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Herman Wohl

Herman Wohl (1877–1936) was born in Otinya near Stanislavov (now called Ivano-Frankivsk) in eastern Galicia, now Ukraine. He was raised in a Chasidic home and studied with cantors from the age of 9. He soon began composing, directing choirs, and singing as a Hazzan himself. At the age of 16 he joined Yuvelir's troupe in Galicia, acting, singing in the chorus, and writing songs for their repertoire.

In 1896 he was brought to America to teach; he soon began writing for several theater troupes. He partnered with Aaron (Arnold) Perlmutter and over the course of 16 years they wrote music for many operettas including Mezinke, Bnei Israel, Yakov un Esau, and dozens of others by Moshe Hurwitz (Horowitz), Anshel Shor's Di Almoneh (The Widow) and A mentsh zol men zayn (One should be a decent person) also Motashevski's Dos Pintele Yid, Di neshomah fun mayn folk, and Di Poylishe Khasene.

Working with Edelstein in the People's Theater, he composed music to

  • Mikhl Goldberg's musical comedy Gelebt un gelakht (Lived and laughed)
  • Adam Mesko's operetta Di nakht fun libe (The night of love)
  • Boris Thomashefsky's Dos Heylike lid (The holy song)
  • Itskhok Lesh's Yoshke Kvat, 1921
  • Israel Rozenberg's Yankl Litvak
  • Tomashevski's Lebedik un freylekh and Thousand and One Nights
  • William Siegel's Dem rebbin's zindl and Di galitsianer khasene (The Galitsian wedding)
  • Israel Rozenberg's Di galitsianer rebetsin

Some of his hundreds of songs, most composed with Arnold Perlmutter, are listed at Florida Atlantic University's website:

  • A bisele erd (A little bit of ground) 1911
  • A kind is dos glik oyf der velt (A Child Is The World's Happiness) 1917
  • A pintele Yid (often translated as Quintessential Jew, regarded as one of the most classic bar-mitzvah songs) 1909
  • Az du kenst nit un veyst nit nemt men zikh nit under (If you can't do it and don't know, don't undertake it) 1911
  • Bist mayn matonele (You're my little gift) 1907
  • Dorf's meydl (Village Maiden) 1911
  • Dos is di libe fun yankele mit rokhlen (This is the love of Jacob and Rachel) from Galitsianer khasene
  • {{lang|yi|Emese yidishe harts (A True Jewish Heart) 1906
  • Goles lid (Song Of The Diaspora) 1921
  • Hersher is der man (The Husband Is The Ruler) 1910
  • Leben zol Kolumbus (Long Live Columbus) 1915
  • Mayn libster fraynd iz mayn mamenyu (My Most Loving Friend Is My Mother) 1921
  • Men hoydet zikh in Amerike (They're Dancing in America) 1908
  • Meydele vest nokh gliklekh zayn (Maiden, You'll Yet Be happy) (with Jennie Goldstein)
  • Tsveyte Vayb (Second Wife) 1910
  • Vayber, makh mir far president (Women, Make Me President) 1910
  • Yeder eyner straykt atsind (Everybody is Striking Now) 1919

Besides being a Second Avenue songwriter and composer in the Yiddish Theater District, Wohl continued to work as a synagogue choirmaster and liturgical composer. For many years he conducted the choir for the most widely acclaimed and revered cantor of the time—and probably of all time—Yossele Rosenblatt. His many cantorial-choral compositions for Sabbath, High Holy Days, and Festivals remain in manuscript, and the whereabouts of many of these are not even known. He died in 1936.

Birth and Death Data: Born 1877 (Galicia), Died 1936

Date Range of DAHR Recordings: 1908 - 1929

Roles Represented in DAHR: composer, director, songwriter

= Recordings are available for online listening.
= Recordings were issued from this master. No recordings issued from other masters.

