Solomon (Salomo) Rosowsky (1878,
Riga –1962) was a
cantor
A cantor or chanter is a person who leads people in singing or sometimes in prayer. In formal Jewish worship, a cantor is a person who sings solo verses or passages to which the choir or congregation responds.
In Judaism, a cantor sings and lead ...
(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
Kyiv University or Shevchenko University or officially the Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv ( uk, Київський національний університет імені Тараса Шевченка), colloquially known as KNU ...
, with a degree in law. Among his teachers at the
St. Petersburg Conservatory
The N. A. Rimsky-Korsakov Saint Petersburg State Conservatory (russian: Санкт-Петербургская государственная консерватория имени Н. А. Римского-Корсакова) (formerly known as th ...
was
Rimsky-Korsakov
Nikolai Andreyevich Rimsky-Korsakov . At the time, his name was spelled Николай Андреевичъ Римскій-Корсаковъ. la, Nicolaus Andreae filius Rimskij-Korsakov. The composer romanized his name as ''Nicolas Rimsk ...
. Together with the pianist Leonid Nesvishsky (Arie Abilea), the singer Joseph Tomars, the composer
Lazare Saminsky
Lazare Saminsky, born Lazar Semyonovich Saminsky (russian: Лазарь (Элиэзер) Семенович Саминский; Valehotsulove (now Dolynske), near Odessa, 27 October 1882 O.S. / 8 November N.S. – Port Chester, New York, 30 June ...
, and several other musicians Rosowsky organized the
Society for Jewish Folk Music
The Jewish art music movement began at the end of the 19th century in Russia, with a group of Russian Jewish classical composers dedicated to preserving Jewish folk music and creating a new, characteristically Jewish genre of classical music. The ...
in 1908. In 1918 he became music director of the
Jewish Art Theater (GOSET).
Professional career
Rosowsky returned to Riga in 1920 and founded the first Jewish Conservatory there. After a five-year stay, he left for
Palestine, where at that time he at first was one of the few professional musicians. The folk music of
Palestinian Jews
Palestinian Jews or Jewish Palestinians were the Jewish inhabitants of the Palestine region (known in Hebrew as ''Eretz Yisrael'', ) prior to the establishment of the State of Israel in 1948.
The common term used to refer to the Jewish commu ...
became a major new inspiration for his compositions. Despite the enthusiastic work of the pioneers, the material living conditions in Palestine at that time were still extremely arduous. And for an artist who was used to the rich musical life of
St. Petersburg
Saint Petersburg ( rus, links=no, Санкт-Петербург, a=Ru-Sankt Peterburg Leningrad Petrograd Piter.ogg, r=Sankt-Peterburg, p=ˈsankt pʲɪtʲɪrˈburk), formerly known as Petrograd (1914–1924) and later Leningrad (1924–1991), i ...
, the land had little to offer in those early days except for a few amateur orchestras and two music schools. However, Rosowsky stayed on. He composed stage music for the workers' theater "
Ohel", gave lessons and began his path-breaking research into the music of the Bible, which later made his name known all over the world. He even tried, together with David Schor and David Mirenburg, to continue the concert activities of the
New Jewish School, founding the music society "
Hanigun".
Later years
His latter years he spent in New York, where he taught at the Cantors' Institute of the
Jewish Theological Seminary. His magnum opus, "The Cantillation of the Bible: Five Books of Moses", was published in 1957.
Publications
* ''"The Cantillation of the Bible: Five Books of Moses"'', published 1957
See also
Notable Relatives
*
Yuri Rasovsky
Yuri Rasovsky (July 29, 1944 – January 18, 2012) was an American writer and producer working in radio drama in the United States.
He founded and operated The National Radio Theater of Chicago from 1973 to 1986 and later formed the Hollywood ...
*
Barney Ross
Barney Ross (born Dov-Ber "Beryl" David Rosofsky; December 23, 1909 – January 17, 1967) was an American professional boxer. Ross became a world champion in three weight divisions and was a decorated veteran of World War II.
Early life
Dov- ...
*
Baruch Leib Rosowsky
External links
musica-judaica.com Rosowsky bio
AN INVENTORY OF THE SOLOMON ROSOWSKY COLLECTION The Library of The
Jewish Theological Seminary New York, 1996
{{DEFAULTSORT:Rosowsky, Solomon
1878 births
1962 deaths
Musicians from Riga
People from the Governorate of Livonia
Latvian Jews
Latvian composers
Jewish American composers
Hazzans
Latvian emigrants to Mandatory Palestine
Jewish musicologists
Israeli emigrants to the United States