sing. Liszt, Schubert and Giaco-
stik and Naftali Herstik — sang mo Meyerbeer also enjoyed can-
excerpts from the repertoire of Za- tonal music.
wel Kwartin, as well as his con-
Friedman goes a step further
temporaries,
and claims canto-
) Yossele Rosen-
rial music is the
blatt and Shmuel
mother of jazz. In
Malaysky.
jazz, he says, you
Motti Fried-
take a rhythm,
man organized
develop it, and
the concert. For
then come back to
some time now he
it — similar to the
has wanted to
way you treat a
honor Kwartin, a
theme in a classi-
man he said could
cal composition,
take a prayer and
though in a more
literally "say it
formalized con-
with a tune" by
text. Similarly,
providing a par-
with cantorial
ticularly fine,
music there is
unique, even op-
both an estab-
eratic interpreta-
lished melody and
tion of a melody. Zawel Kwartin:
improvisation.
It left listeners in- A self-disciplined genius.
Probably the
spired.
best-known
can-
Kwartin was
born in Russia in 1874 and raised tor was Yossele Rosenblatt, who
in a family of merchants who did was born in Russia in 1880 and
not recognize his musical talents. was giving concerts by the time
It was only after his brother-in- he was 9. He became chief cantor
law took him to Khartsov, hoping at Hamburg, then later settled in
to make money off him in a vocal New York. In 1933, he visited
competition, that Kwartin first Palestine where he gave a concert
was heard by professional musi- with Zawel Kwartin in
cians. They advised him to seek Jerusalem. He died that same
year.
work as a tenor in the opera.
As to which of the two men was
Yet Kwartin chose instead to
become a cantor, working first in the greater cantor, Motti Fried-
St. Petersburg and later, in the man says it's a matter of taste. He
Tabak Synagogue in Budapest, considers Yossele — he calls him
by his first name — to be the
the world's largest synagogue.
After World War I, Kwartin world champion. Kwartin, who
went on a concert tour of the Unit- was Conservative, was more self-
ed States, where he lived on and disciplined, he said. But Rosen-
off for the rest of his life and blatt, who was Orthodox, was full
served as cantor of Temple of "soulfulness."
The vast majority of those at
Emanuel in Borough Park,
the anniversary concert Mr.
Brooklyn.
Kwartin lived during a time Friedman organized were reli-
generally referred to as the "gold- gious, to said. But he believes
en age of cantorial music," but canto- al music belongs to all
Motti Friedman doesn't see why Jews. ie hopes soon to see Is-
the music can't regain its popu- raelis adopt this "opera of the
Jewim world." ❑
larity.

A

HARMONYHOUSE

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we dol

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SOUND! LIMIT ONE PER VISITOR. VOID WITH OTHER DISCOUNTS. EXPIRES MAY 12, 1996

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YOUR LIFE

American Heart
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WE TAKE EXCEPTION
TO WHAT YOUR
MOTHER TAUGHT
YOU.

YOU SHOULDN'T EAT
EVERYTHING PUT IN
FRONT OF YOU.
You should avoid foods high in
cholesterol. Its a fact, a high
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stantially increases your
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disease. By cutting down on
fatty, rich foods, you can do
yourself a big favor. You could
lower your blood cholesterol
level and reduce your risk of
heart disease.

For more information about a
planned and balanced diet.
contact your American Heart
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plan a diet good for life.

L_J C 1 1=1

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February 11, 12, 13
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