Abraham Caceres

Abraham de Caceres or Casseres (fl. 1718-1740) was a Portuguese-Dutch Jewish composer of the late baroque period.

Caceres is primarily known as the composer-in-residence to the Amsterdam Sephardic community between 1720 and 1740.[1] He preceded and for a time worked alongside the Gentile Christian Joseph Lidarti who was commissioned to compose Esther in Hebrew.[2]

He set to music the poems of Moses Hayyim Luzzatto.[3][4]

Works and Editions

Some of his works are preserved in the Ets Haim Library.[5][6]

Discography

References

  1. J. C. H. Blom, R. G. Fuks-Mansfeld, Ivo Schöffer The history of the Jews in the Netherlands 2002 "In the first half of the eighteenth century Abraham Caceres stood out as the most important composer of the community"
  2. Alfred Sendrey The music of the Jews in the Diaspora (up to 1800) 1971 p483 "Singing and music were essential parts of this celebration, and with the years, the musical part of the feast assumed such ... The two regular composers-in-residence of the Amsterdam Sephardim were Abraham Caceres, who was Jewish, and Cristiano Giuseppe Lidarti, who was a Gentile"
  3. Alfred Sendrey The music of the Jews in the Diaspora (up to 1800) 1971 ".. Moses Hayyim Luzzatto, who lived in Amsterdam from 1736 to 1743, wrote the poems and Abraham Caceres the music. "
  4. Journal of synagogue music: 5 - 3 Cantors Assembly of America - 1974 "In the texts of poems composed for this occasion by the Amsterdam rabbis Isaac Aboab da Fonseca see note ... later set to music by Abraham Caceres, also appears in this important musical manuscript, on fol. l5b-l6a, and on fol."
  5. Peter Gradenwitz Literatur und Musik in geselligem Kreise 1991 - 284 "Die Etz-Chajim Bibliothek bewahrt eine Reihe von Kompositionen auf, die im Gottesdienst und bei Festen des jüdischen Jahres sowie bei familiären Feiern zur Aufführung gelangten, darunter Musik von Abraham Casseres (Caceres),"
  6. Ariel Toaff, Simon Schwarzfuchs, Elliott S. Horowitz The Mediterranean and the Jews: Society, culture, and economy in early modern times 2002 "Firstly, there are two melodies set to two piyyutim (liturgical poems) for the circumcision ceremony by Ricchi, notated at his request by the renowned Jewish composer from Amsterdam, Abraham Caceres, and published in .