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Mordecai (Markus) Sandberg ( he, מרדכי זנדברג) (February 4, 1897December 28, 1973) was a
composer
A composer is a person who writes music. The term is especially used to indicate composers of Western classical music, or those who are composers by occupation. Many composers are, or were, also skilled performers of music.
Etymology and Defi ...
and physician. He was a creative and prolific composer, a musical theorist, and an innovative physician in the area of
alternative
Alternative or alternate may refer to:
Arts, entertainment and media
* Alternative (''Kamen Rider''), a character in the Japanese TV series ''Kamen Rider Ryuki''
* ''The Alternative'' (film), a 1978 Australian television film
* ''The Alternative ...
and
natural medicine
Naturopathy, or naturopathic medicine, is a form of alternative medicine. A wide array of pseudoscientific practices branded as "natural", "non-invasive", or promoting "self-healing" are employed by its practitioners, who are known as naturop ...
in 1920s and 1930s
Jerusalem
Jerusalem (; he, יְרוּשָׁלַיִם ; ar, القُدس ) (combining the Biblical and common usage Arabic names); grc, Ἱερουσαλήμ/Ἰεροσόλυμα, Hierousalḗm/Hierosóluma; hy, Երուսաղեմ, Erusałēm. i ...
.
Sandberg was a pioneer in the field of
microtonal theory and music. He believed that a microtonal system of music could be the basis of making “a music of humanity” that would bring people together from all cultures and transcend local traditions. He argued that although there seemed to be a conflict between the western and eastern tonal systems, there was in reality one music and one humanity. He developed his
Universal Tonal System, a synthesis of oriental and occidental scales using microtones. He also designed several instruments and a notation system for
microtonal music
Microtonal music or microtonality is the use in music of microtones—intervals smaller than a semitone, also called "microintervals". It may also be extended to include any music using intervals not found in the customary Western tuning of tw ...
.
As a composer of microtonal music Sandberg intended to translate and interpret the sacred texts of all the worlds’ religions to musical form. He began his monumental project with the
Hebrew Bible
The Hebrew Bible or Tanakh (;["Tanach"](_blank)
''Random House Webster's Unabridged Dictionary''. Hebrew: ''Tān ...
, from his own
Europe
Europe is a large peninsula conventionally considered a continent in its own right because of its great physical size and the weight of its history and traditions. Europe is also considered a Continent#Subcontinents, subcontinent of Eurasia ...
an
Jewish
Jews ( he, יְהוּדִים, , ) or Jewish people are an ethnoreligious group and nation originating from the Israelites Israelite origins and kingdom: "The first act in the long drama of Jewish history is the age of the Israelites""The ...
tradition. He theorized that microtonal music, incorporating the tonal traditions of
Asia
Asia (, ) is one of the world's most notable geographical regions, which is either considered a continent in its own right or a subcontinent of Eurasia, which shares the continental landmass of Afro-Eurasia with Africa. Asia covers an area ...
, was an appropriate means for setting Hebrew, an Oriental language, to music. Over the course of his life, Sandberg produced some twenty thousand pages of musical composition. His ''
magnum opus
A masterpiece, ''magnum opus'' (), or ''chef-d’œuvre'' (; ; ) in modern use is a creation that has been given much critical praise, especially one that is considered the greatest work of a person's career or a work of outstanding creativity, ...
'' was Symphonic Psalms, the setting of the
Book of Psalms
The Book of Psalms ( or ; he, תְּהִלִּים, , lit. "praises"), also known as the Psalms, or the Psalter, is the first book of the ("Writings"), the third section of the Tanakh, and a book of the Old Testament. The title is derived f ...
to music, a task which comprised more than twelve thousand pages of composition.
