Sidor Belarsky, born Isidor Livshitz (December 27, 1898 – June 7, 1975), was an internationally recognized American opera singer, educator and interpreter of Judaic folk songs, Chassidic Nigunim and Judaic cantorial music

Biography

Sidor Belarsky was born to a

Jewish Jews (, , ), or the Jewish people, are an ethnoreligious group and nation, originating from the Israelites of History of ancient Israel and Judah, ancient Israel and Judah. They also traditionally adhere to Judaism. Jewish ethnicity, rel ...

family in Kryzhopil, Ukraine. He emigrated with his wife Clarunia and daughter Isabel to the United States in February 1930Children of Ellis Island. Moreno, Barry. Arcadia, 2005 p. 121 Sdior Belarsky on Google Books
/ref> or 1931. Initially, his family was automatically detained at Ellis Island since the United States did not maintain diplomatic relations with the Soviet Union at that time. Belarsky first pursued musical studies at the Odessa Conservatory and in Berlin. He later graduated from the State Conservatory at Leningrad in 1929 and soon emerged as a soloist with the

Kirov Opera The Mariinsky Theatre (, also transcribed as Maryinsky or Mariyinsky) is a historic opera house in Saint Petersburg, Russia. Opened in 1860, it became the preeminent music theatre of late 19th-century Russia, where many of the stage masterpieces ...

company as well as a leading basso with the Leningrad State Opera Company.Brigham Young University Special Collections - Biography of Sidor Belarsky on lib.byu
/ref>Ellis Island Interviews: Immigrants Tell Their Stories In their Own Words. Coan, Peter M. Fall River Press, 1997 p. 268 Interview & biography of Isabel Belarsky - daughter of Sidor Belarsky on Google Books
/ref> After arriving in the United States in 1930 while on a concert tour, he was invited by

Franklin S. Harris Franklin Stewart Harris (August 29, 1884 – April 18, 1960) was president of Brigham Young University (BYU) from July 1921 until June 1945, and president of Utah State University from 1945 to 1950. His administration was the longest in BYU history ...

to join the faculty at

Brigham Young University Brigham Young University (BYU) is a Private education, private research university in Provo, Utah, United States. It was founded in 1875 by religious leader Brigham Young and is the flagship university of the Church Educational System sponsore ...

, where taught vocal music from 1930-1933. He was also on the faculty at the

University of Utah The University of Utah (the U, U of U, or simply Utah) is a public university, public research university in Salt Lake City, Utah, United States. It was established in 1850 as the University of Deseret (Book of Mormon), Deseret by the General A ...

.YIVO Institute for Jewish Music - Biography of Sidor Belarsky on yivoarchives
/ref> He soon established residency in Los Angeles from 1932-1936 where he concertized with the Los Angeles Symphony at the

Hollywood Bowl The Hollywood Bowl is an amphitheatre and Urban park, public park in the Hollywood Hills of Los Angeles, California. It was named one of the 10 best live music venues in the United States by ''Rolling Stone'' magazine in 2018 and was listed on ...

in productions of ''

Boris Godunov Boris Feodorovich Godunov (; ; ) was the ''de facto'' regent of Russia from 1585 to 1598 and then tsar from 1598 to 1605 following the death of Feodor I, the last of the Rurik dynasty. After the end of Feodor's reign, Russia descended into t ...

'' and ''

Eugene Onegin ''Eugene Onegin, A Novel in Verse'' (, Reforms of Russian orthography, pre-reform Russian: Евгеній Онѣгинъ, романъ въ стихахъ, ) is a novel in verse written by Alexander Pushkin. ''Onegin'' is considered a classic of ...

''.Savethemusic.com Biography of Sidor Belarsky
/ref>Biography of Sidor Belarsky - Florida Atlantic University
/ref> While in Los Angeles he also founded the American Opera Company. He later acquired a faculty position as Professor of Music at the Jewish Teachers Seminary - Herzliah Institute in New York City while continuing to concertize in Europe, the Middle East, Canada and South America. Throughout his career, Belarsky concertized extensively in the United States as a leading basso with several operatic companies including:

Chicago Civic Opera The Civic Opera Company (1922–1931) was a Chicago company that produced seven seasons of grand opera in the Auditorium Theatre from 1922 to 1928, and three seasons at its own Civic Opera House from 1929 to 1931 before falling victim to financia ...

