Henryk Gold
Encyclopedia
Henryk Gold was a Polish Jewish composer
, arranger, and orchestra director
born in Warsaw
to a musical family (his mother Helena was of the famous Warsaw klezmer
Melodysta family, his father Michael a flautist
in the Warsaw Opera Orchestra). He was the brother of Artur Gold
.
When silent movie
s in Poland lost popularity following the arrival of Al Jolson
's The Jazz Singer
, (known in Yiddish
as The Singing Buffoon), thousands of Polish musicians who'd played in the movie theaters lost their livelihood; they began to create large and small orchestras playing dance music
and jazz
. Artur
and Henryk Gold, the brothers Jerzy
and Stanislaw Petersburski, Zygmunt Karasinski and Szymon Kataszek
, Kazimierz Englard, Julian Halicki were the pioneers; Henryk Gold was chief among them, giving concerts at the famous Ziemiańska Cafe on Kredytowa Street and the revue theater “Morskie-Oko” on Sienkiewicz Street. He ran the nightclub “Adria
” with his brother on Moniuszki Street.
Gold wrote hundreds of tango
s, polka
s, foxtrots, and waltz
es, interpolating Jewish motifs. His hits included Tęsknota (Nostalgia, in Yiddish Benkshaft); Jaśminy (Jasmine); Jak ja się dziś upiję (When I Get Drunk Today, in Yiddish Az 'Khvel Mikh Haynt Onshikirn); Moja pierswsza i ostatnia (My First and Last, Yiddish Mayn Ershte Un Letste); Szkoda twoich łez (Too bad about your tears, Yiddish A Shod Dayne Trern), and others.
During the Second World War
, he and fellow composer Jerzy Petersburski toured the Soviet Union
with a large jazz orchestra. In 1942 he left the Soviet Union with the Polish Anders Army
, went to Israel
, where he wrote songs "Arcenu ha-ktantonet", "Ruakh", "Shalom" and lastly emigrated to New York
.
Composer
A composer is a person who creates music, either by musical notation or oral tradition, for interpretation and performance, or through direct manipulation of sonic material through electronic media...
, arranger, and orchestra director
Music director
A music director may be the director of an orchestra, the director of music for a film, the director of music at a radio station, the head of the music department in a school, the co-ordinator of the musical ensembles in a university or college , the head bandmaster of a military band, the head...
born in Warsaw
Warsaw
Warsaw is the capital and largest city of Poland. It is located on the Vistula River, roughly from the Baltic Sea and from the Carpathian Mountains. Its population in 2010 was estimated at 1,716,855 residents with a greater metropolitan area of 2,631,902 residents, making Warsaw the 10th most...
to a musical family (his mother Helena was of the famous Warsaw klezmer
Klezmer
Klezmer is a musical tradition of the Ashkenazic Jews of Eastern Europe. Played by professional musicians called klezmorim, the genre originally consisted largely of dance tunes and instrumental display pieces for weddings and other celebrations...
Melodysta family, his father Michael a flautist
Flautist
A flautist or flutist is a musician who plays an instrument in the flute family. See List of flautists.The choice of "flautist" versus "flutist" is the source of dispute among players of the instrument...
in the Warsaw Opera Orchestra). He was the brother of Artur Gold
Artur Gold
Artur Gold was a Polish Jewish violinist and dance-music composer. He was the second son of Michał Gold, a musician in the Warsaw Opera; when Michał died an uncle took him to England, where he received his musical education. He later returned to Warsaw and played there in various nightclubs...
.
When silent movie
Silent Movie
Silent Movie is a 1976 satirical comedy film co-written, directed by, and starring Mel Brooks, and released by 20th Century Fox on June 17, 1976...
s in Poland lost popularity following the arrival of Al Jolson
Al Jolson
Al Jolson was an American singer, comedian and actor. In his heyday, he was dubbed "The World's Greatest Entertainer"....
's The Jazz Singer
The Jazz Singer
The Jazz Singer may refer to:* The Jazz Singer , a 1925 Broadway play* The Jazz Singer , a film version of the play, and the first feature-length motion picture with talking sequences...
, (known in Yiddish
Yiddish language
Yiddish is a High German language of Ashkenazi Jewish origin, spoken throughout the world. It developed as a fusion of German dialects with Hebrew, Aramaic, Slavic languages and traces of Romance languages...
as The Singing Buffoon), thousands of Polish musicians who'd played in the movie theaters lost their livelihood; they began to create large and small orchestras playing dance music
Dance music
Dance music is music composed specifically to facilitate or accompany dancing. It can be either a whole musical piece or part of a larger musical arrangement...
and jazz
Jazz
Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
. Artur
Artur Gold
Artur Gold was a Polish Jewish violinist and dance-music composer. He was the second son of Michał Gold, a musician in the Warsaw Opera; when Michał died an uncle took him to England, where he received his musical education. He later returned to Warsaw and played there in various nightclubs...
and Henryk Gold, the brothers Jerzy
Jerzy Petersburski
Jerzy Petersburski was a Polish pianist and composer of popular music, renowned mostly for his Tangos, some of which were milestones in popularization of the musical genre in Poland and are still widely known today, more than half a century after their creation.Jerzy Petersburski was born April...
and Stanislaw Petersburski, Zygmunt Karasinski and Szymon Kataszek
Szymon Kataszek
Szymon Kataszek , Polish Jewish composer, bandleader, pianist, a pioneer of Polish jazz. Born in Warsaw 1898; studied piano at the Warsaw Music Institute and Rome's St. Cecilia Academy. He returned to Poland and first worked as an organist in St...
, Kazimierz Englard, Julian Halicki were the pioneers; Henryk Gold was chief among them, giving concerts at the famous Ziemiańska Cafe on Kredytowa Street and the revue theater “Morskie-Oko” on Sienkiewicz Street. He ran the nightclub “Adria
Adria
Adria is a town and comune in the province of Rovigo in the Veneto region of Northern Italy, situated between the mouths of the rivers Adige and Po....
” with his brother on Moniuszki Street.
Gold wrote hundreds of tango
Tango (dance)
Tango dance originated in the area of the Rio de la Plata , and spread to the rest of the world soon after....
s, polka
Polka
The polka is a Central European dance and also a genre of dance music familiar throughout Europe and the Americas. It originated in the middle of the 19th century in Bohemia...
s, foxtrots, and waltz
Waltz
The waltz is a ballroom and folk dance in time, performed primarily in closed position.- History :There are several references to a sliding or gliding dance,- a waltz, from the 16th century including the representations of the printer H.S. Beheim...
es, interpolating Jewish motifs. His hits included Tęsknota (Nostalgia, in Yiddish Benkshaft); Jaśminy (Jasmine); Jak ja się dziś upiję (When I Get Drunk Today, in Yiddish Az 'Khvel Mikh Haynt Onshikirn); Moja pierswsza i ostatnia (My First and Last, Yiddish Mayn Ershte Un Letste); Szkoda twoich łez (Too bad about your tears, Yiddish A Shod Dayne Trern), and others.
During the Second World War
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, he and fellow composer Jerzy Petersburski toured the Soviet Union
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
with a large jazz orchestra. In 1942 he left the Soviet Union with the Polish Anders Army
Anders Army
The Anders Army was the informal yet common name of the Polish Armed Forces in the East in the period 1941-1942, in recognition of its commander Władysław Anders...
, went to Israel
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
, where he wrote songs "Arcenu ha-ktantonet", "Ruakh", "Shalom" and lastly emigrated to New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
.