Re: Lehman Engel: Chassidic Chant & Yiddish Song Books

[wiener <wiener...>]

Elliott,

Thanks for that wonderful information.  I hadn't looked at
Eisenstein's work.  I believe that I must have some recordings of the
Yiddish version on my shelves.  I'll check the Beregovski collection
myself, although it might be listed under a different name.

I assume from Eisenstein's description that the melody for "A DIN
TOIRE MIT GOTT" is also attributed to Levi Yitzchak, although it would
be interesting to determine when it was first transcribed.

One of the interesting textual matters is that Levi Yitzhok in
Eisenstein's translation identifies himself as "son of Soroh".  Is
Soroh a male name?  Or is he identifying himself only by his mother's
name?  If so, what is the precedent for doing so?

Were the 2 Engels related?  It's interesting that the recent Robeson
CD reissue credits Lehman Engel  I believe that Lehman Engel wrote an
autobiography, but I don't own it.  I also believe that Lehman Engel
conducted a series of revivals of Broadway musicals at the New York
State Theater in Lincoln Center that I attended as a boy (none of them
Jewish in content).

Bob

-----Original Message-----
From: Eliott Kahn <Elkahn (at) JTSA(dot)EDU>
To: World music from a Jewish slant <jewish-music (at) shamash(dot)org>
Date: Thursday, July 20, 2000 5:13 PM
Subject: Re: Lehman Engel: Chassidic Chant & Yiddish Song Books


>Bob:
>
>THE KADDISH OF RABBI LEVI YITZCHOK, sometimes referred to as A DIN
TOIRE MIT GOTT (A Judgment against God) was supposedly written and
composed by the hasid Levi Yitzchak (1740-1809). He is also cited as
the author of two other seminal Jewish texts, HABEN YAKIR LI (from
V'al Y'deh Av'decha of the High Holiday musaf service) and the folk
song/poem DUDELE.
>
>A copy of the English translation you refer to (with the melody) may
be found in Judith Kaplan Eisenstein's HERITAGE OF MUSIC (NY: UAHC,
1972). At the library we also have Yiddish settings from the 1920s by
Joel Engel and Leo Low, although I couldn't find a transcription in
some of the more contemporary popular Yiddish song anthologies. There
is a transcription of DUDELE in Velvel Pasternak's SONGS OF THE
CHASIDIM, vol. II. I believe there is a field recording of LEVI
YITZCHAK'S KADDISH on the recently released CD of samples from the
Beregovski Coll. at the Vernadsky Library in the Ukraine. I'll check
as soon as I get the chance.
>
>Judith Kaplan-Eisenstein writes about Reb Levi Yitzchak on p.113 of
her book. Here's a paraphrase of some of what she says:
>         Hundreds and stories have come down to us about the piety
and gentleness of RLY, who was among one of the great early Hasidic
masters. Yet he had no moment of hesitation to challenge the Ruler of
the Universe. He had a cause and a case: the Jewish people suffering
under oppression, persecution and injustice. Like some defense
attorney who pleads for justice for an innocent and much-abused
client, Levi Yitzchok demanded, actually DEMANDED, that the judge of
all mankind Himself do justice!
>
>Eliott Kahn
>
>
>
>
>
>At 08:53 AM 7/20/00 -0400, you wrote:
>>Thanks Victor,
>>
>>That is the piece.  I imagine that it is known to a number of list
>>members.  I have only 5 Yiddish song books (and it isn't in any of
>>them), so could you (or anyone else) list and comment on the major
>>collections of Yiddish songs.
>>
>>About the song, was the text written separately as prose?  When was
it
>>written?  Did Lehman Engel provide the melody (chant) for the words
or
>>just the arrangement?  I have not done an exhaustive search through
my
>>library, but so far I haven't found any references.
>>
>>Bob
>>
>>-----Original Message-----
>>From: Victor Tunkel <V(dot)Tunkel (at) qmw(dot)ac(dot)uk>
>>To: World music from a Jewish slant <jewish-music (at) shamash(dot)org>
>>Date: Thursday, July 20, 2000 8:00 AM
>>Subject: Re: Fw: Lehman Engel: Chassidic Chant
>>
>>
>> >>Perhaps someone can help me with this work if I identify it this
>> >>way -- it is the piece sung by Paul Robeson that begins: "Good
day
>>to
>> >>thee Lord God Almighty, I Levi Isaac..."
>> >>
>> >>Bob
>> >>
>> >>-----Original Message-----
>> >>From: wiener (at) mindspring(dot)com <wiener (at) mindspring(dot)com>
>> >>To: World Music from a Jewish Slant <jewish-music (at) shamash(dot)org>
>> >>Date: Monday, July 17, 2000 12:45 PM
>> >>Subject: Lehman Engel: Chassidic Chant
>> >>
>> >>
>> >>>Can anyone help me find information on Lehman Engel's Chassidic
>> >>Chant,
>> >>>e.g., history of the text, date of composition, original type of
>>work
>> >>>(e.g., art song), language(s) of composition, performer of
>>premiere?
>> >>>
>> >>
>> >>
>> >>
>> >>Dear Bob:  It is the Kaddish of Lev Yitchak of Berditchev, done
into
>> >English for Robeson.  The original Yiddish version can be found in
>>most of
>> >the major collections of Yiddish songs.
>> >
>> >Victor Tunkel
>> >
>> >----------------------
>>jewish-music (at) shamash(dot)org ---------------------+
>> >