Josef Gusikov facts for kids
Michal Josef Gusikov (born Yehiel-Michiel) was a talented musician. He was born on September 2, 1806, and passed away on October 21, 1837. Gusikov was a Jewish klezmer from Belarus. Klezmers are traditional musicians who play music for celebrations. He was famous for introducing klezmer music to audiences in Western Europe. He played a special instrument he called a 'wood and straw instrument'.
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Gusikov's Special Instrument
Michal Josef Gusikov came from a family of klezmer musicians. He was born in Shklov, which is now in Belarus. Like his father, he first learned to play the flute. However, he had weak lungs. This meant he had to find a different instrument to play.
In 1831, Gusikov created his own unique instrument. He called it a 'wood and straw instrument'. It was like a xylophone, but it looked a bit like a cimbalom. The instrument had wooden bars placed on a special soundboard. This soundboard was made from rolls of straw. The straw helped the instrument make a loud and clear sound.
Some people wonder if Gusikov invented this instrument himself. Others think his friend Samson Jakubowski might have invented it. No matter who invented it, Gusikov became incredibly skilled at playing it. In 1834, he started giving concerts. He played in cities like Moscow, Kiev, and Odessa.
Touring Europe
In Odessa, a famous Polish violinist named Karol Lipinski heard Gusikov play. Lipinski was very impressed. With Lipinski's help, Gusikov began a concert tour across Western Europe in 1835. The poet Lamartine also supported him.
During his concerts, Gusikov often wore traditional Jewish clothing called a gabardine. His relatives usually played along with him on bass and violins. These concerts were a huge success! In Paris, he became so popular that a haircut was even named after him. It copied his long sideburns, called payot.
Gusikov would play his own musical ideas. He also performed traditional Jewish and klezmer songs. Sometimes, he played popular opera tunes of the time. He performed in many other cities, including Prague, Frankfurt, and Vienna.
What Musicians Thought of His Music
Many professional musicians were very impressed by Gusikov. Ferdinand Hiller even wrote a letter recommending him to the famous composer Giacomo Meyerbeer.
Another famous composer, Felix Mendelssohn, wrote about Gusikov in 1836. He said, "He is quite amazing! He is as good as any musician in the world. He plays with great skill and feeling. His wood and straw instrument delights me more than many pianos."
However, not everyone agreed. The famous composer Franz Liszt had a different opinion. He called Gusikov a 'Paganini of the Boulevards'. Liszt thought Gusikov's talent was wasted on music. He joked that Gusikov's genius would have been better used to invent a farming tool!
Despite some different opinions, Gusikov gained the friendship of music expert François-Joseph Fétis. Fétis wrote a long article about Gusikov in his music dictionary. This article was based on their talks in Brussels.
His Final Days
Gusikov became very tired from his long concert tour. He sadly passed away from tuberculosis in Aachen. In his last days, he was upset because his special instrument was reportedly stolen from where he was staying.
Only one piece of music written by Gusikov still exists today. It is a version of the Jewish hymn Shir Hama’alot, which is Psalm 126.
