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What is Jewish music?
Jewish music can be studied from many diverse perspectives. Among them, the historical, liturgical and non-liturgical music of the Hebrews dating from pre-biblical times (Pharaonic Egypt); religious music at the first and second temples of Solomon; musical activities immediately after the Exodus; the apparently impoverished religious musical activities at the beginning of the Middle Ages; the emergence of the concept of Jewish music in the mid-19th century; its nation-oriented meaning, as indicated by the historical book Jewish music in its historical development (1929) by AZ Idelsohn (1882-1938) and finally as the art and popular music of Israel.
The first emergence of Jewish musical themes and what can be called the “idea of being Jewish” in European music can be seen for the first time in the works of Salamone Rossi (1570-1630). As a result, they appear somewhat shaded in the works of the grandson of the well-known Jewish philosopher Moses Mendelssohn (1729-1786): Felix Mendelssohn (1809-1847).
Opera by Fromental Halevy (1799-1862) The Jewess and his occasional use of certain Jewish themes contrasts with the lack of “anything Jewish” in his almost contemporary colleague Jacques Offenbach (1819-1880) who was in fact Jewish and grew up in pure Jewish tradition.
It is interesting to note that the Society for Jewish Music of St. Petersburg led by composer-critic Joel Engel (1868-1927) recounts how they discovered their Jewish roots. They were inspired by the nationalist movement in Russian music personified by Rimsky-Korsakov, Cesar Cui and others, and record how they got down to the Shtetls and meticulously recorded and transcribed thousands of Yiddish folk songs.
Ernst Bloch (1880-1959) Schelomo for cello and orchestra and especially the Sacred service for orchestra, choir and soloists are attempts to create a “Jewish Requiem”.
The Sephardic education of Mario Castelnuovo-Tedesco (1895-1968) and their influences on his music as they appear in his Second Violin Concerto and in many of his songs and choral works; cantatas Naomi and Ruth, Queen of shiba and in the oratorio The Book of Jonah among others are also worth noting.
Many scholars have not missed the synagogue motifs and melodies borrowed by George Gershwin in his Porgy and Bess. Gershwin’s biographer Edward Jablonski claimed that the melody “This is not necessarily the case“was taken from the blessing of the Haftarah and others attributed it to the blessing of the Torah.
In Gershwin’s 800 or so songs, allusions to Jewish music were also detected by other observers. A musicologist has detected “a strange resemblance” between the folk tune “Havenu Shalom Aleichem“and the spiritual”It takes a lot of effort to get there“.
The most famous contemporary Israeli composers are Chaya Czernowin, Betty Olivera, Tsippi Fleisher, Mark Kopytman, Yitzhak Yedid.
There are also very important works by non-Jewish composers in Jewish music. Maurice Ravel with his Kaddish for violin and piano based on a traditional liturgical melody and the famous Max Bruch arrangement of the Yom Kippur prayer Kol Nidrei for cello and orchestra are among the best known.
Sergei Prokofieff Opening on Jewish Themes for string quartet, piano and clarinet clearly displays its sources of inspiration in non-religious Jewish music. The melodic, modal and rhythmic materials and the use of the clarinet as a leading melodic instrument is a sound very typical of folk and non-religious Jewish music.
Dmitry Shostakovich was also deeply influenced by Jewish music. This can be seen in several of his compositions, most notably in the song cycle Popular Jewish poetry, and in the Second trio with piano. However, his most remarkable contribution to Jewish culture is undoubtedly the 13th. Symphony “Babi Yar“.
How much Jewish music?
The worldwide dispersal of the Jews after the Exodus and its three main communities creates the basic kayout of world Jewish music. These communities in their geographical dispersion spanning all continents and their unique relationships with local communities have given rise to various genres of music as well as languages and customs.
After the exile, according to geographic locations, the Jews formed three main branches: Ashkenazi, Sephardi and Mizrahi.
Basically, they are located as follows: Ashkenazi in Eastern and Western Europe, the Balkans, (to a lesser extent) Turkey and Greece; Sephardi in Spain, Morocco, North Africa and later in the Ottoman Empire (Turkey); Mizrahi in Lebanon, Syria, East Asia, Iraq, Yemen, Egypt.
The music of these communities naturally came into contact with local traditions and evolved accordingly.
Ashkenazi and the Klezmer
“Ashkenazi” refers to the Jews who in the 9th century began to settle on the banks of the Rhine.
Today, the term “Ashkenazi” refers to most European and Western Jews.
Besides Hebrew, Yiddish is commonly used in speeches and songs.
Traditional Ashkenazi music, originating in Eastern Europe, moved in all directions from there and created the main branch of Jewish music in North America. It includes the famous Klezmer music. Klezmer means “instruments of song”, from the Hebrew word klei zemer. The word comes to designate the musician himself and it is in a way analogous to the European troubadour.