Early life
Sandberg was born in the town of
Hârlău
Hârlău (also spelled ''Hîrlău'', ; he, חרלאו; hu, Harló) is a town in Iași County, Western Moldavia, Romania. It was one of the princely court cities of Moldavia, in the 15th century. One village, Pârcovaci, is administered by the to ...
but grew up in
Suceava
Suceava () is the largest urban settlement and the seat town ( ro, oraș reședință de județ) of Suceava County, situated in the historical region of Bukovina, northeastern Romania, and at the crossroads of Central Europe, Central and Eastern E ...
in
Bukovina
Bukovinagerman: Bukowina or ; hu, Bukovina; pl, Bukowina; ro, Bucovina; uk, Буковина, ; see also other languages. is a historical region, variously described as part of either Central or Eastern Europe (or both).Klaus Peter BergerT ...
, a province of what was then the
Austro-Hungarian empire
Austria-Hungary, often referred to as the Austro-Hungarian Empire,, the Dual Monarchy, or Austria, was a constitutional monarchy and great power in Central Europe between 1867 and 1918. It was formed with the Austro-Hungarian Compromise of ...
.
Sandberg studied medicine at the
University of Vienna
The University of Vienna (german: Universität Wien) is a public research university located in Vienna, Austria. It was founded by Duke Rudolph IV in 1365 and is the oldest university in the German-speaking world. With its long and rich histor ...
, during
World War I
World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...
, under such professors as
Julius Tandler
Julius Tandler (February 16, 1869 – August 25, 1936) was an Austrian physician and Social Democratic politician, whose research secured him a lasting place in the history of anatomy. His main claim to fame was his ambition to introduce a compr ...
, a well known academic and political figure in Vienna at the time. While pursuing a medical education, Sandberg informally studied music. It was during this time that he began his earliest surviving creative work, ''Demosthenes'', a play and later an overture which was completed in 1925. Although his studies were interrupted because of the war, Sandberg graduated from the University of Vienna in 1921 as a medical doctor.
Move to Jerusalem
After World War I, Austria ended its control over the city of Suceava, and in 1922 Sandberg moved to
Jerusalem
Jerusalem (; he, יְרוּשָׁלַיִם ; ar, القُدس ) (combining the Biblical and common usage Arabic names); grc, Ἱερουσαλήμ/Ἰεροσόλυμα, Hierousalḗm/Hierosóluma; hy, Երուսաղեմ, Erusałēm. i ...
in the
British Mandate of Palestine British Mandate of Palestine or Palestine Mandate most often refers to:
* Mandate for Palestine: a League of Nations mandate under which the British controlled an area which included Mandatory Palestine and the Emirate of Transjordan.
* Mandatory P ...
. There he opened a medical clinic utilizing alternative medical techniques, including
vitamin
A vitamin is an organic molecule (or a set of molecules closely related chemically, i.e. vitamers) that is an Nutrient#Essential nutrients, essential micronutrient that an organism needs in small quantities for the proper functioning of its ...
and herbal therapies, diet change, and
spiritual healing
Energy medicine is a branch of alternative medicine based on a pseudo-scientific belief that healers can channel "healing energy" into a patient and effect positive results. Practitioners use a number of names including various synonyms for m ...
. His patients ran the spectrum of people living in the Palestine, and beyond, and he journeyed at times to
Egypt
Egypt ( ar, مصر , ), officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, is a transcontinental country spanning the northeast corner of Africa and southwest corner of Asia via a land bridge formed by the Sinai Peninsula. It is bordered by the Mediter ...
to care for patients using his alternative techniques. As part of his practice of medicine he authored ''The Way of Spiritual Healing according to the Jewish Tradition'' (1939), a book published in Hebrew.
While working as a medical doctor in Palestine, Sandberg’s pursued his passion for music and he was active as a composer. In 1924, Sandberg began composing music to the Book of Psalms. In 1925, Sandberg’s musical composition, ''Kohelet'' (Ecclesiastes) was performed in Jerusalem. In 1926, he founded the Palestine Musicians Association together with composers Jacob Weinberg and
Solomon Rosowsky
Solomon (Salomo) Rosowsky (1878, Riga –1962) was a cantor (hazzan) and composer, and son of the Rigan cantor, Baruch Leib Rosowsky.
