Shir Hashirim — An Operetta by Rumshinsky and Shor

Sidney Krum Young Artists Concert Series Co-sponsored by Lowell Milken Center for Music of American Jewish Experience In Person: Admission: $15 YIVO members & students: $10 Zoom Livestream: Admission: Free Watch the video

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Join YIVO for a performance of the music of Shir Hashirim (The Song of Songs), a 1911 operetta by Joseph Rumshinsky and Anshel Shor. Premiered in NYC, Shir Hashirim was subsequently performed around the world. It was so popular that a 1935 film was made based on it, and, according to Rumshinsky, a young George Gershwin could play the whole score by heart. Shir Hashirim is a musical comedy which features several interlocking love triangles that include an aging composer along with his children and their lovers and friends. The work also touches on serious topics including love, mortality, and women's suffrage. Reconstructed from a variety of archival materials collected at YIVO, UCLA, and the Library of Congress, the operetta will be performed by students of the Bard Conservatory Vocal Arts Program.

The Sidney Krum Young Artists Concert Series is made possible by a generous gift from the Estate of Sidney Krum.

This program is supported, in part, by public funds from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs, in partnership with the City Council.