Re: Jacob Wasilkowsky?

[Sam Weiss <SamWeiss...>]

At 03:19 PM 10/22/03, medelman wrote:
> Can anyone provide any biographical
> information on Cantor Jacob Wasilkowsky
> (1886-1944)?

The following biography of Wasilkowsky appears in his book "Ma'ariv
Chants for the Entire Year" compiled and edited by Moshe (=Macy)
Nulman, published in 1965 by Yeshiva University.  Note the different
birth and death years given here.
-S.W.

JACOB LEIB WASILKOWSKY (1882-1942)
The gifted Eastern
European synagogue composer Cantor Jacob L. Wasilkowsky, was given
prominent recognition when about twenty selections from a manuscript
prepared by him in 1906 were included in "The Thesaurus of Hebrew
Oriental Melodies" (vol. VIII), written in 1927 by Abraham Z.
ldelsohn, the foremost musicologist in the field of Jewish music of the
early 20th century.
Jacob Wasilkowsky, the son of poor parents, was born in Swislicz, a
province of Grodno, Russia. As customary in that era, his parents saw to
it that he received a thorough Jewish education. In his twelfth year he
was sent to the academy at Horodna, a nearby town, where he studied the
Talmud and other Jewish subjects. It was in these formative years that he
absorbed the deep Jewish piety and fervent emotion which later influenced
his musical work. While in Horodna, he became quite popular because of
his alto voice and was chosen to be the leading soloist in the choir of
the noted Cantor Joseph Altshul (1840-1908), sometimes called "Yoshe
Slonimer". From Horodna the young Wasilkowsky journeyed to
Biyalistok and from there to Kalish, Poland, where he was appointed
choir-leader to Cantor Noach Lieder.
Up to the age of fifteen Wasilkowsky had little formal musical education.
He was admitted to musical circles only because of his gracefulness and
his innate musicianship. His first experience with theoretical musical
knowledge was in Warsaw, where he devoted all his time to musical studies
and composition. It is here, too, that he met his wife, Sheena Esther
Cantor, daughter of the famed hazzan-shohet, Nahum Kantor of
Goniondz. Wasilkowsky's thirst for musical knowledge was still
unquenched, and before he turned twenty he journeyed to Konigsberg,
Germany, to study with Edward Birnbaum (1885-1920), distinguished cantor
and musicologist. His musical development was furthered by his contact
with Otto Fiebach, director of the Conservatory of Konigsberg.
Despite his success in his secular schooling, Wasilkowsky felt an
"inner calling" to serve his people as cantor, choir-leader and
composer. In the next few years, prior to World War I, he went through
several job-changes as cantor; first in the United Synagogue of
Manchester, England, and then in Shavel, a province of Kovno, Russia.
After a long struggle during the war years, he finally came to the United
States in 1920.
As a composer, Wasilkowsky is essentially a follower of the Eastern
European synagogue style. His works, closely tied to Jewish tradition,
are in the folk tune style. Undoubtedly, his most important contributions
to synagogue music are his "Rinath Amcho" (1922) and
"Rinoh Us'filoh" (c. 1924). Both are arranged for cantor and
choir in 2 and 3 part settings. As early as the first quarter of the 20th
century, Wasilkowsky envisioned the future of choral singing in the
traditional synagogue of the Americas and his first attempt at 2- and 3-
part settings set an example for future synagogue composers.
In his notation of "Ten Recitatives for the High Holidays,"
Wasilkowsky again focuses on the future. Although these are elaborate
recitatives, they omit the flowery embellishments and virtuoso cadenzas
so often found in the recitatives of this period. They strive to enhance
the service with musical variation of the nusah.
Wasilkowsky not only delved into music for the synagogue but, just
like the paytan (poet) of the middle ages, he also composed shirim
(poems) on various aspects of Jewish life. By virtue of these creations
the appelation hazzan-maskil has been associated with his
name.
In 1931 he wrote a collection of five Yiddish songs for voice and piano.
Here, Wasilkowsky's texts speak of matters of one's personal longings
("Parnosoh"), love for Zion ("Vuhin"), immortality
("Kol Yisroel") and above all, piety ("Ani Ma'amin"
and "Al Tiroh").
His unpublished scores for the Jewish theater and his general musical
works are further evidence of his great versatility.
CANTOR MOSHE NULMAN
Assistant Director
Cantorial Training Institute
Yeshiva University
April, 1965

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