Cantorial Comments
By
Cantor Elihu Feldman
The
Four Koussevitzky Boys Part 1
This article is dedicated to the blessed memory of a family
of great cantors, two of whom, as a child, I had the privilege to hear conduct
Shabbat services monthly. I want to acknowledge assistance for this article to
Cantor Ivan Oppenheim of Holland and to Rabbi Geoffery Shisler, from Great Britain for biographical information on Cantors Moshe, David and
Jacob Koussevitzky.
I also want to thank Fay Singer from Capetown, South Africa for biographical material on Cantor Simcha
Koussevitsky.
For those of you who may not know it, Cantors Moshe and
David Koussevitsky had a profound effect on me as a
youngster and as a young man growing up. For, very few times in life have I
been inspired with so much awe and reverence for G-d; that I was motivated to
pray with all my heart and soul. These times, though, were very special and
occurred when I prayed while these cantors were leading services.
Before I tell you about the Koussevitsky
boys, I would like to share with you how I know both of them. My uncle Nathan,
of blessed memory, regarded himself as the great Cantorial Afficianado
of the Grand Course Jewish Center, located in Bronx, New York. It was he who wanted me to sing with Ben Friedman’s and
Samuel Sterner’s choirs which accompanied both of
these world class Chazzanim. His ultimate goal, along
with my father of blessed memory, was to groom me to become a cantor. This
master plot was hatched without my knowledge.
One humorous event that involved Cantor Kouusevitsky
and me occurred on a Shabbat in August. Moshe was doing his annual Rosh Chodesh Ellul Concert Shabbat in
Temple Beth El in Long Beach, Long Island. My Uncle Nat decided that he wanted me to sing for Moishe, and as a favor he asked Ben Friedman’s choir to
back me up. I was petrified, because he arranged all this without telling me.
This great audition occurred during the Cantor’s break between Torah Reading
and Musaf. So here I was, a young lad of 12 or so,
singing Heeneni Heeoni
before one of the greatest cantors in the world. I started to sing and it was
beautiful. After all, I had Moshe Koussevitzky’s
symphonic choir accompanying me. All of a sudden Cantor Moshe Koussevitsky started to gesture vigorously with his hands
to the choir and me and stopped us after the first two lines. My Uncle seeking
approbation from the Cantor said to him, “Why did you move him back?” “Was his
voice that strong?” The Cantor told him, “No, your nephew was spitting in my
coffee.”
Although there are many who would argue with me,
Moshe is generally regarded as the Chazan's Chazan. He possessed an outstanding, well-trained, tenor
voice of extraordinary range and flexibility and an innate understanding of the
art of Chazanut. Frequently, when I heard him daven Musaf in Long Beach the 12:00 noon miday
siren would go off. This was usually during Musaf Kedushah. He easily could drown it out.
Moshe Koussevitzky was
born on June 9th 1899 at Smargon
in Vilna, Lithuania and came from a
background of Cantors. He was the oldest of four brothers, Jacob, Simcha
and David;
each of whom
went on to become famous Chazanim in their own right.
Moshe began his singing career at the age of eight as an alto in the choir of Chazan Shlepak. Like many
artistic people, he could not only sing, but he was also gifted with his hands.
As he grew up he toyed with the idea of becoming an artist or a sculptor.
Fortunately, however, he accepted a position as Chazan
at the Vilna 'Savel's Shul'
and in 1927 he auditioned for the plum position in Poland at the 'Tlomazke Shul' in Warsaw where, against the
finest opposition, he was awarded the post. He took the opportunity to study
voice and music, and throughout his life he always learned Torah.
Being in such an illustrious Cantorial postion, his fame spread around Europe very rapidly and soon
Moshe traveled to Brussels, Antwerp, Vienna and London to give concerts.
During World War II, Moshe took his family to Russia and adopted the name
Mikhail Koussevitzky. While he was there he sang in
the operas Boris Goudinov, Tosca and Rigoletto. When he returned to Poland he gave a concert at
which the ambassadors of the United Kingdom and the United States were in the audience.
As a result of this concert he obtained visas for both countries and came to England until 1947, when he
traveled to settle in America.
Moshe continued to travel and concertise all over the world. Fortunately he also made
numerous recordings and, even though many of them were produced on
comparatively primitive equipment, it is still possible to appreciate the
exceptional quality of his voice. The last Cantorial position he held was at
Temple Beth El in Boro Park, Brooklyn. He died on August
23rd 1966
and is buried in Jerusalem.
I will always remember singing the boy alto solo
Uvyom Hasshabat with him
and hearing him sing Sheyiboneh Beit
Hamikdash after services.
Cantor David Koussevitsky
While Moishe was
admired for the strength, power and range of his voice it was David Koussevitsky who had the sweeter voice. In Hebrew this
quality is called Metikut literally sweetness.
David certainly had a most unusual voice, and was able to maintain long phrases
on very high notes. Others have tried to copy him, but few have succeeded in
coming anywhere near the excitement that he could generate by his extraordinary
singing.
As a child David Koussevitzky
sang in the choir in the Vilna Great Synagogue. He was intent on following a
musical career from the start. He studied at the Vilna Academy of Music and
became a choir master at the age of eighteen. After serving in the Polish army,
he continued his voice studies in Warsaw, officiating at various
Synagogues before becoming the Chief Chazan in Rovna.
In his
middle twenties, he accepted a call to the Hendon Synagogue, London, where he stayed for
twelve years. Koussevitzky was not enthused with the
life of a Chazan in the United Synagogue in London. In his book, 'Chosen
Voices,' Mark Slobin quotes from a verbatim interview
with David in which David says: "[Working for the
United Synagogue] was like a government. Each shul
sends their representative, like to the House of Commons... it's like the
Church of England... They all had their traditional music. They had a Blue Book that they give you, and
they tell you, "use it as much as
possible..." You had to be there every shabbes...
and [I] taught in Jews' College. I used to share the weekday services with the
rabbi. I did Sunday morning. No layman was allowed to officiate..." He
relates how he did not want to leyn (read the Torah),
and eventually got an agreement with the 'chief warden' that he wouldn't be
expected to do so.
A business man, who used to travel frequently
between England and the USA, persuaded David to set
his sights higher and in 1948, after the businessman helped him to obtain a visa, he went to America and was appointed to the
highly prized position at Temple Emanu-El in Boro Park, Brooklyn.
Throughout his long career, David Koussevitzky traveled the world, singing in the most
prestigious venues. He was an outstanding showman who could hold an audience in
the palm of his hand. His top notes could rattle the chandeliers and make your
hair stand on end, and his soft notes - his piano, could bring tears to your
eyes.
After Moishe’s death,
David inherited the Koussevitsky mantle here in the United States. He continued Moishe’s tradition of a special concert Shabbat in Temple
Beth El in Long Beach on Rosh Chodesh Ellul and singing Sheyiboneh at the end of services. While Moishe’s and Doveed’s fame grew
in the United States, Jacob and Simcha’s own unique style of Chazanut
developed a following of their own in Europe and South Africa.
Next month we will continue to enjoy reminiscing
and paying our respects to Cantors Simcha and Jacob Koussevitsky, whose voices, along with Moishe
and David are now part of the Heavenly choir surrounding Hakadosh
Boruch Hu.
Sincerely,
Cantor Elihu Feldman