New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1919-05-25

composition was at that time taken
back to Russia, and spread throughout
the Jewish communities there with such
rapidity as to become property of the
whole race; for it could hardly be
thought that a Jewish folklore society
and three composers of standing and
training would have issued ELI, Eili,'
as one Of the standard folksongs Of
the Russian Jew without its wide
spread acceptance there as such. Would
it not be much easier to surmise that
Mr.. Sander, when coming to Ameri-
ca from Russia, had this musical treas
ure Of his race v ell committed to
memory, and that he, when writing
theatrical music for a dramatic sit
uation calling for the expression Of
just such sentiments, very rightly
drew upon this musical common prop
erty? This hypothesis would still leave
to Mr.. Sander the privilege of having
introduced the song to America. On
the other hand, actually and scientifi-
cally to prove Mr.. Sanders sole author
ship of one of the worlds greatest mel
odles Gone that has been acclaimed
by the American press as in power of
expression and grandeur comparable to
the sublime works Of Bach and Bee
thoven) will be a very much more
difficult task
AS to the assertions Of Miss Bras
lau's press agent that she was the
first to introduce the song to America
| am sorry to have to contradict him.
The facts are as follows: In 1919 q
Russian tenor, Jacob Medvedieff, ar
rived in New York with the special
purpose of propagating the Jewish
folksongs, as published by the above
mentioned Petrograd Society, and he
soon addressed himself to me in order
that | might procure him uptown hear
ings. | was able to arrange concert
under the auspices of the Zionist Ha-
dassah Society for him and his wife
(also singer, and at this concert,
which took place at the Hotel Majestic
on December 26, 1915, the song "Eili,
Eili," as arranged by Shalt, was sung
for the first time in public in New
York (although possibly Medvedieff
might have given it previous to that
before an East Side audience).
In December, 1916, l was asked, as
leader of the choir of Temple Emanu-
Ell, to provide some musical numbers fol-
! the great Carnegie Hall mass meeting
on behalf of Russia's suffering Jews
| Cat which, by the way, over $4,0OO,0 OC
was raised). l could not think of q
more touching and thrilling offering
than "Eili, Eili," and proceeded to make
setting of it for choir and contralto
solo Miss Mary Jordan). The chorus
was rehearsed and the number an
nounced on the printed programme
but the many interesting speeches con
sumed so much time that shortly be-
fore midnight the choir was told tina
we should have to drop this number
Undismayed by this failure to bring {
priceless jewel of their race before {
Jewish audience, which, best of all
should have appreciated it, I proceed
ed to include it on my next programm,
of the Schola Cantorum in Carnegit
Hall, March -, 1917, with Elsie Igor
as soloist and choir of $50 members
1T is matter of press record that the
piece left the house breathless with
emotion, until veritable thunders OF
applause broke forth.
In June, 1917, the house of G
Schirmer acquired the rights of pub
fishing my choral setting, and request
ed me also to issue "Eili, Eli" as 8
song. In order to have both editions
conform as to harmoniza ton, had tt
provide new piano setting, which
deviated so much from Shalit's as tc
call for the designation, Arranged af.
ter Shalt by Kurt SCHNEIDER" 1t is
surely not my fault if concert singers
are careless enough to leave out Shall
it's name from their programmes, thus
misleading public and critics to be.
lleve that l ever claimed the author
ship Of the song
The Schirmer issues, both for chorus
and solo, appeared in November, 1917
and in the same month Miss Braslar
sang the song at her Carnegie Hall re
cital to the simpler original accom-
! paniment Of Shalt Gas used by Medve
dieff). A month later Mines. Alma
Gluck and Louise Homer began to pro
gramme the song, with my harmoniza
ton, and Rosa Raisa billed it, | be.
lleve, in a third quite different yer.
sion, by one Josef BONN published il
1917, by Josef Katz, East Broadway
New York;.
Miss Braslau decided, later on, t.
publish Shalit's song, as sung by her
with Boston publishing house. Il
was marked as edited by we'll known
Boston composer. AS a matter of fac
this edition is tone for tone identica
with Shalit's original as it was SUNG
by Medvedieff, excepting that the
Hebrew and Yiddish words are badl,
mangled and distorted
Since then we have had a violin ar
rangement by Toscha Seidel (publishet
by j. Fischer), and the sono has hoo,