Leo Zeitlin: Yiddish Songs, Chamber Music and Declamations
A member of the Society for Jewish Folk Music in St Petersburg, Leo Zeitlin (1884–1930) was known mainly for Eli Zion, a classic of Jewish art-music. Zeitlin died only seven years after emigrating to New York, still a young man, and his reputation languished until the recent discovery of a trunk full of scores brought his music back to light. This album attempts to remedy decades of neglect, especially for his charismatic Yiddish song-settings for voice, strings and piano. Zeitlin’s powerful declamations – Romantic piano music underscoring spoken Yiddish and Russian poetry – points to a genre that once was popular and is now forgotten.
Musicians of the Pittsburgh Jewish Music Festival: Rachel Calloway, mezzo soprano; Guenko Guechev, baritone and speaker; Daniella Rabbani, speaker; Elisabeth Pridonoff, piano; Luz Manriquez, piano; Dennis O’Boyle, violin; Laura Motchalov, violin; Marylene Gingras-Roy, viola; Isaias Zelkowicz, viola; Aron Zelkowicz, cello
Listen To This Recording:
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- More: dramatic recitation Audio Player
- Reb Nakhmons nign Audio Player
- Tsien zikh khmares oyf, harts mayns: dramatic recitation Audio Player
- Iber di hoyfn Audio Player
- Benk ikh yo, benk ikh nit?: dramatic recitation Audio Player
- Berceuse (A mayse) Audio Player
- Zay, zeyde, mispalel far undz dayne kinder: dramatic recitation Audio Player
- Eli Zion Audio Player
- Ad ono adoynoy Audio Player
- Zog zhe, rebenyu Audio Player
- JOACHIM STUTSCHEWSKY Eili, Eili Audio Player
- Eili, Eili for mezzo soprano and string quartet Audio Player
- Wiener Volkslied: Du alter Stefansturm Audio Player
- 6 Yiddish Songs: I Gebet fun rabbi Leyvi-Yitskhok Audio Player
- 6 Yiddish Songs: II Klezmorimlekh Audio Player
- 6 Yiddish Songs: III Der parom Audio Player
- 6 Yiddish Songs: IV Shoyn nito der nekhtn Audio Player
- 6 Yiddish Songs: V Patsh, patsh, kikhelekh Audio Player
- 6 Yiddish Songs: VI Der Kadish fun reb Leyvi-Yitskhok
Fanfare Magazine :
‘Throughout, Zeitlin reveals his sensitivity to instrumental colors, textures, and voices. His writing consistently achieves an admirable balance between heartfelt emotional expression, and musical proportion and restraint. As a welcome bonus, Zeitlin’s arrangement for mezzo-soprano and string quartet of the beloved Yiddish melody Eli, Eli is juxtaposed with Joachim Stutchewseky’s setting for cello and piano. … the performances of Leo Zeitlin’s music are first-rate from start to finish, as is the recorded sound. The liner notes by Paula Eisenstein Baker (a key figure in the resurrection of the Zeitlin’s music) and Robert S. Nelson provide detailed information on the composer’s life and the featured works. … I think anyone at all curious to explore the work of Leo Zeitlin will not be disappointed. Recommended.’
—Ken Meltzer, Fanfare, November/December 2016
MusicWeb International :
‘Rachel Calloway has a beautiful voice that is tailor-made for these songs and for all the others she sings on this disc. All the musicians involved in this project have done Leo Zeitlin a great service in bringing this neglected composer to the public’s notice. They and Toccata deserve many congratulations.
This is a disc to savour and I sincerely hope there is plenty more to discover from this talented composer. I note with satisfaction that Toccata call this Volume One of a series entitled ‘Russian Jewish Classics’. I look forward to more releases.’
—Steve Arloff, MusicWeb International