Yossele Rosenblatt Sings "Eli, Eli."

The great Ukrainian cantor in a particularly moving song, based both on Scripture and folk music tradition.

YOU CAN FOLLOW MY OPERA BLOG AT:
GREATOPERASINGERS.BLOGSPOT.COM

Category:

Music

Tags:

• Cantor
• Yossele
• Rosenblatt

[Cantormatis]

This was actually a Yiddish theater song originally, and was sung by dozens of Yiddish theater stars, including women! Indeed, Rosenblatt was a truly great artist, and the text is particularly moving, about the persecution of the Jewish people.

[EdmundStAustell]

@Cantormatis Yes, you are right. It is a very moving rendition by a very great artist.

[meltzerboy]

This performance has the stamp of authenticity. And why shouldn't it since it is sung by one of the great cantors from the Golden Age. That era boasted the likes of tenors Sirota and Hershman, the baritone, Kwartin, and a half-dozen others including a couple of women. I knew Nettie Rosenblatt, Yossele's daughter, as an acquaintance; she died a few years ago at the age of 100. Thanks for posting, Edmund!

[EdmundStAustell]

@meltzerboy You knew Nettie Rosenblatt! Fascinating. Yes, pretty much everyone agrees that he was the greatest of the cantors...at least of his day. Tucker was a mighty singer of cantorial musical also, as was Peerce, in our own day. I always preferred Peerce, but that is just a personal matter of taste. But the matter of "authenticity" that you mention is very important, and very much in evidence here.

[bluechazzan]

@EdmundStAustell Other great cantors of that era included Karniol, Roitman, Rutman, Rozumni, Shlepak, Minkowsky. Unfortunately we have no recordings of the latter 3.

Tucker and Peerce were not in the same league as the aforementioned. They were predominantly opera singers who dabbled in cantorial singing. A quip I once heard about Tucker regarding his singing which I believe is pretty accurate is: "he sang chazzanus (cantorial singing) like opera, and opera liek chazzanus."

[EdmundStAustell]

@bluechazzan Thank you very much for an interesting comment!  I appreciate it.

[robertcouturier]

So sad that he died so young, what an unbelievably gorgeous voice, thank you, his rendition of Hineni is extroardinary.

[maminovm]

he was 1 of the greatests , there were more Sirota, Hershman, Kosovitzki, Kvarteen etc etc

[EdmundStAustell]

@racheleleeba Thank YOU. I always appreciate your comments.

[racheleleeba]

"My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?"

Thank you, Edmund.