Philip Laskowsky ( Yiddish: פֿיליפּ לאַסקאָװסקי; c.1884–1960) was a Polish-born American composer, arranger, bandleader, comedian and actor of the Yiddish theatre. ^{[1] [2] [3]} He collaborated with a number of well-known figures of the American Yiddish theatre such as Boris Thomashefsky, Louis Gilrod, Isidore Lillian, Jacob Jacobs, and Rubin Doctor. ^[2] He is sometimes credited with having written the music for the well-known Yiddish song Oyfn veg shteyt a boym, although this is disputed. ^[4]

Biography

Early life

He was born Pinchas Laskowsky in Warsaw, Poland in the 1880s. ^{[1] [5] [6]} His exact year of birth is uncertain; the Leksikon fun yidishn teater gives it as July 17, 1889, but in immigration documents Laskowsky usually indicated July 17, 1884 or sometimes 1886. ^{[7] [8]} His father was a lumber merchant and follower of the Radzymin Hasids. ^[1] As a youth he was taught by Melameds and his father, and learned music from a Hazzan as well as from his brother, who was a music professor. ^{[2] [1]} His brother wanted to prepare him for the career of being a military bandleader. ^{[1] [3]}

Theatre career

However, rather than the military he was apprenticed in the opera company "Bustnai" in Warsaw. ^[3] He soon became the second choir conductor with them. ^{[1] [3]} He also befriended Yiddish Theatre actor named Strasfogel and started to act in small productions with him. ^[3] He then acted in traveling Yiddish theatre troupes in Poland and the Russian Empire until the outbreak of World War I. ^[1] When Germany occupied Warsaw a central theatre was organized and he played as a character actor in operettas there. ^{[1] [3]} He also began to compose music for operettas at around this time. ^{[1] [3]} He married his wife Sarah around the end of the war, and they had their daughter Chaia in July 1919. ^{[8] [5]}

He left Poland in 1921 and emigrated to the United States, sailing first to Halifax, Canada, then to Montreal and arrived in New York City in March. ^{[7] [9] [10] [1] [6] [8]} There he continued to act and compose short works for the Yiddish theatre, often for productions by Boris Tomashevsky. ^[3] He held a number of jobs in smaller Yiddish theatres during the 1920s, often following Tomashevsky to other cities, including in Los Angeles in 1925 and in Philadelphia in 1927. ^{[11] [3] [12]}

It was in 1929 that he got his first high-profile job writing full compositions, becoming the director, conductor and composer at the Prospect Theatre with Nathan Goldberg and Jacob Jacobs. ^{[3] [1]} That same year, on March 4 1929, Goldberg, Laskowsky and actor Lucy Finkel were involved in an automobile accident, leaving Finkel with a fractured skull and Laskowsky with a broken spine. ^{[13] [14] [15]} According to Pesach Burstein, Laskowsky spent several months recovering in bed from the injuries. ^[16]

In the 1930s Laskowsky continued to be very productive in the Yiddish theatre, not only composing but also arranging the compositions of other composers for performance. ^[9] In 1930 and 1931 he worked for the Hopkinson Theatre and also worked for a time in Winnipeg, Canada. ^{[1] [6]} In 1931 he returned to the United States to work at the Arch Street Theatre in Philadelphia. ^[1] He then returned to New York in 1932 and worked at the Liberty Theatre in Brooklyn. ^[1]

During and after World War II, as the Yiddish theatre waned in popularity, he collaborated regularly with Israel Rosenberg and Vera Rozanka. ^{[17] [18]} His only contribution to film music seems to have been a partial credit for Catskill Honeymoon, a low-budget 1950 film directed by Josef Berne. ^{[19] [20]}

He died in New York on June 13, 1960. ^[9] He was buried at Mount Hebron Cemetery in the Yiddish Theatrical Alliance section. ^[21]

Selected list of plays and operettas he wrote music for

• Der griner melamed
• Di griner kuzine (1922, written by Boris Thomashefsky) ^[22]
• Di khasene in Rumenien (1924) ^[23]
• Di bar mitzvah (1927, written by Boris Thomashefsky) ^{[12] [3]}
• Khad gadya (1927, written by Boris Thomashefsky) ^[12]
• In rabins hoyf by Nestor
• Der konig fun gamblers (1928, written by Meir Schwartz)
• Dayn mames gelibter (1928, by H. Kalmanovitsh) ^[24]
• Avrahamale melamed ^[3]
• Farlangt a khosn (by Samuel H. Kohn) ^[3]
• Di kenigin fun meyn harts (1929, written by William Siegel and lyrics by Louis Gilrod) ^{[25] [26]}
• Der kleiner bondit (1933, written by Samuel Steinberg) ^[27]
• Der kleyne rebele (1935, written by Anshel Schorr) ^[28]
• Farblondzhete mener (1951, written by Israel Rosenberg) ^[18]
• Gezang fun libe (Song of Love, 1951, written by Israel Rosenberg) ^[18]
• Hintern farlang fun lebn (1951, written by Israel Rosenberg) ^[18]
• Yosef mit zayne brider (1955, written by Israel Rosenberg) ^[18]

References

External links

• Philip Laskowski entry at the Museum of Family History website