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Many of these intense and beautiful works are well known to classical music lovers.
Max Bruch's "Kol Nidre," based on the ancient prayer melody, is heard frequently in concert and is often played in reform synagogues on Yom Kippur. Ernest Bloch's "Nigun" and "Prayer" are concert staples as is his great tone poem, "Schelomo," played here in the composer's arrangement for cello and piano. Also included is Bloch's rarely heard "Meditation Hebaique," (1925) which was dedicated to Pablo Casals.
Maurice Ravel's "Kaddisch" is the first of his "Two Hebraic Melodies," originally written for voice and piano. The songs were commissioned by the soprano Alvina-Alvi of the Imperial St. Petersburg Opera and performed by her and Ravel in 1914 at the Salle Malakoff in Paris.
Less familiar are the great songs by Zavel Zilberts (1881-1949). A child prodigy violinist and singer who had an illustrious career as cantor, composer, conductor, and teacher, Zilberts' renown was great enough that luminaries such as Rachmaninoff and Chaliapin came to hear him sing at the Central Synagogue in Moscow where he was cantor from 1907 to 1914.
Zilberts immigrated to the U.S. in 1920 where he held a number of distinguished cantorial positions. He became director of the Choral Society of New York in 1924, leading the choir and soloists such as Jan Peerce, Phillip Wakefield, Robert Merrill, and Richard Tucker (who was his vocal student for six years before he joined the Metropolitan Opera in 1945).
These songs were written between 1914 and 1931 and the transcriptions here are faithful to the original versions.
David Meyerowitz's "Gelt" (Wie schlecht es is ohn gelt) is a beautiful and amusing song written for the Yiddish Theatre. Meyerowitz (1867-1943) was a noted theatre composer and lyricist whose works were performed by stars such as Boris Thomaschevsky and Sophie Tucker.
Richard Locker is well known for his expressive and stylish performances of solo and chamber music masterworks.
The New York Times has written that he is and "a musician with a thoughtful temperament who expresses most of the substance beneath the notes." and "an exceptionally clean player with an incisive interpretive style."
The New York Post commented on his "...great intensity and beauty of tone," and The Pittsburgh Post Gazette called him "...a true young master...who gives thoughtful, mature interpretations without excess or self indulgence."
When he is not touring Richard Locker is one of New York's top musicians and has performed in over 4000 recording sessions. Earlier in his career he served as principal cellist and soloist with the Mostly Mozart Festival of Lincoln Center, New York City Ballet, Orchestra of St. Luke's, and countless other ensembles in concert and/or on recordings.
Formerly cello teacher at Princeton University he now teaches privately in New York. Mr. Locker plays on a cello by Nicolo Gagliano of Naples, dated 1780.
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