Unofficially considered "the father of Jewish music", Joel Engel (1868–1927) paved the way for a nationalist movement that used Yiddish and Hebrew folksongs as the basis of a serious art-form.
Well before Kodály and Bartók in Hungary, Engel went out to the shtetls of eastern Europe, writing down the villagers’ songs and then composing music inspired by his excursions.
This first-ever album of his music reveals the melodic immediacy of these songs and instrumental pieces

Israel Kaplan

1. Air (Jewish Melody)

Joel Engel

2. Adagio Misterioso, Op. 22, for violin, cello, harp and harmonium*

Three Yiddish Songs for voice, oboe and piano, arr. Cantor Louis Danto

3. Three Yiddish Songs. Nor nokh dir
4. Ritshkele
5. Akh! Nit gut

The Dybbuk : Suite, Op. 35, for clarinet, strings and percussion

6. I. For What Reason? – From Song of Songs (Mipneh Mah? – M’schir Haschirim)
7. II. Beggars’ Dances (M’choloth Hakabzanim)
8. III. Wedding March (Marsch Chatunah)
9. IV. The Veiling of the Bride (Chipuy Hakalah)
10. V. Hassidic Melody (Nigun Chassidim)
11. VI. From Song of Songs – For What Reason? (reprise)

12. Hen hu hivtiach li for voice, violin and piano (1923)*

2 Violinstücke, Op. 20

13. No. 1 Chabad Nigun, for cello and piano (arr. from violin version for cello by Uri Vardi)
14. No. 2 Freylekhs, for violin and piano

Fifty Children’s Songs for voice and piano (1923)

15. No. 9 In der Suke
16. No. 8 Shavues
17. No. 1 Morgengebet* (piste 18 du CD)

Elleven Children’s Songs (Yaldei Sadeh), Op. 36

18. No. 10 Zumerfeygele* (piste 17 du CD)

Alexander Zhitomirsky (1881-1937)

19. Az ikh volt gehat dem keysers oystres, Op. 4, No. 2, for voice, oboe and piano

Note : Les pistes 17 et 18 sont inversées sur le CD