SHMUEL (SAMUEL) ALMAN (August 9, 1877-1947)
Born in Sobolivke, Ukraine, into a Hassidic family. He studied in religious schools, and early on
became a choirist to the shtetl cantor.
In 1895 he set out from Odessa.
He studied in the conservatory there.
After his military service, in 1902 he studied in the conservatory in
Kishinev. He studied in Warsaw for a short
time in 1903, and from there he made his way to London. In 1912 he composed the first Yiddish opera, Der
meylekh akhaz (King Akhaz) with a libretto adapted from A. Mapu’s novel, Ashmat
shomron (Gult of Samaria). The opera
was staged by “Dos naye yidishe teater” (The new Yiddish theater) in London in March
1912. He also translated the following
operas into Yiddish: Rigoletto, Cavalleria rusticana, Faust, and The Barber of Seville, which were
performed in various Yiddish theaters.
He published a series of articles (1933-1938) in Shul- un khazonim
velt (Synagogue and cantors’ world) in Warsaw concerning Jewish music. His Shire bet hakneset (Song of the
assembly) was published by Yuval publishers (Tel Aviv-Berlin, 1925). Alman also composed a number of compositions
to accompany poems by Jewish writers.
For many years he served a choir director at the Great Synagogue (Duke’s
Place) in London.
Sources: Z. Zilbertsvayg, Teater-leksikon, vol. 1;
Moris Mayer, Yidish teater in London, 1902-1942 (London, 1943)
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