Mordechai Gebirtig songs

[Issongbird <Issongbird...>]

> I have been a member of this list for a few weeks but have not submitted 
> anything until now.  I am a classically trained singer (also a child of 
> Holocaust survivors from Krakow) and sing with a baritone and pianist in a 
> trio 
> called The Katsenshprung SIngers the songs of Mordechai Gebirtig in classical 
> art 
> song style.  Over the last 3 years I have also composed songs to most of the 
> poems Gebirtig wrote during the war for which no music by Gebirtig exists.  
> Others have composed music for these magnificent poems, but none have 
> impressed me, and I gather others have felt the same way.  

   In July I sent a CD I recorded in a Yom Hashoah concert with five of these 
songs to both Zalmen Mlotek > and to Chana Mlotek.  Mr. Mlotek expressed 
> great interest in the songs and asked me to send him the music -- he said he 
> was 
> interested in using a few for some of his programs. 
> 
> I just heard back from Chana Mlotek yesterday.  She e-mailed me that she 
> (and I quote): "enjoyed the CD very much and thought your settings of the 
> Gebirtig songs very fine. "  
> 
> She also told me that she had written about my songs in her column in last 
> week's Yiddish Forward.  In  her column she said (I quote from the English 
> translation): From Irene Steiner (New York) we received a compact disk of her 
> music
> to five Holocaust songs by Mordekhai Gebirtig. This is not the first
> time that a composer has set music to Gebirtigs songs written during
> the Holocaust, which have no music; in any case the music has not
> survived. Manfred Lemm, Emil Gorowitz and others have created music
> to Gebirtig's Holocaust songs. The five songs by Irene Steiner are a
> success - they are simple, melodic and appropriate to the words. 
> 
> I am so excited at this reaction and in particular about Chana Mlotek's 
> approval of my songs, given her knowledge, authority and reputation.  But 
> being 
> relatively new to the world of Yiddish music, I am sort of at a loss for what 
> to do next and wondered if anyone out there might have any suggestions.  Is 
> it feasible to try to get them published?  If so, where?  Any other persons 
> to 
> whom I should send my songs, either to help me publish ro to have them 
> performed by higher profile persons than myself?   These songs were 
> originally 
> written as art songs, but most would be suitable to be performed with guitar 
> as 
> well, at least I think so.

   These poems are astonishing in their intensity and I really believe that 
my settings 
> are good -- I want to get these songs performed and/or recorded!!  But I am 
> so unknown and such a novice, I don't know what to do to get the songs out 
> there.   I have written more songs to the all of the other poems Gebirtig 
> wrote during this period, and they are also really good (if I do say so 
> myself), 
> but I don't have them recorded yet -- I am working to rectify this but won't 
> be ready for another few weeks.    
> 
> I welcome anyone's suggestions.  Thank you so much for your time and 
> attention.
> 
> Irene Steiner
>