Abe Ellstein portrait from YIVO collection

Abraham "Abe" Ellstein ( yi, אַבֿרהם עלשטײן, , July 7, 1907 – March 22, 1963) was an American composer for Yiddish entertainments. Along with

Shalom Secunda Sholom Secunda (, Alexandria, Kherson Governorate, Russian Empire13 June 1974, New York) was an American composer of Ukrainian-Jewish descent, best known for the tunes of ''Bei Mir Bistu Shein'' and ''Donna Donna''. Biography He was born in 1 ...

, Joseph Rumshinsky, and

Alexander Olshanetsky Alexander Olshanetsky (1892–1946) was a Jewish-American composer, conductor, and violinist. He was a major figure within the Yiddish theatre scene in New York City from the mid-1920s until his death in 1946. Life and career Was born in Odess ...

, Ellstein was one of the "big four" composers of his era in

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the most densely populated major city in the U ...

Yiddish Theater District The Yiddish Theatre District, also called the Jewish Rialto and the Yiddish Realto, was the center of New York City's Yiddish theatre scene in the early 20th century. It was located primarily on Second Avenue, though it extended to Avenue B, ...

scene. His musical '' Yidl Mitn Fidl'' became one of the greatest hits of Yiddish-language cinema.

Life and career

He was born on the

Lower East Side The Lower East Side, sometimes abbreviated as LES, is a historic neighborhood in the southeastern part of Manhattan in New York City. It is located roughly between the Bowery and the East River from Canal to Houston streets. Traditionally ...

Manhattan Manhattan (), known regionally as the City, is the most densely populated and geographically smallest of the five Boroughs of New York City, boroughs of New York City. The borough is also coextensive with New York County, one of the List of co ...

, at that time an

Eastern Europe Eastern Europe is a subregion of the European continent. As a largely ambiguous term, it has a wide range of geopolitical, geographical, ethnic, cultural, and socio-economic connotations. The vast majority of the region is covered by Russia, wh ...

Jew 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""T ...

ish immigrant area. His musical education began at the Third Street Music School Settlement. From the age of nine to thirteen, he studied piano with

Frederick Jacobi Frederick Jacobi (May 4, 1891 – October 24, 1952) was a Jewish-American composer and teacher. His works include symphonies, concerti, chamber music, works for solo piano and for solo organ, lieder, and one opera. He taught at Juilliard School ...

. He was the conductor of the boy's choir of the

Broadway Broadway may refer to: Theatre * Broadway Theatre (disambiguation) * Broadway theatre, theatrical productions in professional theatres near Broadway, Manhattan, New York City, U.S. ** Broadway (Manhattan), the street **Broadway Theatre (53rd Stree ...

production ''Richard III'', at only thirteen years old. He went on to study at the Graduate School of

Juilliard The Juilliard School ( ) is a private performing arts conservatory in New York City. Established in 1905, the school trains about 850 undergraduate and graduate students in dance, drama, and music. It is widely regarded as one of the most e ...

, training as a conductor, with a major in composition. Ellstein's only opera, ''The Golem'', had its world premiere at the

New York City Opera The New York City Opera (NYCO) is an American opera company located in Manhattan in New York City. The company has been active from 1943 through 2013 (when it filed for bankruptcy), and again since 2016 when it was revived. The opera company, du ...

under the baton of music director Julius Rudel on March 23, 1962. The libretto was created by the composer and his wife, Sylvia Regan, based on the mythical Golem tale of the Central European Jews.

Works

* '' Der berditshever khosn'' (The Bridegroom from Berditchev: by

Israel Rosenberg Israel (also Yisroel or Yisrol) Rosenberg (c. 1850 – 1903 or 1904; Yiddish/ Hebrew: ישראל ראָזענבערג) founded the first Yiddish theater troupe in Imperial Russia. Life Having been a "hole-and-corner lawyer" (without a diplo ...