Early life
Rosowsky began to study music only after he graduated from the University of Kyiv, with a degree in ...
. In 1926, Sandberg, married the painter, Hannah Rosner. In 1927, he was one of the founders of the Palestine section of the International Society for Contemporary Music. In the same year, he organized concerts for his own works and that of German composer Willi von Moellendorff in Jerusalem and
Tel-Aviv
Tel Aviv-Yafo ( he, תֵּל־אָבִיב-יָפוֹ, translit=Tēl-ʾĀvīv-Yāfō ; ar, تَلّ أَبِيب – يَافَا, translit=Tall ʾAbīb-Yāfā, links=no), often referred to as just Tel Aviv, is the most populous city in the G ...
; he lectured on the quarter tone system in Palestinian music in Tel-Aviv and offered courses in ear training to performers and composers.
In 1928 Sandberg presented a concert in Jerusalem of his own works and those of
Arnold Schoenberg
Arnold Schoenberg or Schönberg (, ; ; 13 September 187413 July 1951) was an Austrian-American composer, music theorist, teacher, writer, and painter. He is widely considered one of the most influential composers of the 20th century. He was as ...
. In 1929 he arranged concerts of his works in Germany and published a paper on his theory of microtonal music entitled, “Die Musik der Menschheit: Die Ton-Differenzierung und ihre Bedeutung” at the
Hochschule für Musik
A music school is an educational institution specialized in the study, training, and research of music. Such an institution can also be known as a school of music, music academy, music faculty, college of music, music department (of a larger in ...
in
Berlin
Berlin ( , ) is the capital and largest city of Germany by both area and population. Its 3.7 million inhabitants make it the European Union's most populous city, according to population within city limits. One of Germany's sixteen constitue ...
. He also designed a
harmonium
The pump organ is a type of free-reed organ that generates sound as air flows past a vibrating piece of thin metal in a frame. The piece of metal is called a reed. Specific types of pump organ include the reed organ, harmonium, and melodeon. T ...
with 12th and 16th tones. In 1930, he founded the Hebrew monthly magazine, ''Hallel'' which included photographs of some instruments of his design.
In 1938, Sandberg took part in an international conference on music and art in London. His lecture on microtonal music was later broadcast on the
BBC #REDIRECT BBC #REDIRECT BBC
Here i going to introduce about the best teacher of my life b BALAJI sir. He is the precious gift that I got befor 2yrs . How has helped and thought all the concept and made my success in the 10th board exam. ...
...
. After the conference, he organized a number of concerts, broadcasts, and lectures of his work in
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...
. The BBC program planner and advocate of contemporary music Edward Clark said that Sandberg was "a composer in whose path new music is following".
Sandberg himself settled in the
United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...
after the outset of
World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
, later bringing his family to
New York City
New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...
following the end of the war. In 1939, he offered a number of lectures in music in New York including one on radio station
WEVD
WEVD was an American brokered programming radio station with some news-talk launched in August 1927 by the Socialist Party of America. Making use of the initials of recently deceased party leader Eugene Victor Debs in its call sign, the station ...
about the “Problems of Palestinian Music”. In 1940, he taught a course at the
New York College of Music
The New York College of Music was an American conservatory of music located in Manhattan that flourished from 1878 to 1968. The college was incorporated under the laws of New York and was empowered to confer diplomas and degrees ranging from a Bac ...
on the subject of microtonal music. Over the next few years, concerts of his music were performed at
Carnegie Hall
Carnegie Hall ( ) is a concert venue in Midtown Manhattan in New York City. It is at 881 Seventh Avenue (Manhattan), Seventh Avenue, occupying the east side of Seventh Avenue between West 56th Street (Manhattan), 56th and 57th Street (Manhatta ...
