Max Spicker

Max Spicker (August 16, 1858 – October 15, 1912) was a German American organist, conductor and composer.

Biography Spicker was born in Königsberg, Prussia. He studied piano with Louis Köhler for five years, and then attended Leipzig Conservatory from 1877-1879. after which he was a teacher of harmony and counterpoint at the National Conservatory in New York. He also served for 12 years as choir director of Temple Emmanuel on Fifth Avenue.

He was a member of the New York Musician's Club and an honorary member of the Society of American Cantors.

He died October 15, 1912, in New York City, survived by a wife and son. The Victor Catalog also includes an arrangement of Mattei's Non é ver in English for tenor and orchestra, recorded by tenor Lambert Murphy in 1912, and Die Heimat for vocal quartet, recorded by "The Manhattan Quartet" in 1911.

He also did Jewish liturgical music. Strimple named him as one of "the most prominent Jewish liturgical musicians at the beginning of the century". In 1901 Spicker and William Sparger jointly published a Sabbath evening and morning service. It included works by non-Jewish composers, such as a setting of "S'u Sheorim" based on a melody in Gounod's Faust. Evening and Morning (voice and piano or organ, text by Rev. I. G. Smith), op. 56, 1905 Zwei Männerchöre, op. 40, published by H. Flammer, 1926 unknown Es blickt so still der Mond mich an Misc. other choral compositions Many other songs

Editions Published by G. Schirmer unless noted Aus aller Herren Länder (a collection of folk songs arranged for male choir) Anthology of Modern French Song, 1939 Anthology of Sacred Song, 4 volumes Bach, Christmas Oratorio, vocal score, 1939 Balfe, The Bohemian Girl (opera in 3 acts), vocal score, 1902 The Cecilia collection of part-songs for two women's voices, 1898 Fifty-two Sacred Songs, You Like to Sing, 1939 Handel, The Messiah (oratorio) Obbligato Songs (songs with violin or 'cello and piano), 1905 Operatic Anthology, 5 volumes The Seminary series: a collection of two and three part songs for women's voices with piano accompaniment, 1890 Seventy glees and part songs for male voices, 1884–96 Songs of Germany (81 folksongs and popular songs), 1904 Synagogical Service, 2 volumes, with W. Sparger, 1901

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