Aaron Beer Explained

Aaron Beer
Birth Date:10 February 1739
Birth Place:Poppenlauer, Bavaria, Holy Roman Empire
Death Place:Berlin, Prussia, German Confederation
Relatives:Meno Burg (stepson)[1]

Aaron Beer Gabriel ; (10 February 1739 – 3 January 1821), also known as the Bamberger Ḥazzan, was a German ḥazzan and composer, who served as chief cantor of the Jewish congregation of Berlin. He was known as a tenor of considerable vocal range.

Biography

Aaron Beer was born in Poppenlauer, Bavaria, in 1739. He became cantor in Paderborn at a young age, and in 1765 he came to Berlin. He succeeded as chief cantor of the Heidereutergasse Synagogue in 1786.

Beer composed himself, but also commissioned compositions, collecting over 1,200 pieces of music for use in the synagogue. He actively sought to discourage the congregation from singing along by constantly adding new melodies.[2] His collection is now held at the Hebrew Union College in Cincinnati, United States.

Notes and References

  1. Book: Jüdische Trauungen in Berlin 1759 bis 1813: Mit Ergänzungen für die Jahre 1723–1759. Jacob. Jacobson. De Gruyter. 978-3-11-082987-7. 285.
  2. Web site: Aaron Beer: German cantor, composer and collector. Thesaurus of Jewish Music. Jewish Music Research Center. August 16, 2023.