Legendary Voices: Cantors of Yesteryear

This compilation of archival footage showcases the artistry of eight notable khazanim—cantors who were stars in the American Jewish community of the '30s—Mordechai Hershman, Adolph Katchko, Samuel Malavsky, Moishe Oysher, David Roitman, Yossele Rosenblatt, Josef Shlisky, and Leibele Waldman. The film clips of the men intoning brief portions of the Hebrew liturgy are mostly drawn from footage shot by Joseph Seiden between 1931 and 1938, in which the subjects performed with choral accompaniment either in temple settings or in a staged “concert” format (in one case, the excerpts are drawn from A.J. Bloome's 1934 documentary Dream of My People). Although the video and audio qualities are unsurprisingly mediocre, the voices—smooth, piercing tenors that move into ringing falsetto and powerful baritones—are still amazing. The collection is introduced by Cantor Jack Mendelson, who also offers amusing biographical sketches of the subjects, spiced with his own personal observations (he's particularly adept at describing the special characteristics that distinguished each man's voice). Recommended. Aud: C, P. (F. Swietek)