Brandmann, Isr. (Israel), 1901-1992

Israel Brandmann was a multi-talented violin soloist, pianist, composer and conductor. He accomplished his most important musical work during his years in Vienna, 1924-1935. lsrael Brandmann was born December 1, 1901 in Kamenets-Podolsk, a city in the Ukraine. His father, Menashe, was conductor of the municipal theatre and probably a violinist himself. Brandmann's brother Yaakov (Jacob) was a cellist, violist and composer. Israel Brandmann began violin studies at the age of seven and attended the St. Petersburg Conservatory between 1913 and 1917. He returned home that year and founded the performing ensemble Kadimah, which consisted of a large chorus and orchestra. In the next three years Kadimah gave ten concerts with Brandmann conducting both choir and orchestra. Kadimah began a concert tour in 1920 through Romania, which ultimately led Brandmann and several members to Palestine. The chorus was reconstituted under Brandmann and they gave their first concert in Tel Aviv on October 6, 1921. It is unclear how, but members of the Kadimah choral society established the first Worker's Choir of Palestine in 1921. Brandmann emigrated to Vienna in 1924, where he continued his musical studies at the Hochschule für Musik, first in violin and later in orchestral conducting. He went on to study composition with Franz Schmidt at the Hochschule and, later, privately with Alban Berg. Viennese Jewry at the time was poised for something of a cultural and political renaissance. The Wiener Jüdischer Gesangverein (Viennese Jewish Singing Society) was established in 1920; the Verein zur Förderung Jüdischer Musik (Society for the Promotion of Jewish Music) was founded in 1928; and the Jibneh music publishing house was reestablished in Vienna in 1931. Along with virtuoso cellist and composer Joachim Stutschewsky (1891-1982), and Abram Dzimitrowski (1873-1943), cantor, choir conductor and chief editor at the Jibneh-Verlag, Israel Brandmann was a primary participant in the Viennese Jewish musical renaissance that occurred in the decade before the Nazi Anschluss and annexation of Austria in March 1938. Brandmann premiered his first major composition, Sonate für Violine und Klavier in C Major in 1928. His next important composition, Variationen über einen palästinenischen Volkstanz für Streichquartett, also premiered in 1928, and was performed at a March 1929 concert sponsored by the Verein zur Förderung jüdischer Musik. Brandmann either performed as a solo violinist or first violinist in a string quartet at concerts sponsored by the Verein and other organizations. Concert repertoire of the Verein included new Viennese Jewish compositions--several by Brandmann and Stutschewsky--, earlier works from the St. Petersburg and Moscow Jewish music societies and even newer Jewish works by international composers. Brandmann's choral works were more than likely composed for the Wiener Jüdischer Gesangverein. The chorus always included chamber music pieces in their concerts--again, either newly composed in Vienna or from the earlier St. Petersburg and Moscow Jewish music societies. Abram Dzimitrowski led the Gesangverein from 1928-1931; Aron Marko Rothmüller (1908-1993) conducted the ensemble from 1931-1932; and Israel Brandmann was conductor of the Gesangverein from late 1932 until June 1935. On February 1, 1931 Brandmann led the Vienna Philharmonic in the premiere of his symphonic poem Hechalutz =Der Pionier. This work was part of a "Hebräisches Konzert" of Jewish orchestral works that took place in the Great Hall of Vienna's Konzerthaus, an 1,800 seat venue. Brandmann continued to conduct the Gesangverein, compose music and play the violin during the 1930s. He played violin for a January 1934 concert that featured the premiere of his Palästinensische Weise: für Cello und Klavier. Joachim Stutschewsky was the cello soloist. With the breakout of the Austrian Civil War in February 1934, and the subsequent dissolution of the Social Democratic Party, the political and economic situation deteriorated for Vienna's Jews. This must have contributed to Brandmann's decision to return to Tel Aviv with his wife Bertha in late 1935. A June 12, 1935 concert by the Jüdischer Gesangverein was Brandmann's last as conductor. The first half of the program was devoted entirely to his works, and included the premiere of Variationen über eine Thema von Engel: für Klavier und Streichorchester. Brandmann's return to British Palestine in 1935 coincided with the aliyah ("going up") of many other gifted musicians fleeing Nazi Germany and Central Europe. It must have been a very competitive time. His artistic output as a performer and composer fell off considerably. There are group photos of him as a music teacher at Bet Midrash l'Neginah Bet Leviim in Tel Aviv, ca. 1936-1938. He also became conductor of the Tel Aviv Workers' Choir, the same workers' chorus established by Kadimah members in 1921. He was still conductor of this ensemble on a 1950s recording, Defenders of Israel, as well as at Israel's fifth Zimriya (Singing Festival) in 1964. Both Peter Gradenwitz and Aron Marko Rothmüller published invaluable inventories of Brandmann's works in the 1950s. Gradenwitz wrote in 1959 that Brandmann's "muse [had] been silent since the early 'thirties." Examining the inventories along with earlier concert programs, one finds the following Brandmann pieces are either lost or missing: Sonate für Violine und Klavier in C Major (1928); ''Mikol pirchej mor bagan": song for voice and piano (S. Tscernichowsky) (1929); and Three Pesach Melodies: for Clarinet and String Quartet (n.d.) The J.T.S. Library has all of Brandmann'̈s other works, as well as his earlier student compositions and excerpts of Hebrew language works that appear to postdate 1935.

From the description of Music scores and papers, 1918-1964. (Jewish Theological Seminary of America). WorldCat record id: 436945907