, 1930, operetta) ** '' Zog Es Mir Nokh Amol'' (Tell Me Again); lyrics: Jacob Jacobs * '' Eyns un a rekhts'' (One in a Million: by Anschel Schorr, 1934: musical comedy) ** '' Oygn'' (Eyes); lyrics:

Molly Picon Molly Picon ( yi, מאָלי פּיקאָן; born Malka Opiekun; February 28, 1898 – April 5, 1992) was an American actress of stage, screen, radio and television, as well as a lyricist and dramatic storyteller. She began her career in Yidd ...

* '' Yidl Mitn Fidl'' ( Joseph Green or Josef Grünberg, 1936, romantic musical comedy film) ** '' Oy Mame, Bin Ikh Farlibt'' (Oh, Mama, I am in Love) * '' Mamele: Kid Mother'' (by

Edmund Zayenda Edmund is a masculine given name or surname in the English language. The name is derived from the Old English elements ''ēad'', meaning "prosperity" or "riches", and ''mund'', meaning "protector". Persons named Edmund include: People Kings and ...

, 1938,

Poland Poland, officially the Republic of Poland, , is a country in Central Europe. Poland is divided into Voivodeships of Poland, sixteen voivodeships and is the fifth most populous member state of the European Union (EU), with over 38 mill ...

: Yiddish film) ** '' Abi Gezunt'' (So Long As You're Healthy); lyrics:

** '' Ikh Zing'' (For You I Sing); lyrics:

** '' Mazl'' (Good Fortune); lyrics:

* Bublitshki (Little

Bagel A bagel ( yi, בײגל, translit=beygl; pl, bajgiel; also spelled beigel) is a bread roll originating in the History of Jews in Poland, Jewish communities of Poland. It is traditionally shaped by hand into a roughly hand-sized ring from yeaste ...

s: 1938, operetta) ** '' Der Alter Tsigayner'' (The Old Gypsy); lyrics: Jacob Jacobs * '' Der Nayer Sher'' (The New Sher, 1940) * '' Ikh bin farlibt'' (I'm in Love: by William Siegel, 1946: romantic musical comedy) ** '' Ikh Vil Es Hern Nokh Amol'' (I Want to Hear it Again); lyrics:

* ''A Heymisher

Bulgar Bulgar may refer to: *Bulgars, extinct people of Central Asia *Bulgar language, the extinct language of the Bulgars *Oghur languages Bulgar may also refer to: *Bolghar, the capital city of Volga Bulgaria *Bulgur, a wheat product *Bulgar, an Ashke ...

'' (1947) * ''Great to Be Alive!'' (1950), musical comedy on Broadway * '' Vos Iz Gevorn Fun Mayn Shtetele?'' (Whatever Became of My

Shtetl A shtetl or shtetel (; yi, שטעטל, translit=shtetl (singular); שטעטלעך, romanized: ''shtetlekh'' (plural)) is a Yiddish term for the small towns with predominantly Ashkenazi Jewish populations which existed in Eastern Europe before ...

?: by

Menashe Skulnik Menasha Skulnik ( yi, מנשה סקולניק; May 15, 1890 – June 4, 1970) was an American actor, primarily known for his roles in Yiddish theater in New York City. Skulnik was also popular on radio, playing Uncle David on '' The Goldbergs'' f ...

, 1970s, operetta); lyrics: Isidore Lillian * "''

Hassidic Dance Hasidism, sometimes spelled Chassidism, and also known as Hasidic Judaism ( Ashkenazi Hebrew: חסידות ''Ḥăsīdus'', ; originally, "piety"), is a Jewish religious group that arose as a spiritual revival movement in the territory of conte ...

''"

Notes and references

Ellstein, Abe
on the Freedman Catalog, University of Pennsylvania

on Abaton-Kino * *

External links

Guide to the Abraham Ellstein papers
at the American Jewish Historical Society, New York, NY *Th
Abraham Ellstein and Sylvia Regan papers
at th
American Heritage Center
Yiddish theatre Jewish American composers 1907 births 1963 deaths Musicians from New York City 20th-century American composers 20th-century American Jews {{US-composer-20thC-stub

Life and career

Works

See also

Notes and references

External links