Yossele Rosenblatt

Josef "Yossele" Rosenblatt (May 9, 1882, Bila Tserkva, Ukraine - June 19, 1933, Jerusalem) was a Ukraine-born chazzan (cantor) and composer.

He was known for his extraordinary technique (which he used primarily in cantillation), for the sweetness of his timbre, and for his unique ability to transition from normal voice to falsetto with hardly any noticeable break at all.

His technique in cantillation was unique. Notes were never hit so accurately at high speeds. Appogiaturas, similarly, were never struck so perfectly, both rhythmically and on pitch, by any other Cantor. His fame spread so far that Toscanini appealed to him to sing the leading role in Halevi's La Juive, but Rosenblatt replied that he would only use his vocal gift for the glory of God, in service to his religion.

External links

• Yossele Rosenblatt, Selected Recitatives (sheet music)
• David Olivestone: Standing Room Only. The Remarkable Career of Cantor Yossele Rosenblatt
• First Chazzanut Online article on "Yosef (Yossele) Rosenblatt"
• Second Chazzanut Online article on "Yosef (Yossele) Rosenblatt"
• "The Man with the $50,000 Beard: How a cantor became an American music legend"