Motty Parnes z”l, who composed the extremely popular niggun to “Ani Maamin” has passed away. Motty, who was in his mid-60s, had been suffering from a degenerative disease.
Click here for a link to the version of the song it appeared in a record by Pirchei Agudas Yisrael from 1969.
Motty was one of the first composers and instrumentalists in the traditional chassidic musical revolution in the 60s. He played in the first orchestra made up of yeshiva students, Negina Orchestra, and composed the music to Ani Maamin and Pischu Li Shaarei Tzedek, among other tunes, which virtually all frum people know.
{Noam Amdurski-Matzav.com Newscenter}
I could not open the link but I know which Ani Maamin it ios. They just dont make those type of songs anymore today. Its unfortunate that todays compositions are nothing but nonsense.
BDE. We should share no more tzaar
Yes, you are very right
Although I am deeply saddened by the death of our old friend, Motty, whom my husband Itzy Weisberg recently visited in New York, your facts are erroneous, although Mutty played guitar to accompany my husband, the nigun AniMaamin was composed solely by Itzy. Had it not been for Motty however, the nigun may have been lost since my husband composed it on Shabbos in Telshe Chicago and may have forgotten it had Mutty not played it on the guitar Motzei Shabbos. Baruch Dayan Emes to a wonderful musician. This song has inspired thousands of Jews around the world, certainly in part to Motty’s amazing musical ability. May it serve as an aliyas neshoma for him.
his neshama should have an aliya
Shocking. I was always under the impression that this was the tune the Yidden used when singing Ani Maamin in the camps.
What a Zchus for this person to compose a Niggun that has inspired so many thousands of people
BDE. I remember him from the days in Telz Chicago. A very talented individual. Y’he Zichro Boruch.
For some reason in the back of the record it says: “Composed by motty Parnes and Itzy Weissberg”.
#4 You got it all wrong. The famous Ani Maamin, that has been sung for years by so many, was created by R’ Fastag z”l (don’t reccall his 1st name), a Modzitzer chosid, on a cattle car on the way to one of the death camps. One of the people who survived and taught the niggun to the Modzitzer Rebbe z”l, who was then in America.
This niggun was created many years later and sung on the Pirchaei records.
This Ani Ma’Amim is one of the classics of jewish music.However great credit is due to Rabbi Ely Teitelbaum zt”l a personnal friend of mine, with whom I had the pleasure of directing the Pirchei records. Ely hired Mr. Stanley Sperber a brilliant composer from the Julliard School of Music, to create harmony that would enhance the songs on the Ani Ma’Amim album. Mr. Sperber created a triple harmony for this touching song which made it sound magnificiant. Yossi Sonneblick was one of the solos heard.
to no 4
this was not the animmamin niggun that was sung in the camps
#4: This is a different tune than the one sung in the camps.
#4 anonymous – it was a different ani maamin tune that was song in the camps.
Baruch Dayan Haemes.
BDE- (When I read the headline I thought it was about Itzy weisberg- may he live and be well).
bde. motty was a GREAT jew.
as to the earlier post(#5 by capman) “A very talented individual” this is true, but a jew is NOT praised &/or merited for his inborn talents. its ONLY about what YOU do with these gifts!!(eg. see comment 2 as motty helped perpetuate the song)
yihie zicro baruch!
to#4. its a different niggun also beautiful but not the same
I also heard this was an old tune from the camps.
#4, that is a different ani maamin. MBD sings that ani maamin on his once upon a niggun cd. Also that ani maamin was sung at the siyum hashas
To #3, that was a different niggun. It starts with A-ni Maa-min, A-ni Maa-min, A-ni-i Ma-a-a-miin….
The best-known Ani Maamin tune was composed by a Modzitzer Chossid, Reb Azriel David Fastag, during the Holocaust:
http://modzitz.org/story001.htm
Thank you to all of those who posted a reply to set me straight. Both Ani Maamin’s bring you to tears and are beautiful. Now at least I know the truth and can tell my children the correct Nigun used. I appreciate all of you who took the time out to respond. Thank you.
Any relation to Shabsy Parnes who was one of the first to play the keyboard, solo, at Simcha’s?
Where are the daughters sitting shiva
To #22 The daughters are sitting shiva in Lakewood
149 Cannonball dr in Lakewood
To R. Weisberg. The song was joint effort, composed by both Mutty and your husband. I got this from a reliable source who was there when they both composed it. It was almost 50 years ago, when they were both in Telz. Time has a way of making people forget important details.
BDE is so right. Today’s compositions are so without taam , so much alike, so much drivel.The musical bar as been lowered and the mob , for some reason, gobbles it up. Very little musical thought has gone into these new songs…. Unfortunately, as a musician I have to play these ridiculous melodies.
To comment 3 and 25. I was sitting with Motty and Yitzie in the Telz Chicago dorm. Yitzie composed the niggun. Motty played it later on his guitar. Mrs Weisberg is right.
C. Steinberg: Do you know a way I could reach Reb Itzy, please? I want to personally thank him for this nigun and what it means to me!