Iso Szajewicz
Encyclopedia
Iso Szajewicz, 1910-1941, Polish Jewish composer and conductor born in Kutno
, Poland while his parents, Dineh and Yusef Shayevitsh, Yiddish actors, were on the road with a wandering Jewish theater troupe. He was raised by his step-father, the actor Avrom Kurtz. He worked as a hairdresser and taught himself music in his young years.
In 1926 he studied violin and theater for one year at the Jewish Music Institute in Vilna. In 1927 he moved to Warsaw and began teaching at Myetshislav Karlovitsh's school as well as playing violin in theater orchestras. In 1931 he
became music director at the Kaminski Theatre, then studied at the State music conservatory and in 1937 received an award for distinction in direction from Professor Valerian Berdyayev and in composition from Karol Shimanovsky. Conducted concerts of the Jewish Music Society. He composed music for theater and film.
One of his first major works was the music for נח פאנדרע by Zalman Shneur, produced by Zygmunt Turkow
at the Novoshchi Theatre; he followed with music for Di kishef-makher (The sorcerer) by :pl:Klara Segałowicz;
Soreh-Sheyndl fun Yehupetz directed by Ida Kaminska
; Meylekh-freylekh by Yankev Preger, produced by Michał Weichert (Mikhl Vaykhert) in 1938 in Lodz, later in Warsaw; revue programs for Shimon Dzigan
and Israel Shumacher
's revi-teater. He wrote the music for the films Tkies-khaf (The Vow) and On a heym (Homeless) (directed in Warsaw by Alexander Martin from the drama by
Jacob Gordin), in which Wiera Gran
sang his Aheym, aheym and Beser in troym tsurik.
His greatest artistic success was the musical score to Lope de Vega
's Fuenteovejuna (Shepsn-kval in Yiddish), a show produced by Ida Kaminska
's theater company. He also composed the music for Der Tunkeler's musical comedy Got's ganovim (God's thieves) produced by the Vilner Troupe in 1935.
When the rise of anti-semitism led to a "extermination process of Jewish musicians from their Polish work-places" and when in response a Jewish symphonic orchestra was created in Warsaw, Shayevitsh was chosen as its director. Its concerts, held on Saturdays and Sundays between 10 and 12 in the Novoshtshi Theater, were a great success.
At the outbreak of World War II Shayevitsh fled to Białystok, where he was chosen to lead the symphonic orchestra. He also toured in Minsk. When German and Soviet conflict broke out he wasn't able to evacuate; he headed back to Warsaw to be with his mother, but somewhere in the woods between Białystok and Baranovitsh he was killed.
Kutno
Kutno is a town in central Poland with 48,000 inhabitants and an area of 33,6 km2. Situated in the Łódź Voivodeship , previously in Płock Voivodeship . It is the capital of Kutno County....
, Poland while his parents, Dineh and Yusef Shayevitsh, Yiddish actors, were on the road with a wandering Jewish theater troupe. He was raised by his step-father, the actor Avrom Kurtz. He worked as a hairdresser and taught himself music in his young years.
In 1926 he studied violin and theater for one year at the Jewish Music Institute in Vilna. In 1927 he moved to Warsaw and began teaching at Myetshislav Karlovitsh's school as well as playing violin in theater orchestras. In 1931 he
became music director at the Kaminski Theatre, then studied at the State music conservatory and in 1937 received an award for distinction in direction from Professor Valerian Berdyayev and in composition from Karol Shimanovsky. Conducted concerts of the Jewish Music Society. He composed music for theater and film.
One of his first major works was the music for נח פאנדרע by Zalman Shneur, produced by Zygmunt Turkow
Zygmunt Turkow
Zygmunt Turkow was a Polish actor, director, playwright and director of Jewish origin from Warsaw, who became famous for roles in the pre-war Jewish films and stage plays in Yiddish. His brother, Jonas Turkow, was also a noted actor and stage manager.Shortly after German invasion of Poland in 1939...
at the Novoshchi Theatre; he followed with music for Di kishef-makher (The sorcerer) by :pl:Klara Segałowicz;
Soreh-Sheyndl fun Yehupetz directed by Ida Kaminska
Ida Kaminska
Ida Kaminska was a Polish actress.-Early life:Born in Odessa, Russia she was the daughter of Yiddish stage actress Esther Rachel Kamińska and actor, director and stage producer, Avram Izhak Kamiński . She reportedly married and divorced actor Marian Melman...
; Meylekh-freylekh by Yankev Preger, produced by Michał Weichert (Mikhl Vaykhert) in 1938 in Lodz, later in Warsaw; revue programs for Shimon Dzigan
Shimon Dzigan
Shimon Dżigan was a Yiddish comedian. His father was a soldier in the Russian military. After the outbreak of the first world war Dzigan was apprenticed to a tailor to help the family make ends meet....
and Israel Shumacher
Israel Shumacher
Israel Shumacher was a Yiddish comedian who worked together with Shimon Dzigan, thus forming "Dzigan and Shumacher", one of the most famous Yiddish comic duos in the 20th century. Israel Shumacher first met Shimon Dzigan at the revolutionary Jewish theater in Łódź, Poland...
's revi-teater. He wrote the music for the films Tkies-khaf (The Vow) and On a heym (Homeless) (directed in Warsaw by Alexander Martin from the drama by
Jacob Gordin), in which Wiera Gran
Wiera Gran
Wiera Gran was a Polish singer and actress. Reputedly born as Weronika Grynberg, she was also known as Vera Gran and Mariol....
sang his Aheym, aheym and Beser in troym tsurik.
His greatest artistic success was the musical score to Lope de Vega
Lope de Vega
Félix Arturo Lope de Vega y Carpio was a Spanish playwright and poet. He was one of the key figures in the Spanish Golden Century Baroque literature...
's Fuenteovejuna (Shepsn-kval in Yiddish), a show produced by Ida Kaminska
Ida Kaminska
Ida Kaminska was a Polish actress.-Early life:Born in Odessa, Russia she was the daughter of Yiddish stage actress Esther Rachel Kamińska and actor, director and stage producer, Avram Izhak Kamiński . She reportedly married and divorced actor Marian Melman...
's theater company. He also composed the music for Der Tunkeler's musical comedy Got's ganovim (God's thieves) produced by the Vilner Troupe in 1935.
When the rise of anti-semitism led to a "extermination process of Jewish musicians from their Polish work-places" and when in response a Jewish symphonic orchestra was created in Warsaw, Shayevitsh was chosen as its director. Its concerts, held on Saturdays and Sundays between 10 and 12 in the Novoshtshi Theater, were a great success.
At the outbreak of World War II Shayevitsh fled to Białystok, where he was chosen to lead the symphonic orchestra. He also toured in Minsk. When German and Soviet conflict broke out he wasn't able to evacuate; he headed back to Warsaw to be with his mother, but somewhere in the woods between Białystok and Baranovitsh he was killed.
Read more
- Manger, Turkow, and Perenson: Yidisher teater in Eyrope (pp 99, 101, 119)
- Ariye Martakover: Yorbukh, Tel-Aviv 1967 p. 339
- Yonas Turkow: Farlozhene Shtern (Lost stars), Book one, page 114; Book two pp. 209 and 291
- Zigmunt Turkow: Di ibergerisene Tkifeh p. 209
- Michał Weichert: Zikhroynes, tsveyter band (Varshe), p. 343
- Leon Tadeusz Blaszczyk: Dyrygenci Polscy i obcy w Polsce w XIX and XX wieku (p. 292)
Filmography
- W walce o zdrowie, 1937
- Tkies khaf (The Vow), 1937
- On a Heym (Without a Home) 1939