Isaac Schlossberg

Schlossberg himself tells about this production:

"The orchestra and the chorus consisted of conservatives. On the stage then there were the best artistic powers. When I sat down on the stool for the overture, my hands simply became numb. ... when the curtain went up, everyone was stunned. Fifty to sixty people sang, and yet -- such a solemn piano, such glorious silence ... they said that such a spectacle perhaps they have not seen on the Russian stage."

Yearlong Schlossberg wandered around across to Russia with various Yiddish troupes, until he settled in Warsaw, where he was conductor and composer in the Tłomackie Synagogue, at the same time also in the local Yiddish troupes, most of the time with Kaminski and Kompaneyets. He especially dedicated himself to working on the music for the brought-over operettas, such as "Bostenui," by Isaak Auerbach, "Prints ben hador (Prince Ben Hador)" and "Yetzias Mitzrayim (Exodus From Egypt)" by Professor Hurwitz, and many others. Schlossberg wrote original compositions for the plays "Hanka" by Menakhem (1914, in the Kaminski Theatre), "Malvinke vil azoy" by Jacob Waxman (16 January 1916), in the Lublin Pantheon Theatre), "Di sheine Berta," by Jacob Waxman (1916, in Lodz's "Groyses Theatre"), 'Zi vil azoy" (12 November 1920), "Txvey kets in eyn zak," "Gekhapt a khosn" by Jacob Waxman, "Der yidisher funk," "Der leymener golem" (October 1922), "Vos a moyd ken," oder, "Ikh zukh a shutf," oder "Der libling fun froyen" (performed in December 1923 in Warsaw's Elizeum Theatre), accompanying music to Asch's "Amnon and Tamar" (staged by the "Vilna Troupe"), and to Mendele's "Der priziv" (Central Theatre, 25 December 1923).

The composer Henekh Kon writes:

"All of the works were composed in the European style. There was almost no trace of the old, conventional Yiddish operetta. Schlossberg introduced a kind of renaissance in Yiddish theatrical music. His original style was only later imitated by his American counterparts. Characteristic were his (compositions to) songs, his beautiful accompaniment and exalted overture. To one of his most beautiful compositions belong, without a doubt, "The Choir of Angels," to "God, Man and Devil," which he had written for (1909), for (Morris) Moshkovitsh. This was a complete composition with a high harmonization Many of his compositions to songs migrated to the other side of the sea (America), and simply were underwritten with a foreign name. Not only in the field of theatre, but also in the field of the Jewish synagogal music did Schlossberg create wonderful compositions, among others the famous "Rezei (Accept Our Prayers)," with which Sirota had created such a world name [for himself]. Raised and immersed in Yiddish religious music, and under the influence of the Yiddish nusakh. ... The religious coloring of the synagogue style influenced all his later creations. ... He could easily have been a first-class conductor by the nations of the world, but his heart was drawn to Yiddish theatre.. He possessed by nature a tremendous healing power. His black shaped head often reminded me of Nietzsche and Arthur Nikisch. His shining eyes, like spears, pierced and hypnotized. When he sat down at the table, everything was burning -- ash of flame. He brought out the most beautiful nuances from the greatest voices, both on stage and in the orchestra. It was a pleasure to see, as the great master had from his primitive orchestra triggered the greatest dynamic. ... He had a rich imagination and his orchestral color was very colorful. And not only did he excite the Jewish world with his original instrumentation, but even in the Christian-musical world were his orchestrations accepted with the greatest recognition. Often it came to him to orchestrate for the bigger (Warsaw) Grand Opera, and also the opera conductors also stood, admiring the beautiful behavior and the extraordinary understanding of the instrumentation. And nevertheless, he was devoted to Jewish music with all his heart and soul, [and] like every master, he was also drawn to its source."

And the conductor and composer Leon Zelman:

"A romantic in the best sense of the word is I.S. [Isaac Schlossberg] as composer and musician has remained for his entire life in the style of Mendelssohn [and] Schubert. Not looking for new chords, his orchestral pieces (orchestrations) and harmonizations are wonderfully logical, really genius. ... Every old operetta that he has newly adapated and instrumentalized, became newly alive. One listened to them as entirely new compositions, as if Schlossberg had accompanied them himself.  ... Thus, none of the conductors could write a piano piece purely for printing. When I received a new or an old operetta, and I saw his glorious handwriting, I became alive again and with love and diligence I set out to work, knowing in advance that I would find everything in the best order. ... his choirs are always held in four parts, [and]can be compared to Lewandowski, according to all the rules of music. ... each of us learned, and will continue to learn about Schlossberg, from his works, how to harmonize and illustrate."

