Joseph Brody ( yi, יוסף בּרױדי ) (1876/1877 – 1937) was an American Jewish composer who wrote prolifically for the Yiddish theatre as well as liturgical Jewish works. He taught George Gershwin and was a friend of

Yossele Rosenblatt Josef "Yossele" Rosenblatt (May 9, 1882 – June 19, 1933) was a Ukrainian-born chazzan (cantor) and composer. He was regarded as the greatest cantor of his time. Biography Rosenblatt was born on May 9, 1882, in Bila Tserkva, Russian Empire. T ...

. His daughter, Estelle Brody, was an actress.

Biography

Early life

Brody was probably born on March 12, 1877, based upon his gravestone, in Lyakhavichy, Minsk Governorate, in the Russian Empire, although the

Lexicon of Yiddish Theatre ''Leksikon fun yidishn teater'' ( yi, לעקסיקאן פון יידישן טעאטער ''Lexicon of Yiddish Theatre'' or ''Encyclopedia of the Yiddish Theatre'') is a Yiddish language reference encyclopedia compiled by Zalmen Zylbercweig, assist ...

gives the date as February 12, and in own his naturalization application he stated his birthday was January 22, 1876. His father, Harris Brody, was a tailor and sent Joseph to a Cheder for his early education. His father emigrated to the United States in 1887, at which point Joseph entered a Yeshiva in

Slonim Slonim ( be, Сло́нім, russian: Сло́ним, lt, Slanimas, lv, Sloņima, pl, Słonim, yi, סלאָנים, ''Slonim'') is a city in Grodno Region, Belarus, capital of the Slonimski rajon. It is located at the junction of the Ščar ...

, where he stayed for six years. During that time he developed an aptitude for music, and was greatly impressed by the military orchestras which regularly played in the park in Slonim during the summers. After being noticed by cantors who visited the Yeshiva in Slonim, he decided to drop out and followed cantor Moshe Bass to Bialystok, where he became a choirboy. It was there that he learned music theory and studied Hebrew and Russian. Upon losing his Soprano voice, he began to compose cantorial compositions, and was hired by Cantor Kahane in Vilnius as a choir conductor, and after that under cantor Yoel Zelig in Pinsk. To avoid being his conscription into the Russian military, his father sent for him and he travelled to the United States in 1895 via Hamburg, or possibly in 1896. He worked for a time as a conductor in synagogues and in the Yiddish theatre in Philadelphia.

Composing career

It was around the turn of the century that Brody's composing career in the United States began to see some success. Although he had worked at

Morris Finkel Moishe Finkel (c. 1850 – June 7, 1904) (also known as MorrisJones 2006. or Maurice Finkel) was a prominent figure in the early years of Yiddish theater. He was business partner first of Abraham Goldfaden and later of Sigmund Mogulesko (the greates ...

's Yiddish theatre at the

Arch Street Theatre The Arch Street Theatre in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, during the 19th century, was one of the three main Philadelphia theaters for plays; the other two were the Walnut Street Theatre and the Chestnut Street Theatre. The Arch Street Theatre opene ...

in Philadelphia, that theatre merely staged New York plays and so his position was limited to conducting rather than composing. It was when he was hired by David Kessler from the Thalia Theatre in New York City that his career as a Jewish American composer began in earnest. His partnership with Kessler would last for several decades. Kessler, along with

Bertha Kalich Bertha Kalich (also spelled Kalish, born Beylke Kalakh; 17 May 1874 – 18 April 1939) was a Ukrainian-Jewish-American actress. Though she was well-established as an entertainer in Eastern Europe, she is best remembered as one of the several ...

and

Sigmund Mogulesko Sigmund Mogulesko (16 December 1858 – 4 February 1914) — Yiddish: זעליק מאָגולעסקאָ ''Zelik Mogulesko'', first name also sometimes spelled as Zigmund, Siegmund, Zelig, or Selig, last name sometimes spelled Mogulescu &m ...

starred in his first play, which was very successful. During this time he developed an appreciation for

Louis Friedsell Louis Friedsell (born 1863 or 1865, Yekaterinoslav, Ukraine; died 25 June 1923, New York, United States) was a conductor and composer for the Yiddish theatre. He has written the music for about 150 plays and operettas (partly by himself, partly wi ...

