RE: Hazanim in NYC w/ tradl Nusach

[jonathan gordon <jbgordon...>]

I wonder where one would go to hear a great High Holiday Service from a
musical/Nuschaot/ Chazzones point of view.
It is a while since I have been in NYC and in touch with the chazzanim who
practice traditional askenazic nusach.  Certainly Malovany is well known.
The truth is that in the Orthodox community, full time Chazzanim are a
fading breed. I remember walking nearly one hundred blocks to hear Ganchoff
daven one shabbat with an Orthodox friend, who wouldnt stay to daven when he
saw this orthodox shul didnt have a kosher m'chitza.  In Westchester county
there is only one full time chazzan in an Orthodox Shul, and I understand
that the Cantorial School at Yeshiva is filled with Rabbinic Students who
want to be capable of davening. The Orthodox Chazzanim I have spoken with
tell me that everybody wants Carlbach, period. I wonder if that is true.
So, one might turn to Conservative Synagogues for traditional, rich Nusach.
I know that David Lefkowitz at Park Avenue is a wonderful singer with a
commitment to Nusach and also the Choral Music of Novakowski as well as
other great 19th Century Jewish Synagogue Composers.  He used to have a very
gifted Organist there, as well, who may still be there.  Jack Mendelsohn is
at Temple Israel in White Plains, and he is a major exponent of Chazzones. I
wonder if anyone else could weigh in on this topic?
cantor jonthan gordon

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