Alexander "Sasha" Argov
Birth nameAlexander Abramovich
Born(1914-10-26)26 October 1914
Moscow, Russian Empire
Died27 September 1995(1995-09-27) (aged 80)
Tel Aviv, Israel
Occupation(s)Composer

Alexander "Sasha" Argov (Hebrew: סשה ארגוב, born Alexander Abramovich; Moscow, 26 October 1914 – Tel Aviv, 27 September 1995[1]) was a prominent Israeli composer.[2][3][4][5][6][7]

Life and career

Memorial Plaque on the composer Alexander Argov house

Argov was born Alexander Abramovich in Moscow, Russia in 1914; later changing his last name to its Hebrew version, Argov, in 1946.[8] His father was a dentist and his mother a concert pianist.[8] He began studying the piano with his mother at the age of three, and at the age of six he began to compose music by ear which his mother transcribed into music notation for him.[8] He had no formal education in music outside of his lessons with his mother.[8]

He migrated to British Palestine from Russia in 1934 with his parents.[6][9] He never made a living with his music, working first as a bank clerk and later owning and operating a bookshop.[8]

Argov composed many popular songs, producing approximately 1,200 works.[8][9][10][11] Among them were "Hareut" and songs for the Israel Defense Forces, film, and theater.[10][12][13][14] In 1948 he published Ha’Chizbatron, a collection of his songs written for the entertainment of Israeli troupes.[8] He collaborated with Chaim Hefer and Matti Caspi, two of whose albums feature melodies written exclusively by Argov.[15] He also composed several film scores and musicals for the stage; of which the most successful was Shlomo hamelech ve’Shalmai hansandlar (‘King Solomon and the Cobbler’) which premiered in 1964.[8] In 1988, he was awarded the Israel Prize in Hebrew song.[10][15][16]

Dramatic works

  • Rak lo be’Shabat (film score, 1964)[8]
  • Shlomo hamelech ve’Shalmai hasandlar (musical, 1964)[8]
  • Harpatka bakirkas (children’s play with music, 1965)[8]
  • Androceles ve’ha’arie (children’s play with music, 1966)[8]
  • Ester hamalka (musical, 1966)[8]
  • Hu halach basadot (film score, 1967)[8]
  • Chagigat kaiz (musical, 1972)[8]
  • Doda Klara (film score, 1977)[8]

See also

References

  1. ↑ Mimi Tashiro (1996). "Obituary Index". Notes. 52 (4): 1119–1133. JSTOR 898376.
  2. ↑ Amy Horowitz (2010). Mediterranean Israeli Music and the Politics of the Aesthetic. Wayne State University Press. ISBN 978-0814334652. Retrieved July 27, 2011.
  3. ↑ Rebecca L. Torstrick (2004). Culture and customs of Israel. Bloomsbury Academic. ISBN 9780313320910. Retrieved July 27, 2011.
  4. ↑ David Biale (2006). Cultures of the Jews: Modern encounters. Knopf Doubleday Publishing. ISBN 9780307483492. Retrieved July 27, 2011.
  5. ↑ Motti Regev; Edwin Seroussi (2004). Popular music and national culture in Israel. University of California Press. ISBN 9780520236547. Retrieved July 27, 2011.
  6. 1 2 Simon Broughton; Mark Ellingham; Richard Trillo (1999). World music: the rough guide. Africa, Europe and the Middle East, Volume 1. Rough Guides. ISBN 9781858286358. Retrieved July 27, 2011.
  7. ↑ David Singer; Ruth R. Seldin (1997). American Jewish year book 1997. VNR AG. ISBN 9780874951110. Retrieved July 27, 2011.
  8. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 Talila Eliram (2001). "Argov, Sasha [Abramovich, Aleksander ]". Grove Music Online (8th ed.). Oxford University Press. doi:10.1093/gmo/9781561592630.article.52408. ISBN 978-1-56159-263-0.
  9. 1 2 "Alexander Argov dies at 81". The Jerusalem Post. September 28, 1995. Retrieved July 27, 2011.
  10. 1 2 3 Marsha Bryan Edelman (2003). Discovering Jewish music. Jewish Publication Society. ISBN 9780827610279. Retrieved July 27, 2011.
  11. ↑ Jane Peppler (2008). The Triangle Jewish Chorale Songbook. Lulu.com. ISBN 9780981811505. Retrieved July 27, 2011.
  12. ↑ Amy Kronish; Costel Safirman (2003). Israeli film: a reference guide. Bloomsbury Academic. ISBN 9780313321443. Retrieved July 27, 2011.
  13. ↑ Peter Cowie; Derek Elley (1977). World Filmography: 1967. Fairleigh Dickinson Univ Press. ISBN 9780498015656. Retrieved July 27, 2011.
  14. ↑ Oliver Leaman (2001). Companion encyclopedia of Middle Eastern and North African film. Taylor & Francis. ISBN 9780203426494. Retrieved July 27, 2011.
  15. 1 2 "Sacha Argov". Jewish Virtual Library. Retrieved July 27, 2011.
  16. ↑ "Israel Prize Official Site – Recipients in 1988 (in Hebrew)".
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