's career, with whom he would later widely collaborate. He continued to work Yiddish folk melodies and Jewish religious music into his theatre compositions. Among his other contemporaries in the New York Yiddish Theatre world were

Rubin Doctor Reuben Doctor or Rubin Doctor ( yi, רובין דאקטער or , 1880 – c. 1940) was an actor of the Yiddish Theater, best known as a prolific writer of Yiddish songs during the early Twentieth century. His most well known song was his 1922 pie ...

Arnold Perlmutter Arnold Perlmutter ( yi, אַרנאָלד פּערלמוטער, 1859–1953) was a composer for Yiddish theatre, born in Zolochiv, Galicia, Austria-Hungary. He moved to Lemberg where he received both a religious and a secular education in Polish, ...

, Herman Wohl, Louis Gilrod, and many others.

Joseph Rumshinsky Joseph Rumshinsky (1881–1956) was a Jewish composer born near Vilna, Lithuania (then part of Russian Poland). Along with Sholom Secunda, Alexander Olshanetsky and Abraham Ellstein, he is considered one of the "big four" composers and conductors ...

published arrangements of a number of Brody's compositions during this era as well. In 1913, Brody became a naturalized citizen of the United States. During the 1910s Brody taught George Gershwin composition for a time, focusing on counterpoint, and directed a choir that Gershwin sang in. After two decades of successful collaborations, Kessler died in 1920, after which Brody spent several shorter stints composing in other theatres, including the People's Theater, the Liberty Theater and the Hopkinson Theater. During his career he composed music for more than sixty plays. Although a number of sources list Brody as having died in 1943, he actually died on August 16, 1937. He was buried in the

Beth David Cemetery Beth David Cemetery is a Jewish cemetery located at 300 Elmont Road in Elmont, New York. The cemetery was established in 1917. As of 2012, there were approximately 245,000 burials in the cemetery. Notable interments *Sam Ash (1897–1956), violini ...

in Nassau County, New York.

Family

Joseph married his first wife Elizabeth (Leah) Vishniff, a fellow Russian Jewish immigrant, in May 1898. In 1900 their first daughter Estelle Brody, then known as Sadie, was born. She would later become a well-known silent film actor in Great Britain. Their second and third children, Phillip and Harris, were born in 1902 and 1905. Their son

Murray L. Brody Murray may refer to: Businesses * Murray (bicycle company), an American manufacturer of low-cost bicycles * Murrays, an Australian bus company * Murray International Trust, a Scottish investment trust * D. & W. Murray Limited, an Australian whol ...

, who would later become a composer as well, was born in 1909. Elizabeth died in May 1912 at age 36. Joseph married his second wife Bessie Fox, another Russian Jewish immigrant, in December 1912. According to the census records they continued to live with Sadie, Philip, Harry and Moses as well as their own children Bernard (born in 1914) and Jannette (born in 1917).

Selected plays Brody contributed music for

* by

Jacob Gordin Jacob Michailovitch Gordin (Yiddish: יעקב מיכאַילאָװיטש גאָרדין; May 1, 1853 – June 11, 1909) was a Russian-born American playwright active in the early years of Yiddish theater. He is known for introducing realism and ...

, music cowritten with

, 1900. * (The Nightingale in Jerusalem), operetta, written by Sigmund Feinman, lyrics by Brody, performed by

Kalman Juvelier Kalman Juvelier ( yi, קלמן יאָװעליר, 1863-1939) was an Austrian-born Yiddish theatre actor and manager, Broder singer, Tenor, and recording artist of the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, who was active both in Europe an ...

