Max Wohlberg Explained

Max (Moshe) Wohlberg (born February 9, 1907)[1] was a Hungarian-American hazzan, composer, and scholar.[2] He was one of the initial members of the Cantors Assembly established in 1947[3] and served as its president from 1949 to 1951.[4] [5] He helped to found the cantorial school at the Jewish Theological Seminary where he was Professor and head of the nusach department.[2] [6] Self-taught, he developed a curriculum for studying nusach and producing scholarly research,[6] educating over 100 graduates as of 1977.[5]

Wohlberg was known for his recitative compositions and recognized as a melodist who captured the interpretive nuances of liturgical texts.[7] His music was rooted in Jewish liturgical traditions, incorporating biblical cantillations, synagogue motifs, Yiddish song phrases, and Israeli folk melodies. These influences stemmed from his extensive exposure to Jewish musical life and were further enriched by his teaching and research.[7]

Wohlberg died April 19, 1996, in Washington D.C.[8]

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Max Wohlberg . www.ashbournemusicpublishing.com . August 4, 2024 .
  2. News: Max Wohlberg, 89, a Liturgical Composer . April 26, 1996 . Thomas Jr. . Robert McG. . . D19 .
  3. Web site: History of the CA (1947-1972) . Belskin-Ginsburg . Hazzan W. . www.cantors.org . . https://web.archive.org/web/20110718045020/http://www.cantors.org/ca_history1947-1972.php . July 18, 2011.
  4. News: Israel's Statehood Seen Reflected in Jewish Music Here . February 25, 1949 . . 8 .
  5. Hazzan Max Wohlberg . Rosenbaum . Samuel . Journal of Synagogue Music . June 1977 . VII . 3 . 3–4 .
  6. Transmission of Music in the Hebrew Tradition: Learning from the Songs of the Synagogue. Patricia Costa . Kim . The Bulletin of Historical Research in Music Education . 19 . 1 . 1997 . 49 . . .
  7. An Analysis of Three Unaccompanied Recitatives of Max Wohlberg . Journal of Synagogue Music . Davidson . Charles . 1992 . XXII . 1-2 . 13–23 .
  8. News: Deaths Elsewhere Max Wohlberg, New York . April 27, 1996 . The Atlanta Journal . D10 .

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