Recordings (Results 1-25 of 91 records)

Company Matrix No. Size First Recording Date Title Primary Performer Description Role Audio
Victor B-6628 10-in. 11/30/1908 Yhi oir Solomon Smulewitz Male vocal solo, with orchestra composer  
Victor B-6629 10-in. 11/30/1908 A mensch sol mein sein Solomon Smulewitz Male vocal solo, with orchestra composer  
Victor B-6635 10-in. 12/2/1908 Schemen megt ihr sich Solomon Small Male vocal solo, with orchestra composer  
Victor C-9087 12-in. 6/14/1910 Das pintele Yid Frances Simonoff Female vocal solo, with orchestra composer  
Victor B-9129 10-in. 6/23/1910 Shtoist Zich On Solomon Small Male vocal solo, with orchestra composer  
Victor B-12919 10-in. 2/18/1913 Die Yidishe kroin Kalman Juvelier Male vocal solo, with orchestra composer  
Victor B-12925 10-in. 2/18/1913 Dus shaifele Kalman Juvelier Male vocal solo, with orchestra composer  
Victor B-12926 10-in. 2/18/1913 Dus lebedige Yisoimele Kalman Juvelier Male vocal solo, with orchestra composer  
Victor B-12927 10-in. 2/18/1913 Schuldig bist du, Yidele alein Kalman Juvelier Male vocal solo, with orchestra composer  
Victor C-13826 12-in. 9/19/1913 Weal jede Josef Rosenblatt Tenor vocal solo, with chorus and organ director  
Victor B-13827 10-in. 9/19/1913 Weseorew Josef Rosenblatt Tenor vocal solo, with chorus and organ director  
Victor B-13828 10-in. 9/19/1913 Weseorew Josef Rosenblatt Tenor vocal solo, with chorus and organ director  
Victor B-13829 10-in. 9/19/1913 Jehi rozon Ohab Zedek Choir, First Hungarian Congregation, New York ; Josef Rosenblatt Tenor vocal solo, with chorus and organ director  
Victor B-13833 10-in. 9/19/1913 Jehi rozon Josef Rosenblatt Tenor vocal solo, with chorus and organ director  
Victor B-15988 10-in. 5/4/1915 Dem pastechels cholem Jakov M. Medvedieff Tenor vocal solo, with orchestra composer  
Victor B-17402 10-in. 3/30/1916 Leben sol Columbus! Abraham Rosenstein Male vocal solo, with orchestra composer  
Victor B-17854 10-in. 6/15/1916 Yisrolik in sein Eigenland Regina Zuckerberg Female vocal solo, with orchestra composer  
Victor B-17859 10-in. 6/15/1916 Dus shaifele Regina Zuckerberg Female vocal solo, with orchestra composer  
Victor B-17860 10-in. 6/15/1916 Gebet for der Chypy Regina Zuckerberg Female vocal solo, with orchestra composer  
Victor B-17868 10-in. 6/16/1916 Es is gewehn a meidel Regina Zuckerberg Female vocal solo, with orchestra composer  
Victor B-17869 10-in. 6/16/1916 A shtikele glick Regina Zuckerberg Female vocal solo, with orchestra composer  
Victor B-17870 10-in. 6/16/1916 Ich seh schon wie es wert fehlech Regina Zuckerberg Female vocal solo, with orchestra composer  
Victor B-17871 10-in. 6/16/1916 Das wiegele Regina Zuckerberg Female vocal solo, with orchestra composer  
Victor B-17973 10-in. 7/12/1916 Mine kalle Jacob Silbert Male vocal solo, with orchestra composer  
Victor B-19074 10-in. 2/13/1917 Shenk mir mein mame Nahen Rosenshak [i.e., Naum Coster] Male vocal solo, with orchestra composer  
(Results 1-25 of 91 records)

Citation

Discography of American Historical Recordings, s.v. "Wohl, Herman," accessed March 23, 2023, https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/112946.

Wohl, Herman. (2023). In Discography of American Historical Recordings. Retrieved March 23, 2023, from https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/112946.

"Wohl, Herman." Discography of American Historical Recordings. UC Santa Barbara Library, 2023. Web. 23 March 2023.

DAHR Persistent Identifier

URI: https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/112946

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