Andor Izsák
Louis Lewandowski is considered a pioneer of modern Jewish liturgical music, whose compositions combined Western musical traditions with the synagogue chants of his people. The influence of Mendelssohn on Lewandowski's style was particularly striking and is reflected in his works. With the publication of the "Eighteen Liturgical Psalms" by Deutsche Grammophon in 1879, Lewandowski set a new standard; this collection was recorded for the first time by the Hungarian Radio Choir under the direction of Andor Izsák. At the time these works were composed, it was almost revolutionary to compose music for soloists, choir, and organ, as this represented a break with the previous practice that excluded mixed choirs and organ accompaniment in synagogues. A special feature of this edition was also the presentation of the Hebrew psalms in German. The historic recording was made in the venerable Studio 6 of Hungarian Radio in Budapest, which has existed since 1935, and Andor Izsák played a key role in the rediscovery and interpretation of the score, which had been thought to be lost. ]