Abraham Lichtenstein

He was born on January 24, 1806, in Friedland, East Prussia. At the age of nine, gifted with a "soulful soprano voice and a rich imagination," he attended synagogue services in Königsberg as a singer, studying Hebrew and music, including the violin. By the age of 16, he was singing bass parts in the synagogue in Glogau (present-day Głogów). The range and power of his voice developed so rapidly that he was appointed cantor in Poznań (the exact date is unknown). After an apprenticeship in Frankfurt (Oder) and working as a cantor in Schwedt, he took up the same position in Szczecin at the age of 27.

Lichtenstein participated not only in synagogue services but also, often as first violinist, in orchestral concerts under the direction of Carl Löwe. The renowned Szczecin composer reportedly also regularly employed him as a soloist in oratorio performances. Lichtenstein's "enormous vocal resources and outstanding musical talent" captivated concert audiences and members of the Jewish community. His fame began to spread beyond the borders of Szczecin, reaching Berlin in the early 1840s.

On January 28, 1844, the Jewish community in Berlin sent a letter to Abraham Lichtenstein offering him the position of second cantor at the Heidereutergasse Synagogue. Shortly before, the position of first cantor and the task of implementing musical reform had been entrusted to Louis Lewandowski (1821–1894), who went down in history as the most outstanding composer of synagogue music. Abraham Lichtenstein was to become his closest collaborator.

However, the matter was neither certain nor straightforward. After Lichtenstein was accepted by the commission, his vocal abilities were tested. Louis Lewandowski noted: "[With] the greatest applause in the world, he delivered his sermon here last Saturday. (...) With every note Mr. Lichtenstein sang, the audience's delight grew, and until after Weszamer, people barely dared to breathe. The next morning, the applause was boundless. The speech reached deep into the hearts of the people, and the Shema Yisrael brought tears and deeply moved everyone. [...] Only one opinion and one voice prevails here, namely that Mr. L. combines the best qualities of the three greatest singers of Berlin theater."

However, there were other voices as well. Disputes over competence and the well-known envy of a certain group of people led to Lichtenstein being asked to present two expert opinions: one on his knowledge of Hebrew, and the other on his musical knowledge, issued by a "highly respected, recognized master."

Carl Löwe, of course, gave him an enthusiastic review: "I don't know how any competitor could surpass you." He described Lichtenstein as "a very skillful man in the field of music," praised his "exquisitely beautiful voice, rare coloratura," mentioned that he "composed quite beautifully for his own purposes," and finally expressed regret that the people of Szczecin "will probably have to do without this wise man."

In the spring of 1845, Lichtenstein was finally hired by "the largest and most educated community in Germany," according to Lewandowski. The two musicians worked together for almost forty years, first in Heidereutergasse and, from 1866, in the new Reform synagogue on Oranienburgerstraße. In this house of worship, the size of a cathedral and with excellent acoustics, they had at their disposal a large mixed choir and the largest organ ever to stand in a synagogue.

After Louis Lewandowski retired, Abraham Lichtenstein became the first cantor of this famous synagogue and, consequently, the chief cantor of Berlin. "His impressive voice, equally expansive in range and power, his correct intonation, expressive accents in recitations, his sharp yet loud pronunciation of words, but above all, the powerful expression in his songs, a product of both his truly pious feeling and the vitality and warmth of his temperament, were a magnet of attraction that filled the synagogue with adoring listeners every Sabbath."

Twenty-five years later, at the age of sixty-four, his younger colleague, Arnold Marksohn, began to assist him. The latter sang the popular "Lichtenstein melodies" on Sabbath. Their relationship must have been excellent, as they played violin duets together in their free time.

It is probably no longer possible to determine exactly when Abraham Lichtenstein met the composer Max Bruch. It is also uncertain when Bruch heard him perform the Kol Nidrei prayer. However, it was undoubtedly this acquaintance and experience that led to the creation of his famous piece for cello and piano – Kol Nidrei, Op. 47 for cello and piano, completed in 1880. Lichtenstein died on February 3rd of that year, reportedly "intoning with a powerful voice" the most sacred song of Judaism – the Shema Yisrael – just before his death.