Al Ekhali’

On this record, Daniele Bedarida sings melodies typical of the Leghorn Lithurgical tradition. As we know, the Synagogal chant was, as a rule, handed down orally and in this way he learnt these melodies from the live voice of his Grandfather, the Rabbi Alfredo S. Toaff and from the choristers who sang in the Leghorn Temple. 

A hundred years ago, Federico Consolo fearing perhaps that such a heritage would be lost with the passing of time, did rmportant work for the preservation and the knowledge of the saphardic Leghorn tradition of the Synagogal Melodies in a score which is now invaluable. He did this when the lithurgical chant had reached its utmost splendour: a great choir accompamed by a monumental organ sang the traditional melodies dating back to the XVI Century. They also sang more modern works by Maestri such as Garzia, Bolaffio and Ventura, with a clearly romantic modulation. These composers enriched the already great musical heritage of the Leghorn Temple with their versatility. Therefore we must give credit to Federico Consolo for preserving a melodic set of great interest for the generations to come. 

Paola Bedarida
President of Jewish Community
Livorno