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Lovy, Israel

The 1901 Jewish Encyclopedia

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French cantor and synagogal composer; born near Danzig Sept., 1773; died in Paris Jan. 7, 1832. He received a Talmudic and secular education at Glogau, where his father was ḥazzan. Lovy traveled extensively, visiting the greatest cantors of the time, and studying the works of the greatest masters, especially those of Haydn and Mozart. In 1799 he settled at Fürth, where he became accomplished in violin, violoncello, and piano, and proficient in French and Italian. After having served for short terms congregations in Mayence, Strasburg, and London, he was called in 1818 to Paris, where he officiated as cantor until his death. Lovy was gifted with a voice of unusual strength, compass, and sweetness, and the greatest masters of vocal music at Paris attended the Jewish services to hear him sing. He received attractive offers from the stage, but the Jewish Consistory of Paris elected him for life and thus induced him to remain as cantor. In March, 1822, his congregation dedicated a new temple and introduced an organ and boys' chorus. Lovy wrote all the music for the organ and the new choir, and it was mainly the beauty of his compositions that silenced the opposition of the Orthodox element of the community, which at first protested against the innovation.