Jewish and Israeli
  Music |
| Religious music: |
|---|
| Historical • Contemporary Piyyut • Zemirot • Nigun Pizmonim • Baqashot |
| Secular music: |
| Israeli • Israeli Folk Klezmer • Sephardic • Mizrahi |
| Not Jewish in Form: Classical • Mainstream and Jazz |
| Dance: |
| Israeli Folk Dancing • Ballet Horah • Hava Nagila • Yemenite dance |
| Israel |
| Hatikvah • Jerusalem of Gold |
| Piyyutim |
| Adon Olam • Geshem • Lekhah Dodi Ma'oz Tzur • Yedid Nefesh • Yigdal |
| Music for Holidays |
| Hanukkah • Passover • Shabbat |
| Music of the Haggadah |
| Ma Nishtana • Dayenu • Adir Hu Chad Gadya • Echad Mi Yodea |
| Music of Hanukkah |
| Blessings • Oh Chanukah • Dreidel Song |
| Al Hanisim • Mi Y'malel • Ner Li |
Jewish music, the music of Jews, is quite diverse and dates back thousands of years. This article is about the sacred and religious music of Judaism from Biblical to Modern times This article is about the sacred and religious music of Judaism from Biblical to Modern times This article is about contemporary Jewish religious music For the main article on religious Jewish music see Religious Jewish music. See also Religious Jewish music A piyyut (plural piyyutim, Hebrew פיוט pijút and) is a Jewish liturgical poem usually designated Zemirot (זמירות (singular zemer) are Jewish hymns usually sung in the Hebrew or Aramaic languages but sometimes also in Yiddish This article is about a type of Jewish religious music Nigun For the main article on religious Jewish music see Religious Jewish music. See also Religious Jewish music Pizmonim ( Hebrew פזמונים singular pizmon) are traditional Jewish songs and melodies This article is about a type of Jewish religious music Baqashot See Secular Jewish culture for the main article on secular Jewish culture The music of Israel is a unique combination of Jewish and non-Jewish music traditions that have come together over the course of a century to create a distinctive musical The music of Israel is a unique combination of Jewish and non-Jewish music traditions that have come together over the course of a century to create a distinctive musical See also Secular Jewish music Klezmer (from Yiddish כּלי־זמיר kley - instrument and zemer - song etymologically from This article is about the music of the Sephardic Jews For the main article on secular Jewish music see Secular Jewish music. This article is about the music of the Mizrahi Jews For the main article on secular Jewish music see Secular Jewish music. See Secular Jewish culture for the main article on secular Jewish culture See Secular Jewish culture for the main article on secular Jewish culture See Secular Jewish culture for the main article on secular Jewish culture See Secular Jewish culture for the main article on secular Jewish culture This article is about Israeli folk dancing For the main article on Jewish dance see Jewish dance. See Secular Jewish culture for the main article on secular Jewish culture Hora is a type of Circle dance originating in the Balkans but now found in a number of countries most of which use slightly different spellings "Hava Nagila" ( הבה נגילה in Hebrew) is a Hebrew Folk song, the title meaning "Let us rejoice" In Yemen, where Jews were banned from dancing publicly forms of dance evolved that are based on stationary hopping and posturing such as can be done in a confined space The music of Israel is a unique combination of Jewish and non-Jewish music traditions that have come together over the course of a century to create a distinctive musical For the political party see Hatikva (political party. For the Tel Aviv neighbourhood see Hatikva Quarter. " Jerusalem of Gold " (ירושלים של זהב Yerushalayim Shel Zahav) is a popular Israeli Song written by Naomi Shemer in 1967 See also Religious Jewish music A piyyut (plural piyyutim, Hebrew פיוט pijút and) is a Jewish liturgical poem usually designated Adon Olam ( אֲדוֹן עוֹלָם; "Lord of the World" is one of the few strictly metrical hymns in the Jewish liturgy, the nobility of the diction of Geshem (גשם is one of the Hebrew words for " Rain," applied mostly to the heavy rains which occur in Israel in the fall and winter Lekhah Dodi ( Hebrew: לכה דודי also transliterated as Lecha Dodi, L'chah Dodi, Lekah Dodi, "Ma'oz Tzur" (מעוז צור is a Jewish liturgical poem or Piyyut. Yedid Nefesh ( Hebrew: יְדִיד נֶפֶשׂ y’did nefesh) is the title of a Piyyut. Yigdal ( יִגְדָּל; yighdāl, or יִגְדַּל; yighdal; means " Magnify Living God" is a Jewish Hanukkah music (or Chanukah music) (שירי חנוכה contains several songs associated with the festival of Chanukah. Passover songs are songs traditionally associated with the end of the seder, the festive meal associated with the Jewish festival of Passover. Zemirot (זמירות (singular zemer) are Jewish hymns usually sung in the Hebrew or Aramaic languages but sometimes also in Yiddish Passover songs are songs traditionally associated with the end of the seder, the festive meal associated with the Jewish festival of Passover. Ma Nishtana (מה נשתנה are the four questions sung during the Passover seder See also Passover songs Dayenu ( Hebrew: is a song that is part of the Jewish holiday of Passover. See also Passover songs Adir Hu (English Mighty is He Hebrew אדיר הוּא is a hymn sung by Jews worldwide at the Passover Seder. See also Passover songs Chad Gadya ( Aramaic: חַד גַדְיָה chad gadya, "one little goat or "one kid" Hebrew: See also Passover songs Echad Mi Yodea ( Yiddish: Man'dabar uma n'sapar) ( Hebrew: אחד מי יודע echad mi yodea) (Who Hanukkah music (or Chanukah music) (שירי חנוכה contains several songs associated with the festival of Chanukah. Hanukkah music (or Chanukah music) (שירי חנוכה contains several songs associated with the festival of Chanukah. See also Hanukkah music Oh Chanukah (also Chanukah Oh Chanukah) is an English version of the Yiddish Oy Chanukah (חנוכּה אױ חנוכּה See also Hanukkah music I Have a Little Dreidel (also known as the Dreidel song) and Samuel Goldfarb (also S Hanukkah music (or Chanukah music) (שירי חנוכה contains several songs associated with the festival of Chanukah. Hanukkah music (or Chanukah music) (שירי חנוכה contains several songs associated with the festival of Chanukah. Hanukkah music (or Chanukah music) (שירי חנוכה contains several songs associated with the festival of Chanukah. PLEASE TAKE NOTE************ Sometimes it is religious in nature, other times it is not. The rhythm and sound of the music varies greatly depending on the origins of the Jewish composers.
Contents |
Religious Jewish music
This section is about the sacred and religious music of Judaism from Biblical to Modern times. This article is about the sacred and religious music of Judaism from Biblical to Modern times
History of religious Jewish music
The history of religious Jewish music is about the cantorial, synagogal, and the Temple music from Biblical to Modern times. This article is about the sacred and religious music of Judaism from Biblical to Modern times The earliest synagogal music was based on the same system as that used in the Temple in Jerusalem. Etymology The Hebrew name given in Scripture for the building is Beit HaMikdash or "The Holy House" and only the Temple in Jerusalem is referred to by this name According to the Mishna, the regular Temple orchestra consisted of twelve instruments, and the choir of twelve male singers. A number of additional instruments were known to the ancient Hebrews, though they were not included in the regular orchestra of the Temple: the uggav (something like church organ)
After the destruction of the Temple and the subsequent diaspora of the Jewish people, music was initially banned. The term Diaspora (in Greek, διασπορά &ndash " a scattering or sowing of seeds " refers any population sharing common ethnic PLEASE TAKE NOTE************ Later, these restrictions were relaxed. It was with the piyyutim (liturgical poems) that Jewish music began to crystallize into definite form. See also Religious Jewish music A piyyut (plural piyyutim, Hebrew פיוט pijút and) is a Jewish liturgical poem usually designated The cantor sang the piyyutim to melodies selected by their writer or by himself, thus introducing fixed melodies into synagogal music. "Hazan" and "Chazan" redirect here For people named Hazan or Chazan see Hazan (disambiguation Growing importance of the office See also Religious Jewish music A piyyut (plural piyyutim, Hebrew פיוט pijút and) is a Jewish liturgical poem usually designated The music may have preserved a few phrases in the reading of Scripture which recalled songs from the Temple itself; but generally it echoed the tones in the country and age in which the Jews lived, not merely in the actual borrowing of tunes, but more in the tonality on which the local music was based.
