Music at the Leo Baeck Institute: Audio Recordings Available for Listening

“Judith Sander collection, DM 309” - A semi-professional array of shellac sound discs, produced by Melotone Recording Studio in New York City during World War II, features classical, spiritual and modern songs by the Austrian singer Judith Sander, whose blooming career was brutally interrupted by the Nazis.
Image: The picture shows Judith Sander in Vienna, Austria.

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1. Alexander_Moissi_F5875.jpg — “Various recordings, AR 25347” - This is an eclectic collection of mainly 78 rpm shellac records and some 33⅓ rpm vinyl gramophone records with opera arias by Richard Wagner; George Händel; and Charles Gounod, as well as some spoken lyrics and fairy tales.
Image: The picture shows a portrait of Alexander Moissi in costume.

3. Kleine_Nachtmusik_2015_04.jpg — “Eric Rau collection, AR 10550” - This assembly of sound recordings combines traditional synagogue- and High Holidays music with Yiddish folksongs, all collected by Eric Rau (1928-2013), a German born chemist and passionate activist for Jewish education.
Image: The picture is part of a drawing by Peter Lipman-Wulf, depicting musicians playing *Eine kleine Nachtmusik*.

Shofar — “Erwin Hirsch collection, AR 11478” - Erwin Hirsch, the first full time Cantor of Congregation Habonim in New York and assisted by the choir under the direction of Martha Hirsch, sings traditional cantorial synagogue music, including chants and prayers for the High Holidays as well as for Shabbat and festivals, set to music by Louis Lewandowski, Emanuel Hirsch and other composers.
Image: The picture is a decorative vignette from the cycle *My Hagadah* by Joseph Budko.

The LBI holds scores (pun intended) of books and archival collections, devoted to music and musicians. In addition, there is also “real music” to be found and heard, be it audio recordings on old-fashioned shellac records or more time appropriate Contact Discs.

Also mentioned is the Erwin Hirsch collection, AR 11478 with traditional cantorial synagogue music at the German Jewish congregation Habonim.

A search in DigiBaeck offers an array of other music recordings.

Samples include:

Various Recordings

Judith Sander Collection

Eric Rau Collection

Samples include:

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