Samuel Barber

Samuel Barber was born Shmuel Berber in 1881 in Lask, near Lodz, Poland. His father was a musician. He went to a cheder in Poland but in 1892 he travelled with his father to America, spent two years there, and during that span of time learned in school. He returned in 1894 to Lodz where he began to become acquainted with Yiddish and Russian literature, and he became a professional musician. Berber then came to London where he would be known as Samuel Barber. In 1911 in London's Pavilion Theatre his drama "Der Moderner Shylok" was staged (later staged by Vaksman in Lodz under the name of "Der Poylisher Yid"). In 1912 Fannie Blumental performed his four-act drama "Der Sud Fun a Froy" in the Pavilion Theatre and in 1913 Joseph Kessler staged the melodrama "Di Frukht Fun Zind" at the London Empire. At the same time, Jacob Silbert and Esther Wallerstein staged the drama "Di Nekama Fun a Froy" (later performed by Amelia Adler and Meerson in Lodz's Grand Theatre). Other works included "Di Kraft Fun Yeytser Hore" ("The Might of the Evil Inclination"), and "Milkhome-Karbones" ("Victims of War").