San Francisco Opera The San Francisco Opera (SFO) is an American opera company founded in 1923 by Gaetano Merola (1881–1953) based in San Francisco, California. History Gaetano Merola (1923–1953) Merola's road to prominence in the Bay Area began in 1906 wh ...

, the American Opera Company of Los Angeles and the

New York City Center New York City Center (previously known as the Mecca Temple, City Center of Music and Drama, and the New York City Center 55th Street Theater) is a performing arts center at 131 West 55th Street (Manhattan), 55th Street between Sixth Avenue, Six ...

Opera in a production of ''

Tosca ''Tosca'' is an opera in three acts by Giacomo Puccini to an Italian libretto by Luigi Illica and Giuseppe Giacosa. It premiered at the Teatro dell'Opera di Roma, Teatro Costanzi in Rome on 14 January 1900. The work, based on Victorien Sardou's 1 ...

'' in 1944. In South America, he also appeared at Teatro Municipal in Rio De Janeiro and Teatro Colon in Buenos Aires. During the 1949-1950 concert season, Belarsky also toured extensively in South Africa and Israel performing a repertoire of Jewish folk music. Carnegie-hall-isaac-stern

He appeared as a concert soloist at New York City's

Carnegie Hall Carnegie Hall ( ) is a concert venue in Midtown Manhattan, New York City. It is at 881 Seventh Avenue (Manhattan), Seventh Avenue, occupying the east side of Seventh Avenue between 56th Street (Manhattan), 56th and 57th Street (Manhattan), 57t ...

in over 22 solo performances between 1931 and 1961 and also appeared with the

NBC Symphony Orchestra The NBC Symphony Orchestra was a radio orchestra conceived by David Sarnoff, the president of the Radio Corporation of America, the parent corporation of the National Broadcasting Company especially for the conductor Arturo Toscanini. The NBC ...

under the direction of Arturo Toscannini in a performance of Beethoven's opera ''

Fidelio ''Fidelio'' (; ), originally titled ' (''Leonore, or The Triumph of Marital Love''), Opus number, Op. 72, is the sole opera by German composer Ludwig van Beethoven. The libretto was originally prepared by Joseph Sonnleithner from the French of ...

.'' By 1944 Belarsky also emerged in the Broadway Theatre as a member of the cast in the revival of several operas by

Giacomo Puccini Giacomo Puccini (22 December 1858 29 November 1924) was an Italian composer known primarily for List of compositions by Giacomo Puccini#Operas, his operas. Regarded as the greatest and most successful proponent of Italian opera after Verdi, he ...

at the Center Theatre including: ''La Tosca'' and ''La Boheme''. As part of his encore presentations in the concert hall, Belarsky often included the work "Mayn rueh plats" ("My quiet place") by the poet Morris Rosenfeld. Along with many leading cantors of his time, Belarsky concertized in an effort to raise funds for the Zionist cause as the oppression of the Nazi regime in Germany accelerated in the 1930s. In 1948 Belarsky performed in Israel while celebrating its founding and contributed to the documentary film ''Shalom Israel'' in 1951. His recording of "Dem Milners Trern" ("The Miller's Tears"), a

Yiddish Yiddish, historically Judeo-German, is a West Germanic language historically spoken by Ashkenazi Jews. It originated in 9th-century Central Europe, and provided the nascent Ashkenazi community with a vernacular based on High German fused with ...

folk song composed by M. M. Warshavsky, was featured in the

Coen brothers Joel Coen and Ethan Coen, together known as the Coen brothers (), are an American filmmaking duo. Their films span many genres and styles, which they frequently subvert or parody. Among their most acclaimed works are '' Blood Simple'' (198 ...

