Edel, Yitzhak

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Edel, Yitzhak

Edel, Yitzhak, Polish-born Israeli composer, choral conductor, and teacher; b. Warsaw, Jan. 1, 1896; d. Tel Aviv, Dec. 14, 1973. He learned to play the violin as a youth, and later pursued training in theory and composition with Rytel and Statkowsky at the Warsaw Cons, (graduated, 1928). Emigrating to Palestine in 1929, he taught and was choir director at the Lewinsky Teacher’s Seminary until 1965. His output was profoundly influenced by Jewish folk and liturgical music. Among his works were the orch. pieces Capriccio (1948), Israeli Dance (1950), and Sinfonietta rusticana (1969), chamber music, piano pieces, and various choral works, including the folk cantata Lamitnadvim ba’am (To the People’s Volunteers) for Tenor, Chorus, and Orch. (1957), songs, and folk song arrangements.

—Nicolas Slonimsky/Laura Kuhn/Dennis McIntire