Contemporary Jewish religious music
Religious Jewish Music in the 20th century has varied greatly. This article is about contemporary Jewish religious music For the main article on religious Jewish music see Religious Jewish music. Religious Jewish Music in the 20th century has spanned the gamut from Shlomo Carlebach's nigunim to Debbie Friedman's Jewish feminist folk. For the article on the Mashgiach ruchani of Yeshiva Rabbi Chaim Berlin located in Brooklyn, New York City, see Shlomo Carlebach (rabbi Debbie Friedman (born Deborah Lyn Friedman circa 1951 is an American composer and singer of songs with Jewish religious content Velvel Pasternak has spent much of the late twentieth century acting as a preservationist and committing what had been a strongly oral tradition to paper. Velvel Pasternak is one of the world's foremost experts on Jewish music In the 1970s, Mordechai Ben David, Avrohom Fried and Jewish boys choirs such as Yigal Salik's London Pirchei became popular. Periodically Jewish music jumps into mainstream consciousness, with the reggae artist Matisyahu being the most recent example. Matisyahu (born Matthew Paul Miller, June 30 1979) is an American Reggae musician
A large body of music produced by Orthodox Jews is geared toward teaching religious and ethical traditions and laws. The lyrics of these songs are either in English or in Hebrew, often using phrases from the Jewish prayerbook.
Piyyut
A piyyut is a Jewish liturgical poem, usually designated to be sung, chanted, or recited during religious services. See also Religious Jewish music A piyyut (plural piyyutim, Hebrew פיוט pijút and) is a Jewish liturgical poem usually designated Jewish services ( Hebrew: תפלה, tefillah; plural תפלות, tefillos or tefillot; Yinglish: davening Piyyutim have been written since Mishnaic times. The Mishnah or Mishna (he משנה "repetition" from the verb shanah he שנה or "to study and review" is a major work of Rabbinic Judaism Most piyyutim are in Hebrew or Aramaic, and most follow some poetic scheme, such as an acrostic following the order of the Hebrew alphabet or spelling out the name of the author. Aramaic is a Semitic language with An acrostic (from the late Greek akróstichon, from ákros, "top" and stíchos, "verse" is a Poem or other Writing The Hebrew alphabet (אָלֶף-בֵּית עִבְרִי alephbet ’ivri) consists of 22 letters used for writing the Hebrew language.
Many piyyutim are familiar to regular attendees of synagogue services. For example, the best-known piyyut may be Adon Olam ("Master of the World"), sometimes attributed to Solomon ibn Gabirol in 11th century Spain. Solomon ibn Gabirol, also Solomon ben Judah ( שלמה בן יהודה אבן גבירול, Shelomo ben Yehuda ibn Gevirol; أبو أيوب سليمان Spain () or the Kingdom of Spain (Reino de España is a country located mostly in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Its poetic form consists simply of rhyming eight-syllable lines, and it is so beloved that it is often sung at the conclusion of many synagogue services, after the ritual nightly saying of the Shema, and during the morning ritual of putting on tefillin. Shema Yisrael (or Sh'ma Yisroel or just Shema) ( Hebrew: שמע ישראל "Hear Israel" are the first two words of a section of Tefillin, ( תפילין) also called phylacteries, are a pair of black leather boxes containing scrolls of parchment inscribed with biblical verses Another well-beloved piyyut is Yigdal ("May God be Hallowed"), which is based upon the Thirteen Principles of Faith developed by Maimonides. Although Jews and religious leaders share a core of monotheistic principles Judaism has no formal statement of principles of faith such as a Creed or Catechism Moses Maimonides ( March 30 1135 – December 13 1204) also known as the Rambam, was a Rabbi, Physician, and
Zemirot
Zemirot are Jewish hymns, usually sung in the Hebrew or Aramaic languages, but sometimes also in Yiddish or Ladino. Zemirot (זמירות (singular zemer) are Jewish hymns usually sung in the Hebrew or Aramaic languages but sometimes also in Yiddish Aramaic is a Semitic language with Yiddish (yi [[wiktייִדיש ייִדיש]] yidish or yi [[wiktאידיש אידיש]] idish, literally "Jewish" is a nonterritorial High The best known zemirot are those sung around the table during on Shabbat and Jewish holidays. Shabbat or Shabbos ( Hebrew: שַׁבָּת, shabbāt, shabbes, "rest/inactivity" is the Weekly Sabbath For the Gregorian dates of Jewish Holidays see Jewish holidays 2000-2050. Some of the Sabbath zemirot are specific to certain times of the day, such those sung for the Friday evening meal, the Saturday noon meal, and the third Sabbath meal just before sundown on Saturday afternoon. In some editions of the Jewish prayerbook (siddur), the words to these hymns are printed after the opening prayer (kiddush) for each meal. A siddur ( Hebrew: סידור plural siddurim) is a Jewish Prayer book, containing a set order of daily prayers. Kiddush ( Hebrew: קידוש literally "sanctification" is a blessing recited over Wine or Grape juice to sanctify the Shabbat Other zemirot are more generic and can be sung at any meal or other sacred occasion.
