Max Wohlberg

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Max (Moshe) Wohlberg
Born(1907-02-09)February 9, 1907
Hungary
DiedApril 19, 1996(1996-04-19) (aged 89)
Washington, D.C., United States
Occupation(s) Hazzan; composer; scholar
Known forFounding member and president of the Cantors Assembly; founder of the cantorial school at the Jewish Theological Seminary; influential teacher of nusach

Max (Moshe) Wohlberg (February 9, 1907 - April 19, 1996) [1] [2] was a Hungarian-American hazzan, composer, and scholar. [3] He was one of the initial members of the Cantors Assembly established in 1947 [4] and served as its president from 1949 to 1951. [5] [6] He helped to found the cantorial school at the Jewish Theological Seminary where he was Professor and head of the nusach department. [3] [7] Self-taught, he developed a curriculum for studying nusach and producing scholarly research, [7] educating over 100 graduates as of 1977. [6]

Wohlberg was known for his recitative compositions and recognized as a melodist who captured the interpretive nuances of liturgical texts. [8] His music was rooted in Jewish liturgical traditions, incorporating biblical cantillations, synagogue motifs, Yiddish song phrases, and Israeli folk melodies. These influences stemmed from his extensive exposure to Jewish musical life and were further enriched by his teaching and research. [8]

Wohlberg died April 19, 1996, in Washington D.C. [2]

References

  1. ↑ "Max Wohlberg". www.ashbournemusicpublishing.com. Retrieved August 4, 2024.
  2. 1 2 "Deaths Elsewhere | Max Wohlberg, New York". The Atlanta Journal. April 27, 1996. p. D10 – via newspapers.com.
  3. 1 2 Thomas Jr., Robert McG. (April 26, 1996). "Max Wohlberg, 89, a Liturgical Composer". The New York Times. p. D19.
  4. ↑ Belskin-Ginsburg, Hazzan W. "History of the CA (1947-1972)". www.cantors.org. Cantors Assembly. Archived from the original on July 18, 2011.
  5. ↑ "Israel's Statehood Seen Reflected in Jewish Music Here". The Brooklyn Daily Eagle. February 25, 1949. p. 8 – via newspapers.com.
  6. 1 2 Rosenbaum, Samuel (June 1977). "Hazzan Max Wohlberg" (PDF). Journal of Synagogue Music. VII (3): 3–4.
  7. 1 2 Kim, Patricia Costa (1997). "Transmission of Music in the Hebrew Tradition: Learning from the Songs of the Synagogue". The Bulletin of Historical Research in Music Education. 19 (1). Sage Publications: 49. JSTOR   40214945.
  8. 1 2 Davidson, Charles (1992). "An Analysis of Three Unaccompanied Recitatives of Max Wohlberg" (PDF). Journal of Synagogue Music. XXII (1–2): 13–23.


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