(Leib, 1889, Bila Tserkva, 1972, Moscow), composer and pianist. He studied music from his childhood, in 1910 in St. Petersburg, he took lessons in composition from A. Liadov, in 1919-22. studied at the Kharkov Musical Institute (on the composition class of S. Bogatyrev). At the same time he was the musical director of the Kharkov Jewish theater experimental studio “Free Art”. Since 1923 he lived in Moscow, at the same time he wrote music for the plays of the Habima Theater Herod and Miriam and The Flood of the American playwright H. Berger, which brought him the first great success and determined the main occupation of Yampolsky in the future – music for the theater . Yampolsky wrote music to more than 100 performances, which were mostly in the Jewish theaters of Russia (including GOSET), Ukraine, Belarus, Azerbaijan. Among them: “Agents”, “Recruits”, “Divorce”, “Stempene”, “Wandering Stars” according to Shalom Aleichem; “Ha-golem” by H. Leyvik, “Hirsch Lekkert” by A. Kushnirov, “Botvin” by A. Vevorka, “Blood” by B. Orshansky and others. Yampolsky worked a lot in the song genre. His songs were very popular for Yiddish verses “Rumchi”, “Hasidic melody”, “Golden wedding”, “There is no bread in the house” (the last one is in the words of I. Kharik). Two collections of Jewish songs by Yampolsky – “Call” and “Jewish children’s songs” by the words of S. Rosin (1890/1892-1941), I. Fefer, M. Kulbak, P. Markish, S. Galkin, L. Kvitko, D. Gofshtein, Sh. Driz and others were published in Minsk in 1935.
In his early work, Yampolsky was influenced by the music of Russian Jewish composers – I. Akhron, I. Engel, M. Gnesin, A. Kreyn and M. Milner, and subsequently devoted himself mainly to the Jewish theme, based on folklore or using intonations close to folklore, melodies, rhythms and harmony. In 1929, Yampolsky traveled to Europe, performed authorial concerts in Jewish communities in Riga, Berlin and other cities. In Berlin, he met A. Schoenberg, who highly appreciated the writings of Yampolsky, especially noting their truly Jewish character. Yampolsky was one of the rare Soviet Jewish composers who did not go into the creation of international Soviet music, but remained a Jewish composer.
12 thoughts on “Kaminos”
Was Nicholas related to Alexander Saslavsky who married Celeste Izolee Todd?
Anyone have a contact email for Yair Klinger or link to score for Ha-Bayta?
wish to have homeland concert video played on the big screen throughout North America.
can organize here in Santa Barbara California.
contacts for this needed and any ideas or suggestions welcomed.
Nat farber is my great grandpa ๐
Are there any movies or photos of max kletter? His wifeโs sister was my stepmother, so Iโm interested in seeing them and sharing them with his wifeโs daughter.
The article says Sheb recorded his last song just 4 days before he died, but does not tell us the name of it. I be curious what it was. Iโd like to hear it.
Would anyone happen to know where I can find a copy of the sheet music for a Gil Aldema Choral (SATB) arrangement for Naomi Shemerโs โSheleg Al Iriโ. (Snow on my Village)?
Joseph Smith
Kol Ram Community Choir, NYC
Shalom Joseph. I just saw your 2024 post by chance… I’m a mostly-retired Israeli journalist and translator. In 2003 I translated into English the content (the objective was to remain true to the meaning, not to cadence or rhyme) of poems and lyrics of 48 of Israel’s most iconic songs arranged by Aldema for choirs abroad singing in Hebrew (the words in the scores are transliterated) but members of the choir lack mastery of Hebrew to ‘know’ exactly what they are saying/singing… The book was titled in English “A Merry Choir” – in Hebrew ืืงืืื ืขืืืื . See if you can find a copy in a used book store, it is priceless and apparently out-of-print – well worth the search. If not, they may have a copy at Tel Aviv Amenu Museum’s music department – write them and see if they can send it to you. Or – if you will contact me via Whatsapp – (972) 546872768 or via my email – I will try and find the book (it is not where it ‘should be’ so I have to search) and I will photograph the score with my cell and send to you as an attachment. Best, Daniella Ashkenazy – Kfar Warburg.
ืฉืืื ืฉืืขืื!
ืื ืฉืืืชื ืืืชื. ืขืืืชื ืืช ืืฉืจืื ืืคืืจืืืจ 1998 ืืื ืืืืื ืืช ืื ื ืืืืืืกื ืืงืื ืืช ืืขืืจื ืืืงืฆืืขืืช ืฉืื ืืืืชื ืงืืืืช ืื ืืืฉืจืื. ืื ืกืืคืืจ ืืืื ืขืฆืื ืืืจืื, ืืื ืื ื ืืืืชื ืืืืื ืขื ืืืฆืื ืฉืืืื ืืืชื ืืืืืชื ืืืจื ืืืื ืืฉืืืื ืืืฉื ืืืืฉื ืืืืฉืื. ืืื ืืื ืื ืื 9. ืืขืช ืืื ืื 36 ืืืชืคืงื ืืืืคื ืขืฆืืื. ื ืชืชื ืื ืืืืื ืืช ืืขืชืื ื ืืจืืื. ืืื, ืืืืช ืืืื ืืจื, ืืืืจืื ืืคืืื ืฆืืืช, ืืื ืืืื ืฆืจืืืื ืืขืืื ืืืืจืืช ืืืืืืื ืจืืื!
ืืฉื ืงืื ื
(Maurice King)
Thank you for this wonderful remembrance of Herman Zalis. My late father, Henry Wahrman, was one of his students. Note the correct spelling of his name for future reference. Thank you again for sharing this.
Tirza Wahrman (Mitlak)
amazing zchuso yagein aleinu, he wrote the famous niggun Lefichuch that is sung in almost every Israeli Yeshiva
My grandmother, Rose Ziperson, wrote the words to his music for a song called Main Shtetele, which he produced. I have the sheet music!