Tremendous singing!!!!! Cantor Selmar Cerini 1860 - 1923 compilation of the underrated jewish tenor скачать в хорошем качестве

Tremendous singing!!!!! Cantor Selmar Cerini 1860 - 1923 compilation of the underrated jewish tenor

0:00 Ecco ridente in cielo from Rossini's il barbiere di siviglia sung in german 2:49 Asile héréditaire from Rossini's Guillaume Tell sung in german 5:37 Celeste aida from Verdi's aida sung in german 8:37 Rachel quand du seigneur Dieu m'eclaire from Halevy's La Juive sung in Italian 13:55 Yitgadal veyitkadash 16:53 Mi addir 19:56 Whogen baadenu 23:05 Maoz tzur (VERY FAMOUS CHANUKAH SONG) (German: Selmar Cerini; born Shlomo Yitzhak ha-Kohen Steifman; 15 December 1860, 2 Tevet 5621 – 11 May 1923, 25 Iyar 5683) was a Jewish-Polish opera singer and cantor who worked primarily in Germany. He is known as one of the first Jewish cantors to record liturgical prayers on gramophone records, leaving behind dozens of recordings of cantorial music, opera, and popular songs. Biography Childhood and Youth Cerini was born as Shlomo Yitzhak ha-Kohen Steifman to his father Moshe in the village of Wólka, near Warsaw, then under Russian-ruled Poland. He was raised in an Orthodox Jewish family. From an early age, he dreamed of becoming a singer. At the age of twelve, he moved to Płońsk, where he served as a soloist in the local synagogue for two years. He later suffered a temporary loss of voice and severe financial hardship, but never abandoned his dream. In 1879, after becoming engaged and working in commerce for his father-in-law in Gąbin, he was conscripted into the Russian army and sent to Kazan, but was released early due to illness. In 1882, his family lost all their possessions in a pogrom, forcing Cerini to seek a new livelihood. He accepted a cantorial position in Zagórów, and later moved with his family to Łódź, where his singing attracted considerable attention. Musical Career In 1886, Cerini moved to Germany and settled in Breslau (today Wrocław). His first operatic appearance took place in 1886 in the opera Ali Baba. As a beginner, he was expected to be fined for participating, so the director published his name as “Selmar Cerini” to conceal his identity. Because the role was performed offstage, his singing was so brilliant that everyone present demanded to know who the singer was. His voice deeply impressed the chief cantor Moritz Deutsch, who recommended that he study at the conservatory. He was also encouraged by Georg Brandes, director of the Breslau Opera. At first, Cerini lived illegally in Germany and hid from the police, but Jewish patrons helped him obtain a passport and bring his family to Berlin. He sang as a soloist in the choir of one of the city’s synagogues and made his first stage appearance at the Victoria Theatre. During this period, he adopted the stage name Selmar Cerini, inspired by Italian operatic tradition. In 1892, he received a position at the Wrocław Opera House, earning a salary of 12,000 marks per season. Among his most notable operatic roles were Eléazar (La Juive), Raoul (Les Huguenots), Manrico (Il Trovatore), Radamès (Aida), the Duke (Rigoletto), Turiddu (Cavalleria Rusticana), and others. He performed on stages in Leipzig, Stettin, Berlin, Magdeburg, Poznań, and additional cities. Despite his success, Cerini encountered increasing antisemitism and refused offers to convert to Christianity. By the mid-1890s, he decided to leave the operatic stage and return fully to cantorial singing. Chief Cantor in Breslau After the death of chief cantor Max Deutsch, Cerini was invited to fill the position. Initially, he was forced to leave the city due to intrigues, but after receiving German citizenship in Strasbourg, he returned to Breslau and was appointed chief cantor of the New Synagogue, a position he held until his death. Cerini was meticulous in his religious observance: he did not perform on the Sabbath, strictly observed kosher dietary laws, and viewed his singing as a religious mission, not merely an artistic pursuit. Recordings At the beginning of the 20th century, Cerini was among the first cantors to enter recording studios. He recorded dozens of liturgical hymns and prayers for companies such as Odeon, Beka Records, Zonophone, and Anker. Alongside cantorial works, he also recorded operatic arias and popular songs in German and Polish. Personal Life Cerini married Regina (Rebecca) Bornstein (d. 1907), with whom he had four children: Rosa, Hermann, Fritz, and Arthur. The family endured periods of poverty, pogroms, and antisemitism, yet remained traditional and observant. He later remarried a woman named Finkelstein. Death and Legacy Cerini died on 11 November 1923 in Breslau and was buried in the New Jewish Cemetery of the city (today on Lotnicza Street, Wrocław). His tombstone bears the inscription: “From the depths I called unto the Lord, and through his song he lifted hearts to the God on high. ‘I labored and I found—believe.’” He is regarded as a pioneer in bringing cantorial music into the recording studio, and his life has become a symbol of Jewish perseverance in the face of economic hardship and antisemitism.