, 1903. * (The Jews in Brazil) by Herman, 1903. * (The naive one) by

Nahum Meir Schaikewitz Nahum Meïr Schaikewitz, also known by his pseudonym "Shomer" (December 18, 1849 in Nesvizh, Belarus – 25 November 1905 in New York City)''Publishers Weekly'', Vol. 68, No. 1766, 2 December 1905.p. 1700, "Obituary Notes: Nahum Meyer Schaikew ...

, lyrics by Brody, performed by

, 1903. * , performed by Bertha Kalich and David Kessler, 1903. * (King of the beggars), written by Israel Zangwill with lyrics by

Solomon Smulewitz Solomon Smulewitz ( yi, שלמה שמולעװיץ, 1868–1943), sometimes known by the anglicized name Solomon Small, was a Russian-born American Tenor, folk poet, Badchen, playwright, recording artist, and composer for the Yiddish theatre. He wro ...

, 1905. *Uptown and downtown, with lyrics by Solomon Smulewitz, 1906. * (Queen of Sheba), operetta, written by Moses Horowitz with lyrics by

Anshel Schorr Anshel Schorr ( yi, אַנשל שור; October 25, 1871 - May 31, 1942), also known by the anglicized name Albert Schorr, was an Austrian-born American playwright, lyricist, theater manager and composer active in the Yiddish Theatre of the early ...

, 1907. * (The neighbors), with lyrics by Anshel Schorr, 1908. * by

* by Jacob Gordin * (

The Jewish Heart ''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things already mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The'' is the m ...

), operetta, written by Joseph Lateiner, music cowritten with Sigmund Mogulesko with lyrics by Louis Gilrod, Solomon Smulewitz and Sigmund Mogulesko, 1908. * (The Wedding Day), operetta, music cowritten with

, lyrics by

and Louis Friedsell, 1910. * (The house of peace or "Home, sweet home"), written by Joseph Lateiner, music cowritten with Louis Friedsell with lyrics by Solomon Smulewitz, Joseph Tanzman and

Isidore Lillian Isidore Lillian (Yiddish language, Yiddish: איזידאָר ליליען ''Izidor Lilien'') (c. 1882 - 1960) was an actor, songwriter, playwright, and composer who was a leading figure in the New York Yiddish Theatre for the first half of the twen ...

, 1910. * (The false step), written by Joseph Lateiner, music cowritten with Louis Friedsell, lyrics by Henry M. Gastwirth, performed by Kalman Juvelier, 1915. * (

The Yiddish King Lear ''The Yiddish King Lear'' ( yi, דער ייִדישער קעניג ליר ''Der Yidisher Kenig Lir'', also known as ''The Jewish King Lear'') was an 1892 play by Jacob Gordin, and is generally seen as ushering in the first great er ...

), written by Jacob Gordin, 1915. * (The True Friend) written by Joseph Lateiner with lyrics by Isidore Lillian, 1917. * '' (A friend in life), operetta, written by Shloime Steinberg, with lyrics by B. Reznik, 1918. * (A mother's soul), with lyrics by Joseph Tanzman * (The land of tears), operetta, with lyrics by David Meyerowitz, 1920. * (Jacob, the gypsy), musical, with lyrics by Joseph Tanzman, 1926. * (

), film adaptation of Gordin play, 1934.

References

External links

Musical scores and sound recordings of Brody compositions
at the Library of Congress
Joseph Brody compositions
Discography of American Historical Recordings
Joseph Brody scores

Brown University Brown University is a private research university in Providence, Rhode Island. Brown is the seventh-oldest institution of higher education in the United States, founded in 1764 as the College in the English Colony of Rhode Island and Providenc ...

Yiddish sheetmusic collection * {{DEFAULTSORT:Brody, Joseph 1870s births 1937 deaths Burials at Beth David Cemetery Jewish American composers Yiddish theatre American people of Russian-Jewish descent American male composers People from Lyakhavichy Date of birth uncertain