Tina Frühauf Books

"The Organ and Its Music in German-Jewish Culture examines the powerful but often overlooked presence of the organ in synagogue music and the musical life of German-speaking Jewish communities. Tina Fruhauf expertly chronicles the history of the organ in Jewish culture from the earliest references in the Talmud through the nineteenth century, when it had established a firm and lasting presence in Jewish sacred and secular spaces in central Europe." "The book presents in-depth case studies that illustrate how the organ has been utilized in the musical life of specific Jewish communities in the twentieth century. Based on extensive research in the archives of organ builders and in the collections of Jewish musicians, The Organ and Its Music in German-Jewish Culture offers comprehensive and detailed descriptions of specific organs as well as fascinating portraits of Jewish organists and composers. This book will be of interest to performers, students, and scholars of the organ, as well as by students and scholars in historical musicology and Jewish music."--BOOK JACKET

Experiencing Jewish Music in America offers an accessible exploration of the remarkably diverse landscape that comprises Jewish music in the U.S. This survey on the art of listening to this dynamic and diverse musical culture invites listeners from all walks of life to enjoy the many types of Jewish music available in their communities.

The first volume of its kind, Dislocated Memories draws together three significant areas of inquiry: Jewish music, German culture, and the legacy of the Holocaust.

Salomon Sulzer (1804–1890) was the first chazzan in modern Europe to captivate audiences with his extraordinary musical, intellectual, and charismatic attributes. He was an authority in his community and a center of attraction in the general musical life of his time. The influences of his musical and social contributions are still being felt in today’s Jewish music world. As Obercantor at Vienna’s City Temple, he developed a moderate reform of the liturgy and synagogue music, balancing the traditional and the modern in compliance with Jewish law. As part of his reforms, Sulzer began to pro duce a significant repertoire of Jewish liturgical music that is still heard today in many liberal and conservative synagogues. Sulzer also newly defined the position for the chazzan, drawing attention to vocal technique. Blessed with an excellent voice, Sulzer also made a name for himself as an interpreter and composer of secular music. Sulzer embodies the renewal of Judaism.

Werner Sander (1902–1972) holds an unusual stance in the history of Jewish music. Not only did he live through two dictatorships—Nazism and GDR communism—but these outer political influences shaped his life and career as a musician. Born in Breslau, he trained to become a teacher for piano and voice; he initially also worked as music critic and choral conductor. Upon the Nazi rise to power he turned to Jewish music, a shift that would shape his identity as a musician forever. With his move to East Germany after the end of World War II, Sander continued his path as a synagogue musician, while pursuing his keen interest in conducting oratorios. Sander is chiefly remembered for having founded the still existing Leipziger Synagogalchor in 1962, and having shaped it as a concert choir exclusively devoted to Jewish music in its diverse nature. Tina Frühauf explores how Sander fought for the survival of synagogue music under the difficult conditions in the GDR.