, on radio station
WCBS-FM
WCBS-FM (101.1 FM) is a radio station offering a classic hits format licensed to New York City and is owned and operated by Audacy, Inc. The station's studios are in the combined Audacy facility in the Hudson Square neighborhood in lower Manhat ...
, and at New York's Town Hall.
In 1949, Sandberg’s works ''Eskerah'' ("I remember") and ''Ruth'' were performed at Town Hall. The former was begun in 1938 in memory of those who were suffering persecution at the hands of the
Nazis
Nazism ( ; german: Nazismus), the common name in English for National Socialism (german: Nationalsozialismus, ), is the far-right totalitarian political ideology and practices associated with Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party (NSDAP) in Na ...
in
Germany
Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...
, but it was completed after the war when the full extent of the destruction of World War II became known.
Over the next twenty years, Sandberg devoted his time to composing musical settings for the entire
Bible
The Bible (from Koine Greek , , 'the books') is a collection of religious texts or scriptures that are held to be sacred in Christianity, Judaism, Samaritanism, and many other religions. The Bible is an anthologya compilation of texts of a ...
. In 1970, he moved to
Toronto, Ontario
Toronto ( ; or ) is the capital city of the Canadian province of Ontario. With a recorded population of 2,794,356 in 2021, it is the most populous city in Canada and the fourth most populous city in North America. The city is the ancho ...
, Canada, where he obtained a position as a teaching fellow at
Stong College of
York University
York University (french: Université York), also known as YorkU or simply YU, is a public university, public research university in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is Canada's fourth-largest university, and it has approximately 55,700 students, 7,0 ...
. He died in Toronto on December 28, 1973.
Performances
In recent years, Sandberg's music has been performed by the American Festival of Microtonal Music. In 1999, Sandberg's Psalm 51 was performed with soloist Dutch soprano Dorien Verheijden.
Recordings
''"Mordecai Sandberg: Chamber Works'' consisting of music composed between 1938 and 1948, performed by Adele Armin, James Wallenberg, Laura Wilcox, Richard Armin, Stephen Clarke and Marc Sabat and recorded at York University.
Selected works
Demosthenes (overture) (1925, unpublished)
Koheleth I (Ecclesiastes), for violin and pianoforte (1925)
Symphony no. 1 (1925)
Four Little Preludes, for pianoforte (1925–1929, unpublished)
Elohai Neshama, for three flutes, English horn, and bass clarinet (1926, unpublished)
Sonata no. 1, quarter-tone hymn (1927)
Symphony no. 2 (1928)
The Vision of Isaiah, for baritone solo and organ (1934)
Elisha, Fantasy, for violin and pianoforte (1938)
Sim Shalom, for five tenors, baritone solo, list and organ (1938)
Ezkerah (I Remember) (oratorio), for soprano, alto, tenor, and bass and orchestra (1938–1952)
Symphony no. 5 (1939–1953)
Orah no. 2, for violin and pianoforte (1940)
Shelosh Esrei Midot (The Thirteen Attributes), for baritone solo and organ (1940)
String Quartet no. 1 (1941)
Tel-Aviv, for violin and pianoforte (1941)
The Five Points, for orchestra (1942)
Concerto, for clarinet and strings (1943)
Hymn, Aria, Dance, for clarinet and pianoforte (1943)
Palestinian, Suite for violoncello and microtonal organ (1943)
Sonata, for pianoforte (1943–1946)
Symphony no. 4 (1944–1959)
Ezekiel 34, for violin and quarter-tone organ (1945)
Orah no. 3, for string quartet (1945)
The Song of Songs (Sonata no. 3), for violin (1945)
Three Sonatas, for violin (1945–1948)
A Little Palestinian New Year’s Festival:
