Manfred Lewandowski (1 September 1895 – 8 September 1970) was a German-American cantor, classical
baritone
A baritone is a type of classical music, classical male singing human voice, voice whose vocal range lies between the bass (voice type), bass and the tenor voice type, voice-types. It is the most common male voice. The term originates from the ...
and composer.
Life
Born in
Hamburg
Hamburg (, ; ), officially the Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg,. is the List of cities in Germany by population, second-largest city in Germany after Berlin and List of cities in the European Union by population within city limits, 7th-lar ...
, Lewandowski came from a Jewish cantorial family. He was the great-nephew of
Louis Lewandowski, the innovator of synagogue music in 19th century Germany, and was trained first by his father, then at the Vogt Conservatory; his vocal subject was the baritone. He performed as a synagogue singer at an early age. From 1921 to 1923 he was head cantor in Königsberg (East Prussia), from 1923 to 1928 at the in
Berlin-Halensee and from 1928 to 1938 head cantor at the in
Berlin-Kreuzberg
Kreuzberg () is a district of Berlin, Germany. It is part of the Friedrichshain-Kreuzberg borough located south of Mitte. During the Cold War era, it was one of the poorest areas of West Berlin, but since German reunification in 1990, it has ...
.
In addition to this activity in the field of Jewish liturgical singing, he was also a regular guest on the after the introduction of radio in Germany from 1924, where he performed synagogue songs on the microphone in addition to the classical repertoire. He also performed opera arias and songs on other radio stations in Germany.
During this time he also made numerous recordings on Electrola, Odeon and Homocord, including opera scenes (including duets with Hans Heinz Bollmann), songs and Jewish liturgical music. On , the organist Franz Doll and the pianist and Kapellmeister Dr. Felix Günther were his accompanists.
In the summer of 1938, he emigrated to France and from there to North America in 1939. He worked here as cantor at a New York synagogue 1939–1940, in Philadelphia 1940–1948, but continued to perform in synagogues until 1965.
In the US, he recorded religious music again in 1940 on the American Vox 'label'. He was also active as a composer, especially in the field of synagogue singing.
Lewandowski died in
Philadelphia
Philadelphia ( ), colloquially referred to as Philly, is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania, most populous city in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania and the List of United States cities by population, sixth-most populous city in the Unit ...
at the age of 75 and found his final resting place at Montefiore Cemetery, 600 Church Road, Jenkintown, PA 19046.
Recordings
a) chasanut:
* Ki Keschimecho (M: Manfred Lewandowski)Kantor Emil Dworzan, Organist: Simon L. Steiner. Vox Nr. 17 (Matrix number 2004 A)
* Kol nidrei (Louis Lewandowski) Manfred Lewandowski, baritone. Odéon AA 53 101 / O-6271 (Matrix number xxBo 8695), recorded 1925/26
dismarc-audio.orgKol Nidrei. Jüdische Melodie (Louis Lewandowski) Manfred Lewandowski, singing, m. Orgelbegleitung Franz Doll. Homocord Electro Fernaufnahme 4-8799 (mx. M 52 197)
dismarc-audio.orgKaddisch (Maurice Ravel) Manfred Lewandowski, Bariton. At the grand piano Dr.Felix Günther. Homocord Electro Fernaufnahme 4-8799 (mx. M 52 198)
b) secular song:
dismarc-audio.orgDer Wanderer (Fr. Schubert) Manfred Lewandowski, baritone. Piano Dr.Felix Günther. Homocord Electro Fernaufnahme 4-8880 (mx. M 52 420)
dismarc-audio.org' Du bist die Ruh'' (Fr. Schubert) Manfred Lewandowski, baritone. Piano Dr.Felix Günther. Homocord Electro Fernaufnahme 4-8880 (mx. M 52 421)
dismarc-audio.org''Caro mio ben'' (Giordani) Manfred Lewandowski, baritone, with cello accompaniment Felix Robert Mendelssohn und Orgelbegleitung Franz Doll. Homocord Electro Fernaufnahme 4-8794 (mx. M 52 175)
dismarc-audio.orgCare selve, from ''Atlanta'' (G. Fr. Händel) Manfred Lewandowski, baritone, with cello accompaniment Felix Robert Mendelssohn und Orgelbegleitung Franz Doll. Homocord Electro Fernaufnahme 4-8794 (mx. M 52 176)
* ''Wachet auf !'' (Franz Tunder) Manfred Lewandowski, baritone, with organ accompaniment Dr. Hans Luedtke. Homocord Electro 4-8857 (mx. M 52 314)
* From Jesaias 52-54 (
Bernhard Heinrich Irrgang) Manfred Lewandowski, baritone, with organ accompaniment Dr. Hans Luedtke. Homocord Electro 4-8857 (mx. 52 315)
[vgl. Homocord Co., Sammelkatalog Sept. 1928 – Jan. 1929,.]
