Description

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The brightest stars in the firmament of synagogal music are the cantors. Unlike church choirmasters, they are not first and foremost organists, but solo singers who use their marvelous voices to lead the service and so to build the bridge between the congregation and the Almighty. An outstanding feature of Judaism is the way the encounter between secular and sacred music is often thrillingly embodied in a person who is acclaimed on the stages of the famous opera houses during the week and in the great synagogues of the world's cities on the holy Shabbat. Israel Alter (1901-1979) is one of them. This scrapbook contains contemporary reviews, photos, concert programs, and other documents that Israel Alter himself thought worth keeping. It is thus a kind of diary, and reveals the station of Alter's life and his successive chapters as a singer as reflected by the public opinion.

About the Author

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Andor Izsak is the founder and professor of synagogal music at the European Centre for Jewish Music, an institute at the Hanover University of Music, Drama, and Media. He is also a former lecturer at the Bela-Bartok Conservatory and the Fodor School of Music.