SAMBURSKY, DANIEL

SAMBURSKY, DANIEL (1909–1977), composer. Born in Koenigsberg, brother of Samuel *Sambursky, he studied at the Danzig Conservatory and at the University of Berlin, went to Palestine in 1932, and settled in Tel Aviv. In Berlin he had written the music for Shaul (Sally) Levin's Zionist play Die einzige Loesung (1931), and in 1933 composed the songs for the Keren *Hayesod film The Promised Land. He worked as a music teacher in schools and at teachers' seminaries, and from 1935 to 1950 also led the weekly singing meetings (shirah be-ẓibbur) at the Histadrut's Brenner House, and in radio broadcasts. In 1947, together with M. Bronzaft (later Gorali), he edited the three-volume anthology Sefer Shirim u-Manginot, one of the standard collections of Israel songs, which went into several editions.

Many of Sambursky's own songs have entered the folk repertoire, such as: Ba'ah Menuhah la-Yage'a, Hakh Pattish, Be-Harim Kevar ha-Shemesh Melahetet (all to works by Nathan *Alterman), for the film The Promised Land; the latter taken over from Die einzige Loesung and given new words; Zemer ha-Peluggot (N. Alterman), for O. Wingate's Special Night Squads (1938); Ner Dakkik, children's Ḥanukkah song (Levin *Kipnis; 1935, Paneinu el ha-Shemesh ha-Olah (I. Shenhar), also taken over from Die einzige Loesung and given new words. Sisu ve-Simḥu be-Simḥat Ḥag, which appears in most collections as an anonymous folk melody, and in some as by "Galinka" (an erroneous transliteration from the Hebrew), is actually an adaptation by Sambursky of a polka by Glinka. Sambursky published a short autobiography in Taẓlil, 9 (1969), 180–2.

bibliography:

M. Shalita, Enẓiklopedyah le-Musikah, 1 (1959²), s.v.; Who is Who in acum (1965).

[Bathja Bayer]