Klezmer is a very popular genre found in Hasidic and Ashkenazi Judaism, however it is deeply linked to the Ashkenazi tradition.
Around the 15th century, a tradition of secular Jewish music was developed by musicians called kleyzmorim or kleyzmerim. They draw on traditions of devotion dating back to Biblical times, and their klezmer musical heritage continues to evolve today. The repertoire is largely dance songs for weddings and other celebrations. Due to the Ashkenazi lineage of this music, the lyrics, terminology and song titles are usually in Yiddish.
Originally naming the musicians themselves in the mid-twentieth century, the word began to identify a musical genre, it is also sometimes referred to as ‘Yiddish’ music.
Sephardic
“Sephardi” literally means Spanish, and refers to Jews mainly from Spain but also from North Africa, Greece and Egypt.
Following the expulsion of all non-Christians, forced to convert to Christianity or exile in 1492, the very rich, cultivated and fruitful Jewish culture existing in Spain migrated en masse into the Ottoman Empire formed the main brach Jews currently living in Turkey. .
Their language in addition to Hebrew is called Ladino. Ladino is a 15th. century of Spanish. Much of their musical repertoire is in this language. Sephardic music mixes many elements of traditional Arabic, North African and Turkish idioms.
In medieval Spain, “canciones” performed in royal courts formed the basis of Sephardic music.
Spiritual, ceremonial and entertainment songs all coexist in Sephardic music. The lyrics are usually in Hebrew for religious songs and in Ladino for others.
The genre in its diffusion in North Africa, Turkey, Greece, the Balkans and Egypt has assimilated many musical elements. Including acute and extensive ululations in North Africa; Balkan rhythms, for example in 9/8 time; and Turkish maqam modes.
The female voice is often preferred while the instruments include the “oud” and “qanun” which are not traditionally Jewish instruments.
Some popular Sephardic music was released as commercial recordings in the early 20th century. Among the early popular singers of the genre were men and included the Turks Jack Mayesh, Haim Efendi, and Yitzhak Algazi. Later, a new generation of singers emerged, many of whom were not Sephardic themselves. Gloria Levy, Pasharos Sefardíes and Flory Jagoda.
Mizrahi
“Mizrahi” means oriental and refers to Jews in the eastern Mediterranean and further east.
The music also mixes local traditions. In fact, a very “oriental flavor” musical tradition that encompasses Egypt, Syria, Jordan, Lebanon, Iraq and as far east as India.
Middle Eastern percussion instruments share an important part with the violin in typical Mizrahi songs. The music is generally high pitched in general.
In Israel, Mizrahi music is very popular today.
A “Muzika Mizrahit” movement was born in the 1950s. Mainly with artists from ethnic neighborhoods in Israel: the Yemeni neighborhood “Kerem HaTemanim” of Tel Aviv, Moroccan, Iranian and Iraqi immigrants – who performed at the weddings and other events.
The songs were performed in Hebrew but with a clear Arabic style on traditional Arab instruments: the “Oud”, the “Kanun” and the “darbouka”.
Classical Hebrew literature, including liturgical texts and the poems of medieval Hebrew poets was the main source of lyrics.
Music in the Jewish Liturgy
There is a large collection of sometimes contradictory writings on all aspects of the use of music in the Judaic liturgy. The most widely accepted facts are that women’s voices should be excluded from religious ceremonies and that the use of musical instruments should be prohibited in synagogue service.
However, some rabbinical authorities soften these direct positions, but not with regard to the exclusion of the female voice. In weddings, for example, the Talmudic statement “to gladden the groom and the bride with music” can be seen as a way to allow instrumental and non-religious music to be made at weddings, but it probably needed to be done. outside the synagogue.
The very influential writings of the Spanish rabbi, also doctor and philosopher, Maimonides (1135-1204) on the one hand strongly oppose any form of music not totally in the service of religious worship and on the other hand recommend instrumental music for its healing. powers.
The healing powers and mysterious formulas hidden in sheet music were generally sought after in sheet music during the Middle Ages, Renaissance and pre-Baroque times. Interestingly, in a recently published fictional novel “Imprimatur“by musicologist Rita Monaldi and co-author Francesco Solti, the whole plot is built around a composition by Salomone Rossi (1570-1630), an important Jewish composer.
Jewish mystical treatises, such as Kabbalah, especially since the 13th century, often deal with the ethical, magical and therapeutic powers of music. The enhancement of the religious experience with music, especially with song, is expressed in many places.
Even though there is no unified position regarding music in Jewish thought, a common main idea seems to emerge: that music is the authentic expression of human feelings in religious and secular life.
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Source by Mehmet Okonsar
