HAST, MARCUS:
London cantor and composer; born at Warsaw in 1840. In 1864 he went to Germany to study music, and on his arrival at Breslau was appointed cantor at the chief Orthodox synagogue. While at Breslau he gave instruction to many cantors since conspicuous for their merit, among them Rosenthal (Berlin), Birnbaum. (Königsberg), Grützhändler (Warsaw), Goldberg, and Ziegelroth. In 1871 he was chosen to succeed Simon Ascher as chief cantor of the Great Synagogue, London.
Hast has since published a large number of transcriptions of Hebrew melodies as well as many original compositions, achieving marked success with his numerous synagogal "pièces d'occasion," most of them for chorus and orchestra. Among his published works are: "The Divine Service" (1873); "Bostanai," a dramatic sacred cantata (1876); "Azariah," an oratorio, produced at Glasgow (1883); "The Death of Moses," performed at Queen's Hall, London (1897); "The Fall of Jerusalem" (1901); the Seventy-second Psalm; "Victoria," a cantata.
- Magazine of Music, Oct., 1888;
- Jew. Chron. June 11, 1897.
