Karl Neumann (also known as Carlo Novelli) was born in Volhynia, Ukraine in 1891, and had a career as a cantor and as a lyric tenor on stage and in the opera.
He sang with famous cantors, including Nissi Belzer, as a child, and later studied singing in Vienna as a young tenor from 1906-1909. He became the Oberkantor [chief cantor] in the Josefstadter Temple in Vienna at age 22. The famous opera director Felix Weingartner invited him to sing in the Vienna opera, where he performed with great success. He later sang at the Prague opera. After a concert tour of the United States in1928-1929, he returned to Europe and was appointed Oberkantor at the Friedenstempel in Berlin.
He moved to America in 1939, became the cantor at the “Haye Adam” [Chai Odom] synagogue in Boston, and taught at the New England Conservatory of Music.
According to Cantor Noah Schall, these manuscripts are mainly pieces Cantor Neumann collected for use by students, with occasional original compositions by Cantor Neumann.
Sources:
- 50 יאריגער יובל זשורנאל ארויסגעגעבען פון אגודת החזנים דארצות הברית וקנדה לכבוד דעם גאלדענעם יובילעאום פון דעם חזנים פארבאנד , ניו יארק,תש""ח, חזן יוסף פאיער, רעדאקטאר = 50th Anniversary Journal: Jewish ministers cantors' Association of America, on the occasion of its 50th jubilee / Jewish ministers cantors' Association of America, New York, ©1947, ©1948, unpaged.
- Vorbei-- [sound recording] = Beyond recall. Hambergen : Bear Family Records, 2001, p. 218-219.