Joseph Rumshinsky gives such an assessment:

"Schlossberg was the first musician who took Yiddish theatre seriously. He gave away his entire musical power, how to treat his creations more beautifully and better, and that's why he neglected his compositional skills a lot. He has all the precision, all the serious passion for the music, especially for the choral music (which prevailed in the schools, in the temples, at that time in Russia, because the school and the cantor were among the Jews in the opera, the operetta and the symphony), introduced in Yiddish theatre ... Schlossberg was the first who had the patience and the energy, studying the stupidest song with a four-part choir. I will never forget when I met him in Yelisavetgrad with the old Fiszon company (troupe), in a summer garden, studying with a large choir, the market-choir or "Di kishufmakherin (The Sorceress)": "Buy, buy, buyers," from afar it sounded like a choir from a large singing union in Berlin, or in New York. He brought it so far that Fiszon used to lead a large choir and also a large orchestra, which used to be famous and about which the Russian stage used to talk. His precision with the choir, orchestra and actors, his punctuality used to forgive him all his frequent insults, because people knew that this was not artificial nervousness ... But they were the expression of a passionate musician who wanted to bring forth beauty in the music, in the then, former Yiddish theatre ... When he yet had the good fortune, that  the operetta brought over from America was from a better composer, and besides, not stolen, when a copy was sent by the composer himself, he was the happiest person. He used to reflect on this. Schlossberg used to take more time to arrange an operetta, before the composer in America used to create the operetta, and all the time he expressed himself: "What do the American composers mean by making music to order (an engagement)? And indeed this scared him and prevented him from coming to America."

Zalmen Zylbercweig remarks:
 --
"The great Yiddish writing family in Europe had written very little for Yiddish theatre. Operettas were looked upon as bastards and given no attention. Therefore there were several operettas that were written, carried out by writers. Schlossberg therefore did not have anywhere to unload himself. But for the several composers for whom he had created for complete operetta librettos, or for certain songs in operettas, Schlossberg proved that he would have been an important force for the Yiddish theatre, if it had such a wide field for itself, like the Yiddish theatre composers in America."

The singer and writer, the holy M. Kipnis, had characterized Schlossberg as a conductor:

"... From a distance his hand movements seem to be directing, like a good swimmer throwing strokes, swimming across a deep river. He always sits bowed to the orchestra, his pointed head thrown down. And when he dissolves with the orchestra in an operatic dance tempo, his face becomes full of grimaces with sunken cheeks. ... Thanks to the strong figure of Mr. Schlossberg, who holds the entire ensemble, (as 'material in the hand of the creator'), but we often listen to his taste and tempo in theatrical musical numbers that leave us with an esthetic impression. ... From America they send only the prime, the melody of the operetta without the instrumentation for the orchestra. ... So it turns out that every kapellmeister has to the naked melody that he receives from America, by himself to give it harmony and also write for the whole orchestra according to their own taste.  ... His combinations in the orchestral adaptations always illustrate the situation on the stage with Yiddish flavor and taste ."

About Schlossberg's liturgical music, the choral conductor M. Gutverk writes:

" ... He understood that one has to satisfy the eye, first of all with a rich melody, easily harmonized, which easily penetrates the listener's soul. ... His compositions smell of a lot of Jewish grace and sweetness."

According to Henekh Kon:

"Regardless of his (Schlossberg's) intensive creative work, he still lived in hardship from time to time, was exploited step by step. Not once did it happen that the great composer wrote his magnificent compositions in a cold room and perhaps also on a sober stomach."

On 5 November 1930 Schlossberg passed away in Warsaw.

Schlossberg's wife, Sonya, was a Jewish prima donna. Their daughter, Manya, (Mali Marko, Mali Pikus, Miriam Schlossberg), and Liza Schlossberg were Yiddish actresses.


 - M. Kipnis -- Muzikalisher albom, "Der shtrahl," Warsaw, No. 17, 1910.

-- Elihu Zaludkowski -- Khazanim un khazzanut, "Morning Journal," N.Y., 24 February 1929.

-- Henekh Kon -- Yitzhak Schlossberg, "Der moment," Warsaw, 4 November 1930.

-- [M. Dorguzhansky] -- Baym  frishn kbr, "Nayer Folksblat," Lodz, 11 November 1930.

-- Leon Zelman -- In tifn troyer, dort.

-- Joseph Rumshinsky -- Rumshinsky shraybt vegn dem farshtorbenem kompozitor Yitzhak Schlossberg, "Forward," N.Y., 14 November 1930.

-- Elihu Zaludkowski -- "Kultur-treger in der idisher liturgye," Detroit, 1930, pages 161-63.

-- "Rumshinsky Book," New York, 1931, pages 75-76.

-- M. Gutverk -- Yitzhak Schlossberg z"l, "Di khazzanim velt," Warsaw, Number 3, 1934.

-- Jacob Mestel -- Mendele Mokher Sforim oyf der bine; "Idishe kultur," N.Y., December 1946.