Zygmunt Białostocki (August 15, 1897-c. 1942)[1] was a Polish Jewish musician, born in Białystok, died in Warsaw, Poland. He was a Jewish composer of many popular songs, a conductor, and a première pianist in Warsaw between the World Wars.
Between 1925-1930 he was music director and conductor of the Municipal Theatre in Lodz. Later he moved to Warsaw, where he worked in “revi-teater,” also known as kleynkunst, cabarets including Perskie Oko, Morskie Oko, Nowy Momus, and Nowy Ananas.[1]
He worked with the lyricist Zenon Frivald-Vardan (Zenon Friedwald). His song M’ken nisht tsvingen tsu keyn libe was popularized by the film actor and singer Eugeniusz Bodo in the Polish version called Nie można kogoś zmuszać do miłości. His tango Rebeka, built on Chasidic motifs and sung by Chasidic Jews[2] as zmiros was popular in nightclubs, coffee houses and restaurants across Warsaw between the wars. The words are by Andrzej Włast; the song was first recorded by Zofia Terne (1932) and premiered at the Morskie Oko cabaret by Dora Kalinówna.[1]
In 1932 he was music director and composer for the movie Biała trucizna (White Venom)[3][4] In 1933 he was accompanist at the Nowym Momusie and Oasis and Prague's Perskie Oko cabarets and the theater Nowy Ananas. His musical comedy (written with Józef Haftman) called Miłość i złoto (Love and gold) opened in December 1933 at the Theater 8:30.[5]
His other shlagers (hits) included: Choć goło lecz wesoło (lyrics Alexander Jellin), the tango Jesienne marzenia, Katiusza, Nasze kawalerskie and Noc jesienna (lyrics Zbigniew Drabik Argus, 1936), Na dnie serca, Nie można zmuszać do miłości, Pieśń o matce (Song of the mother) (words by Tadeusz Zeromski and Jerzy Wrzos, sung by Stefan Witas, 1933), the tango Andrusowskie, Pomalutku, po cichutku (lyrics Andrzej Włast), Szczęście trzeba rwać jak, świeże wiśnie and Zoboth with lyrics by W. Jastrzębiec), and the foxtrot Andriusza.[6]
His wife Sofia was also a composer. Białostocki was murdered during the liquidation of the Warsaw ghetto.[6]