youtube.comDuett "Der Tempel Brahmas strahlt" from ''
Les pêcheurs de perles
' (, ''The Pearl Fishers'') is an opera in three acts by the French composer Georges Bizet, to a libretto by Eugène Cormon and Michel Carré. It was premiered on 30 September 1863 at the Théâtre Lyrique in Paris, and was given 18 performan ...
'' (G. Bizet) Hans Heinz Bollmann, tenor and Manfred Lewandowski, baritone, with Orchestra. Homocord Electro 4-8907 (mx. T.M. 52 483), aufg. End 1927, issued 27 August 1928
Reissues
* Horst J. P. Bergmeier, Ejal Jakob Eisler, Rainer Lotz (Hrsg.): ''Vorbei... Dokumentation jüdischen Musiklebens in Berlin 1933–1938.'' Bear Family Records, Hambergen 2001. (Buch und 11 CDs).
* Edel (BMG): ''Es wird nicht untergehen. Jüdisch-liturgische Gesänge aus Berlin.'' BARBArossa Musikverlag, Kleinmachnow 1996. (1 CD, enth. Aufnahmen verschiedener Interpreten, darunter von Manfred Lewandowski ''Kiddusch'', ''Kaddisch'' and ''El mole rachamim''.)
Further reading
* Rainer E. Lotz, Axel Weggen: ''Deutsche National-Discographie.'' Series 6, volume 1: ''Discographie der Judaica-Aufnahmen.'' Verlag Birgit Lotz, Bonn 2006, .
* Homocord Co., Nachtrag 1 : Homocord Electro Fernaufnahmen. Gesamtnachtrag 1927, .
* Homocord Co., Sammelkatalog Sept. 1928 - Jan. 1929. Berlin 1929.
* Theo Stengel, Herbert Gerigk (Bearb.): ''Lexikon der Juden in der Musik. Mit einem Titelverzeichnis jüdischer Werke.'' Zusammengestellt im Auftrag der Reichsleitung der NSDAP auf Grund behördlicher, parteiamtlich geprüfter Unterlagen. (''Veröffentlichungen des Instituts der NSDAP zur Erforschung der Judenfrage.'' Volume 2). Bernhard Hahnefeld, Berlin 1941. (1st edition 1940, antisemitische Publikation).
* Habakuk Traber, Elmar Weingarten (ed.): ''Verdrängte Musik. Berliner Komponisten im Exil.'' Berliner Festspiele GmbH. Argon, Berlin 1987, .
* Horst Weber, Stefan Drees (ed.): ''Quellen zur Geschichte emigrierter Musiker, 1933–1950.'' Volume 2: ''New York.'' Verlag Walter
de Gruyter
Walter de Gruyter GmbH, known as De Gruyter (), is a German scholarly publishing house specializing in academic literature.
History
The roots of the company go back to 1749 when Frederick the Great granted the Königliche Realschule in Be ...
, 2005, , .
References
External links
*
*
* Manfred Lewandowski be
yiddishmusic.jewniverse.info* Manfred Lewandowski be
lexm.uni-hamburg.dev. Sophie Fetthauer (2010, Updated 18 June 2014)
* Wolfgang Lerch: ''Zur jüdischen Geschichte in Oberhof.'' I
vgl. auch Artikel in der Zeitschrift "
Der Israelit" vom 13 August 192
alemannia-judaica.de
{{DEFAULTSORT:Lewandowski, Manfred
Hazzans
German baritones
1895 births
1970 deaths
Musicians from Hamburg
Jewish emigrants from Nazi Germany to the United States
20th-century German male singers
20th-century American male singers
20th-century American singers