's film, ''

A Serious Man ''A Serious Man'' is a 2009 black comedy-drama film written, produced, edited and directed by Joel and Ethan Coen. Set in 1967, the film stars Michael Stuhlbarg as a Minnesotan Jewish man whose life crumbles both professionally and personally, ...

''.Sidor Belarsky on allmovie.com
/ref> The song's subject is the expulsion of Jews from hundreds of villages in Czarist Russia. In 1954 he performed in a concert sponsored by the Association to Perpetuate the Memory of Ukrainian Jews before a packed house at New York City's

Town Hall In local government, a city hall, town hall, civic centre (in the UK or Australia), guildhall, or municipal hall (in the Philippines) is the chief administrative building of a city, town, or other municipality. It usually houses the city o ...

. During the 1957-1958 concert season he emerged once again in South Africa in recitals of Yiddish and Hebrew songs. During the 1940s Belarsky also recorded several popular Ukrainian/Russian folk songs in collaboration with the accordionist John Serry and the Mischa Borr Orchestra for the RCA Victor label which included: " Dark Night (# 26-5037, 1946) by

Nikita Bogoslovsky Nikita Vladimirovich Bogoslovsky (22 May 19134 April 2004) was a Soviet and Russian composer. Author of more than 300 songs, 8 symphonies (1940–1991), 17 operettas and musical comedies, 58 soundtracks, and 52 scores for theater productions. Ma ...

, "By the Cradle" (# 26-5035, 1946) by Aleksandre Alekseevich Olenin, "Katusha" (# 26-5035, 1946) by

Hy Zaret Hy Zaret (born Hyman Harry Zaritsky; August 21, 1907 – July 2, 2007) was an American Tin Pan Alley lyricist and composer who wrote the lyrics of the 1955 hit "Unchained Melody", one of the most-recorded songs of the 20th century. Personal lif ...

and "Hobo Song" (aka "Mother") (# 26-5037, 1946) by Valerii Viktorovich Zhelobinsky.Discography of American Historical Recordings: Sidor Belarsky on uscb.edu
/ref> Belarsky's recordings of Judaic folk songs were made on several labels including RCA Victor, Artistic Enterprises and Besa Records."Seder Nights with Sidor Belarsky" National Library of Israel: "Seder Nights With Sidor Belarsky" - Record album by Sidor Belarsky on soundcloud.com
/ref> Along with

Jan Peerce Jan Peerce (born Yehoshua Pinkhes Perelmuth; June 3, 1904 December 15, 1984) was an American operatic tenor. Peerce was an accomplished performer on the operatic and Broadway concert stages, in solo recitals, and as a recording artist. He is ...

and

Richard Tucker Richard Tucker (August 28, 1913January 8, 1975) was an American operatic tenor and cantor. Long associated with the Metropolitan Opera, Tucker's career was primarily centered in the United States. Early life Tucker was born Rivn (Rubin) Ticker ...

, Sidor Belodsky has been credited with helping to keep Yiddish folk songs alive both onstage and in recordings during the 20th century. His admirers included several leading Jewish intellectuals including:

Albert Einstein Albert Einstein (14 March 187918 April 1955) was a German-born theoretical physicist who is best known for developing the theory of relativity. Einstein also made important contributions to quantum mechanics. His mass–energy equivalence f ...

, President

Zalman Shazar Zalman Shazar (; November 24, 1885 – October 5, 1974) was an Israeli politician, author and poet. Shazar served as the president of Israel for two terms, from 1963 to 1973. Biography Shazar was born Shneur Zalman Rubashov to a Hasidic family o ...

of Israel and Eli Wiesel.

Death

Sidor Belarsky died at the age of 77 in 1975 at North Shore Hospital in Manhasset, Long Island in New York.