1. Zeman Simhatheinu (The Season of Our Gladness; a Sukkot song), for baritone solo and pianoforte;
2. In Thy Pavilion, O Eternal (Psalm 15), for see original work list;
3. Happy Is Everyone Who Reveres the Eternal (Psalm 128), for see original work list;
4a. Orah “Elul” (I Am My Beloved’s and My Beloved Is Mine), for violin, violoncello, and pianoforte;
4b. Orah “Elul,” for soprano, alto, tenor, and bass and pianoforte;
5. Kaddish, for violoncello or trombone and pianoforte (1946)
Sonata no. 6 in C, for bichromatic organ (1946)
Orah, for orchestra (1947)
Jerusalem (hymn), for violin and pianoforte (1948)
Sonata in A, for pianoforte (1948)
Three Sonatas, for viola (1948)
Symphony no. 3 (1948–1953)
Psalm 130, for English horn and pianoforte (1949)
Quintet (The Five Points), for string quartet and pianoforte (1951)
Sextet, for clarinet, string quartet, and pianoforte (1951)
Symphonic Psalms, for soprano, alto, tenor, and bass and orchestra: vol. 1, Psalms 1–5; vol. 2, Psalms 6–10; vol. 14, Psalms 120–135 (1951–1955)
Psalm settings, 625 items (unpublished)
Settings of other biblical texts, seventy-six items
Liturgical texts, fifty-six items
Published Musical Compositions
Symphonic Psalms : the original text of the book of Psalms, set to music in its entirety, in 15 volumes, 1951
The Visions of Isaiah-''For Baritone, Voice and Organ
Prayer for Peace-''For Soprano, Tenor, Baritone and Organ (or Piano)''
"The Lord, The Lord.."- For Baritone and Organ (or Piano)
Koheleth (Ecclesiastes)-For Voice and Piano
Tel-Aviv-For Voice and Piano
Elisha (Fantasy) For Violin and Piano
Ezkerah=I remember: Oratorio published in New York by the Institute for New Music, 1953
A Little Palestinian New Year's Festival published by the Institute of New Music Jerusalem/ New York 1946
Sextet : for clarinet, two violins, viola cello and piano in 3 movements 1951
The song of songs : sonata no. 3 for violin solo
Zeman Simchatenu (the Season of our Gladness) : a Succoth song : for baritone and piano
The Eternal has consoled his people, he has freed Jerusalem : hymn, for viola or voice, and piano or orchestra, New York ; Jerusalem : Institute of New Music,1948
Orah "Elul" I am my beloved and my beloved is mine : for violin cello and piano
Instruments
In 1926 Straube built a Bichromatic Quartertone Harmonium for Mordecai Sandberg with white keys for the whole tones, black keys for the half tones and brown keys for the quarter tones. This instrument is now in the museum at York University, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
Articles
Tafkid Hamusika Bevinyan Haaretz (The purpose of the music in the erection of the land) published in "Hallel No.1, Jerusalem, 1930 p23
Die Tondifferenzierung und ihre Bedeutung, Leipzig : Kistner & Siegel, 1930
Sources
Austin Clarkson, Karen Pegley and Jay Rahn, MORDECAI SANDBERG: A CATALOGUE OF HIS MUSIC,Musica Judaica, Vol. 13 (5755/1993-94), pp. 18–8
C. Heller: Mordecai Sandberg: his Compositions and his Ideas, Journal of Synagogue Music, xiv/1 (1984), 9-26
J. Mandelbaum: Mordecai Sandberg Musica Judaica, x/1 (1987-8), 81-91
R. Brotbeck: Volkerverbinderde Tondifterenzierwng: Mordecai Sandberg-ein verkanter Pionier der Mikrotonalit Neuezeitschrift fur Musik (1991), 38-44
A. Clarkson: Mordecai Sandberg: a Catalogue of his Music, Musica Judaica, xiii (1993–94), 18-81
References
External links
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Sandberg, Mordecai
1897 births
1973 deaths
People from Hârlău
Romanian classical composers
Romanian Jews
New York College of Music alumni
New York University faculty
Microtonal musicians
Jewish composers
Jewish classical composers
20th-century classical composers
Male classical composers
20th-century male musicians