Event details
- Sunday | February 13, 2022
- 6:00 pm
Guest presenters: David Prager and Alex Klein
Gershon Sirota and the British Isles
The first international super-star Cantor was Gershon Sirota (1874-1943), possessor of a tremendous tenor voice likened to that of Enrico Caruso.
Sirota’s dramatic life illuminated the issues of:
- mass support versus the frowning of communal leaders
- global respect for his outstanding vocal talents
- huge record sales and concert attendances at the largest synagogues and concert halls.
Sirota’s relationship with Britain was unique for an artist at home in Warsaw and adored in New York. He made some of his most famous recordings in England. It was in Britain that he developed a unique partnership with super-talented conductor-composer Samuel Alman. He chose the British Imperial De Luxe record label for his beautiful recordings of duets with his soprano daughter Helena.
His life ended in horror and tragedy, trapped and murdered in the Warsaw ghetto in 1943.
The Cantors Assembly Listening Room brings you UK Cantorial experts David Prager and Alex Klein in a special international edition focussing on Sirota’s special relationship with Britain, featuring rare, beautiful recordings from the 1920s/1930s. They explore the indelible impression he made on his pupils/soloists and the general public.