Performance style

Sidor Belarsky received critical acclaim for his performances as an operatic basso baritone. The

Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertis ...

magazine noted that his performance with the Mischa Borr Orchestra exemplified a resonant, exhilarating voice within a wide tonal range which reflected a true expression of Russian folk music."The Billboard" June 7, 1947 p. 133 Review of the album "Song of the Steppes" with Sidor Belarsky on Google Books
/ref> It has also been observed that Belarsky utilized his classical training as an operatic basso to interpret Yiddhish folk songs and Jewish art music with a finely controlled approach.UCLA Herb Albert School of Music Anthony Russell: Echos of Sidor Belarsky. April 20,2022 Interview by Jeremiah Lockwood with the operatic vocalist Anthony Mordechai Tzvi Russell at the UCLA Herb Albert School of Music on scholofmusic.ucla.edu
/ref> This seriousness of tone and classical formality differentiates his work from performances typically found in the traditional Yiddhish musical theater and the synagogue. His vocal warmth and musicality is said to have struck a chord with American Jews of multiple generations.

Discography

Sidor Belarsky's extensive discography includes over 75 recordings of Judaic folk songs including:Recordings by Sidor Belarsky at Florida Atlantic University
/ref> *''

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70th Anniversary: Sidor Belarsky Sings of the Hopes and Dreams of the East Side'', Lazar Weiner, piano. Artistic Enterprises, Inc. (c. 1967) (presented by the Forward Association and

The Workmen's Circle The Workers Circle or Der Arbeter Ring (), formerly The Workmen's Circle, is an American Jews, Jewish nonprofit organization that promotes social and economic justice, Jewish community and education, including Yiddish studies, and Ashkenazi Jews, ...

) *''Seder Nights With Sidor Belarsky'' - Artistic Enterprises Inc (# B-112) Sidor Belarsky performing songs for the Seder. * ''Songs of the Steppes'' - RCA Victor (S-49, 1947) - Sidor Belarsky performs Russian folk music with the Miscah Borr Orcheatra. * ''Dem Milner's Trern'' - Victor (9043, 1938) & RCA Victor (25-5010, 1947) - Sidor Belarsky performs this Judaic folk song.

Archived works

* The

National Library of Israel The National Library of Israel (NLI; ; ), formerly Jewish National and University Library (JNUL; ), is the library dedicated to collecting the cultural treasures of Israel and of Judaism, Jewish Cultural heritage, heritage. The library holds more ...

has archived Belarsky's album ''Seder Nights With Sidor Belarsky'' which is available via online streaming. * The Dartmouth Jewish Sound Archive at

Dartmouth College Dartmouth College ( ) is a Private university, private Ivy League research university in Hanover, New Hampshire, United States. Established in 1769 by Eleazar Wheelock, Dartmouth is one of the nine colonial colleges chartered before the America ...

has archived several of Belarsky's performances of music for Chanuka. * The Special Collections Department of the

Florida Atlantic University Florida Atlantic University (Florida Atlantic or FAU) is a Public university, public research university with its main campus in Boca Raton, Florida, United States. The university is a member of the State University System of Florida and has s ...

Library has archived Belarsky's performances of Judaic songs which are accessible through online streaming in the university's Recorded Sound Archives * The

Discography of American Historical Recordings The Discography of American Historical Recordings (DAHR) is a database catalog of master recordings made by American record companies during the 78rpm era. The 78rpm era was the time period in which any flat disc records were being played at ...

at the University of California, Santa Barbara has archived master recordings of performances by Sidor Belarsky collaborating with the accordionist John Serry and the Mischa Borr Orchestra . * The

Library has archived papers, photographs and recordings by Sidor Belarsky from the years 1900-1986 within the L. Tom Perry Special Collections Brigham Young University Library Special Collections; Sidor Belarsky on archives.lib.byu.edu
/ref>

Filmography

* ''

'' (2009) - As a performer singing the Yiddish song "Dem Milners Trern" ("The Millers Tears") by M. M. Warshavsky.

Notes

References

External links

Sidor Belarsky on Worldcat

Sidor Belarsky on JSTOR

The National Library of Israel Archive - Record album "Seder Nights with Sidor Belarsky"
{{DEFAULTSORT:Belarsky, Sidor 1898 births 1975 deaths Jews from the Russian Empire Jewish Ukrainian musicians Jewish opera singers 20th-century Ukrainian male singers Yiddish-language singers of Ukraine Soviet emigrants to the United States Yiddish-language singers of the United States Jewish American classical musicians