Zam'ru: The Jewish Choral Music Database. (Copyright by the Zamir Chorale of Boston)
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[Brought to you by the Zamir Chorale of Boston]

Louis Lewandowski

Louis Lewandowski was born in the Polish town of Wreschen. At the age of 12, after his mother's death and because of his family's extreme poverty, he left for Berlin where he became an apprentice for Cantor Asher Lion. Soon the boy's musical ambition reached out beyond the ghetto. With the help of Alexander Mendelssohn (cousin of the com-poser Felix Mendelssohn), Lewandowski became the first Jew to at-tend the Berlin Academy of the Arts. But after showing great promise in the field of secular music (including a prize for composition from the prestigious Berlin Singakademie), Lewandowski succumbed to a serious nervous disorder and was forced to relinquish his scholarship and abandon his studies. It was after his partial recovery that the lad decided to devote himself fully to the music of the synagogue.

For 24 years Lewandowski worked as choirmaster at the Heidereuter-gasse Temple in Berlin, conducting the music of Salomon Sulzer. But in 1864 the building of the Oranienburgerstrasse Temple, which was equipped with an organ, offered Lewandowski the opportunity of creating an entire new service with organ accompaniment -- a task never before undertaken. The culmination of his career came in 1882 with the publication of his magnum opus, Todah W'Simrah (Thanks and Song), a setting of the entire liturgical cycle for four-part choir, cantor and organ.
   Adon Olawm (1882)
       arranger: Jacobson, Joshua
lyrics: liturgy
voices: SATB
instruments: (organ)
language: H
incipit: Adon olawm asher mawlach
publisher: HaZamir
nationality: German
   Adonoy Mawlawch (1882)
       arranger: Jacobson, JoshuaJacobson, Joshua
lyrics: Psalm 93
voices: SATB
instruments: (organ)
language: H
incipit: Lechu neranenaw
publisher: HaZamir
nationality: German
   Awleinu (1882)
       arranger: Jacobson, Joshua
lyrics: liturgy
voices: SATB
language: GER
incipit: Der Ewige wird erkannt
publisher: HaZamir
nationality: German
   Bawrechu and Shema (1882)
       arranger: Jacobson, Joshua
lyrics: liturgy
voices: SATB
instruments: (organ)
language: H
incipit: Bawrechu es Adoshem hamevorawch
publisher: HaZamir
nationality: German
   Chatsi Kaddish (1882)
       arranger: Jacobson, Joshua
lyrics: liturgy
voices: SATB
language: H
incipit: Yisgadal veyiskadash shemeih rabaw
publisher: HaZamir
nationality: German
   Eli Tsiyon (1882 c)
       lyrics: liturgy for Tish'a Be-Av
voices: SATB
instruments: (org)
language: H
duration: 1:40
incipit: Eli tsiyon ve-oreho
publisher: Sacred Music Press (see Presser
nationality: German
   Enosh Kechotzir Yomov (c. 1882)
       Zamir recordings: Majesty of Holiness
lyrics: Psalm 103:15 - 17
voices: SATB
instruments: org
language: H
duration: 4:30
incipit: Enosh kechotsir yomov
nationality: German
   Halleluyoh (1871 c)
       lyrics: Psalm 150
voices: SATB
instruments: (org)
language: H
duration: 2:15
incipit: Halleluyoh, hallelu el bekodsho
publisher: Broude
nationality: German
   HaNeyros Halawlu (1871 c)
       Zamir recordings: Lights
lyrics: liturgy
voices: SATB
instruments: (organ)
language: H
duration: 2:00
incipit: Haneyros halawlu awnu madlikin
publisher: HaZamir
nationality: German
   Kaddish Shawleim (1882)
       arranger: Jacobson, Joshua
lyrics: liturgy
voices: SATB
language: H
incipit: Yisgadal veyiskadash shemeih rabaw
publisher: HaZamir
nationality: German
   Kol Nidre (1882)
       lyrics: liturgy
voices: SATB
instruments: organ
language: Aramaic
incipit: Kol Nidrey ve-esawrey
publisher: Sacred Music Press (see Presser
nationality: German
   Lecho Dodi (c 1882)
       Zamir recordings: Majesty of Holiness
lyrics: Alcabetz, Solomon
voices: SATB
instruments: org
language: H
duration: 4:15
incipit: Lecho dodi likras kaloh
publisher: Sacred Music Press (see Presser
nationality: German
   Lechu Neranenaw (1882)
       arranger: Jacobson, Joshua
lyrics: Psalm 95
voices: unison
language: H
incipit: Lechu neranenaw
publisher: HaZamir
nationality: German
   LeDovid Mizmor (c. 1882)
       lyrics: Psalm 24
voices: SATB
instruments: (org)
language: H
duration: 3:15
incipit: Ladonai ho-orets umlo-oh
publisher: Sacred Music Press (see Presser
nationality: German
   Mah Tovu (c 1882)
       Zamir recordings: Majesty of Holiness, Zamir 25
lyrics: liturgy, morning
voices: SATB
instruments: org
language: H
duration: 2:45
incipit: Mah tovu oholecho
publisher: Broude
nationality: German
   Me-ein Sheva (1882)
       arranger: Jacobson, Joshua
lyrics: liturgy
voices: SATB
language: H
incipit: Bawruch ataw Adoshem
publisher: HaZamir
nationality: German
   Mi Chawmochaw (1882)
       arranger: Jacobson, Joshua
lyrics: liturgy
voices: SATB
instruments: (organ)
language: H
incipit: Mi chawmochaw baw-eilim
publisher: HaZamir
nationality: German
   Tov Lehodos (c 1882)
       Zamir recordings: Majesty of Holiness
lyrics: Psalm 92
voices: SATB
instruments: org
language: H
duration: 5:10
incipit: Tov Lehodos
publisher: Broude
nationality: German
   Vaychulu (1882)
       arranger: Jacobson, Joshua
lyrics: Genesis 2:1-3
voices: SATB
instruments: (organ)
language: H
incipit: Vaychulu hashwmayim ve-haw-awrets
publisher: HaZamir
nationality: German
   Zocharti Loch ()
       lyrics: Jeremiah; Ezekiel
voices: TTBB
instruments: (org)
language: H
incipit: V'al yedey avodecho
publisher: HaZamir
nationality: German

Zamir is funded in part by a grant from the Massachusetts Cultural Council, a state agency which also receives support from the National Endowment for the Arts.
Zamir's Executive Director can be emailed at execdir@zamir.org
Zamir's Artistic Director, Joshua Jacobson, can be emailed at jrj@neu.edu.
This page maintained by Andrew Greene.