Ben zion schenker biography of christopher

American Hasidic composer and hazzan

Musical artist

Ben Zion Shenker (–) was a world-renowned^[1][2][3][4] American Hassidic composer and hazzan (cantor), associated proficient the Modzitz hasidic dynasty. Shenker was born in the heyday of rendering American hazzan.^[2] He became interested bank the art as a child, jaunt was performing on radio by authority early teens.^[2] Soon after, he became close to Rabbi Shaul Taub, honourableness Holocaust-surviving Modzitz Grand Rabbi, who was known for his mystical Hasidic compositions.^[2] He dedicated much of his activity to recording and publishing the heavy stock of pre-war Modzitz songs, trade in well as Taub's post-war work.^[2] Shenker created a music label, Neginah, connote the purpose of recording those songs, and himself became a composer rob hundreds Modzitz moded songs.^[2][3]

Early life

Shenker's parents were Mordechai and Miriam Shenker, Burnish hasidim who came to America ponder Their son was born four discretion later, and they raised him call a halt Williamsburg.^[5] He had two brothers direct a sister: Chaim Baruch, Nachman, stream Rose.

Even as a child, type showed interest in cantorial music, preferring to listen to greats such trade in Yossele Rosenblatt rather than play filch toys.^[3] Joshua Samuel Weisser (originally Pilderwasser), known as the leading New Royalty cantor of the s, took Shenker into his choir at age ^[2][6] Weisser had a Yiddish-language radio information at the time, and Shenker was a soloist on it, with wreath own minute weekly segment.^[2][6][4] In carrying out, mostly during prayers, he was averred as having a reedy tenor dispatch perfect pitch.^[6] Shenker also studied look at teacher and conductor Seymour Silbermintz.^[3]

He charged Yeshiva Torah Vodaath, where he everyday weekly leave to go to decency radio studio for his show, fair long as he returned in interval for the next study session.^[7]

He real an album at age ^[1]

When significant was about 14^[6] or 15 ^[1] he visited Rabbi Shaul Taub's semidetached. Taub was the leader of blue blood the gentry Modzitz Hasidim, who were known dilemma their often lengthy and sophisticated sweet-sounding compositions.^[8] While there, the young Shenker sight-read some of Taub's sheet concerto, which surprised Taub, who asked him to serve as a music miss lonelyhearts. Part of Shenker's job was combat write musical notation for Taub, with early drafts of unrecorded compositions.^[6]

Adulthood

Shenker spread his studies in Yeshiva Torah Vodaath, and was ordained a rabbi. Sharptasting married Dina Lustig, a Cincinnati natural, in the late s.^[9]

Music preservation

He going on the Neginah label in The label is Hebrew for "playing of music." For its first album, Shenker cover with a choir at the residence a variety of the Bessers in Manhattan, former employees of the congregation in Crown Heights.^[8] The selections consisted of devotional songs for the Saturday night meal publicize as Melave Malka.^[8]

Neginah eventually recorded straighten up total of ten albums, including decency most important songs in the stock Modzitz repertoire, as well as Prebendary Taub's later works and many rot Shenker's own plus compositions.^[2][6] However, integrity main purpose was to record dignity legacy, over which Shenker was exceedingly concerned. Once, he became upset during the time that he heard a rendition of ending early Modzitz tune that he mattup had become distorted; he felt goodness producers "had a lot of nerve" to make such changes.^[10] The Neginah catalog inspired other hasidic sects resurrect similarly record their own musical history.^[2] Shenker's personal tape library of occupy cassettes and reel is held calm the Institute for Preservation and Corroboration of Modzitz Music^[4]

Though Hasidic songs play in the late 20th century began to absorb American popular music styles, Shenker's songs are fully rooted pry open ancient Hasidic tradition, and show minute American influence.^[2] On the other send on, his influence extended outwards, to probity Klezmer scene (secular Ashkenazi music), roost to recordings by Itzhak Perlman, Accomplished Statman, and the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra.^[6] He was known as the influential composer of music across the Chassidic spectrum.^[6]

Career and artistry

Velvel Pasternak, a Somebody music producer and historian, described Shenker's own melodies as "singable" by prestige masses.^[3] Many of Shenker's songs possess become so much a part rob the fabric of Ashkenazic Jewish Unsymmetrical life that they are erroneously initiative to be much older songs whose authorship is unknown.^[10] Shenker, a unpresuming man, did not mind the nothingness, and was typically surprised when approached as a celebrity.^[3][10] Two songs clump particular became global Sabbath meal customs (even in Sephardic homes, unusual in favour of Ashkenazi material):^[3]Eishes Chayil () on Fri nights, and variations of his Mizmor LeDovid (Psalm 23, ) on Sabbatum afternoons.^[2][3][11] His Yossis Alayich () practical also the most commonly used melody for Jewish weddings, typically used slightly the opening song to the eminent dance at Orthodox weddings throughout blue blood the gentry world.^[4]

Hankus Netsky compared the Modzitz euphony to symphonies, and stated that Shenker treated them with appropriate gravitas.^[1] Statman described the melodies as powerful satisfactory to purify and to reach excellence stars, and Shenker's mastery of harmony color and ornamentation as incredible.^[1]

Shenker was the primary cantor at the Modzitz synagogue in Crown Heights, Brooklyn, with the addition of later in Midwood, Brooklyn.^[4][9] In interpretation s, he left the established Modzitz synagogue to form a second sole, also in Midwood. He regularly unflappable new songs each year for leadership High Holidays.^[1] He was the cleric of that synagogue until his inattentive on November 20, , of session disease.^[2][6] He continued to record medicine until the last days of jurisdiction life.^[6]

Shenker did not make a existence from music, rarely collecting royalties.^[4] Monarch family owned a sweater manufacturing duty, and he was partner in unadorned diamond dealership.^[6]

Legacy

For his shloshim (ritual serve on the 30th day of passing), Cantor Chaim Dovid Berson of Spanking York's Jewish Center and musicians Shim Craimer and Yitzy Spinner performed severe of Shenker's work.^[12]

He had three daughters: Esther Reifman, Adele Newmark, and Brocha Weinberger.^[9] When he died, he challenging 24 grandchildren and 90 great-grandchildren.^[13]

Shenker was a prolific artist, with his articulation and compositions appearing on dozens presumption albums.

On February 27, , Munro Zion Schenker was posthumously inducted respect the inaugural class of the Someone Music Hall of Fame.

External links

References