Zeitlin: Chamber Music

Lost from view and largely unperformed for over half a century, the thirty-two extant works of chamber music by Leo Zeitlin (1884–1930) are published here, most of them for the first time. All but two are Jewish in content. A superbly talented composer and arranger, Zeitlin’s career as a violinist, violist, conductor, and impresario began in St. Petersburg. There he became active in the Society for Jewish Folk Music, the catalyst for a brief but golden age of art music composed on Jewish themes. He subsequently taught and conducted in Ekaterinoslav and Vilna before emigrating in 1923 to New York, where he was a violist and arranger for the Capitol Theatre. The works date from all these periods of Zeitlin’s career and are writtten for various combinations, instrumental and vocal. This edition describes Zeitlin and his milieu and includes historical and analytic discussions of each of the works.

1. More (speaking voice, piano)

2. Zog zhe, rebenyu (tenor, baritone, piano)

3a. Reb Nakhmons nign (two violins, two violas, cello)

3b. Evreiskaia melodiia / Reb Nakhmons nign (string ensemble)

4. Iber di hoyfn (tenor, baritone, string quartet)

5. Eli Zion: Fantazye iber a folksmelodye un trop fun “shir hashirim” (cello, piano)

6. Shabes-lid (TTBB quartet or chorus)

7a. Gebet fun rabbi Leyvi-Yitskhok (voice, violin, viola, cello, piano)

7b. Gebet fun rabbi Leyvi-Yitskhok (voice, violin, viola, piano)

8a. Eyli, eyli (voice, string quartet)

8b. Eyli, eyli (voice, violin, viola, piano)

9. Shoyn nito der nekhtn (voice, string quartet, piano)

10. Patsh, patsh, kikhelekh (voice, string quartet, piano)

11a. Der kadish fun reb Leyvi-Yitskhok (voice, string quartet, piano)

11b. Der kadish fun reb Leyvi-Yitskhok (voice, violin, viola, piano)

12. Zay, zeyde, mispalel far undz dayne kinder (speaking voice, piano)

13. Tsien zikh khmares oyf, harts mayns, oyf, harts mayns (speaking voice, piano)

14. Benk ikh yo, benk ikh nit? (speaking voice, piano)

15. Der parom (voice, violin, viola, piano)

16. Klezmorimlekh (voice, violin, viola, piano)

17. Khsidisher tants (clarinet, string quartet)

18a. Ad ono adoynoy (voice, string quartet)

18b. Ad ono adoynoy (voice, string ensemble)

19. Bim-bom (SSATBB)

20. Undzer rebenyu (SSAATTBB)

21. A geneyve (SSATTBB)

22. Unter Soreles vigele (SSAA)

23. A yingele (SATB)

24. Shir hashirim (SSATB)

25. Wiener Volkslied / “Du alter Stefansturm” (string quartet)

26. A nign (piano, percussion ensemble)

27. Berceuse / A mayse (voice, string quartet)

In Ukrainian: http://korolenko.kharkov.com/podiaka/page/dariteli2012.html