The words to many zemirot are taken from poems written by various rabbis and sages during the Middle Ages. Others are anonymous folk songs that have been passed down from generation to generation. Folk music can have a number of different meanings including Traditional music: The original meaning of the term "folk music" was synonymous
Nigun
Nigun refers to religious songs and tunes that are sung by groups. This article is about a type of Jewish religious music Nigun For the main article on religious Jewish music see Religious Jewish music. It is a form of voice instrumental music, often without any lyrics or words, although sounds like “bim-bim-bam” or “Ai-ai-ai!” are often used. Vocal music is Music performed by one or more Singers with or without non-vocal instrumental accompaniment Sometimes, Bible verses or quotes from other classical Jewish texts are sung repetitively in the form of a nigun. Nigunim are largely improvisations, though they could be based on thematic passage and are stylized in form. Improvisation (also called extemporization) is the practice of acting singing talking and reacting of making and creating in the moment and in response to the stimulus of
A revival of interest in Nigun was sparked as part of Hasidism. Hasidic Judaism (also Chasidic, etc from the Hebrew: he '''''חסידות''''', Chassidus, meaning "piety" from the Hebrew Different Hasidic groups have their own nigunim, often composed by their Rebbe or leader. Rebbe (רבי (pronounced in English which means master teacher or mentor is a Yiddish word derived from the identical Hebrew word Rabbi Hasidim gather around holidays to sing in groups. There are also nigunim for individual meditation, called devekus or devekut (connecting with God) nigunim. These are usually much slower than around-the-table nigunim, and are almost always sung without lyrics. The Baal Shem Tov, founder of Hasidism, spoke of devekus nigunim as “songs that transcend syllables and sound. Rabbi Yisroel (Israel ben Eliezer (רבי ישראל בן אליעזר August 27, 1698 (18 Elul &ndash May 22, 1760) often called ” Several tunes attributed to him are still used today.
Pizmonim
Pizmonim are traditional Jewish songs and melodies with the intentions of praising God as well as describing certain aspects of traditional religious teachings. See also Religious Jewish music Pizmonim ( Hebrew פזמונים singular pizmon) are traditional Jewish songs and melodies They are sung throughout religious rituals and festivities such as prayers, circumcisions, bar mitzvahs, weddings and other ceremonies. Hi and welcome to Wikipedia! Please understand that this article is frequently subjected to vandalism and the insertion of personal opinions In Judaism, Bar Mitzvah ( Hebrew: בר מצוה "one (m to whom the commandments apply" Bat Mitzvah (בת מצוה "one (f Pizmonim are traditionally associated with Middle Eastern Sephardic Jews, although they are related to Ashkenazi Jews' zemirot. Ashkenazi Jews, also known as Ashkenazic Jews or Ashkenazim ( Hebrew: אַשְׁכֲּנָזִים, ˌaʃkəˈnazim sing Zemirot (זמירות (singular zemer) are Jewish hymns usually sung in the Hebrew or Aramaic languages but sometimes also in Yiddish The best known tradition is associated with Jews descended from Aleppo, though similar traditions exist among Iraqi Jews (where the songs are known as shbaִhoth, praises) and in North African countries. For other meanings see Aleppo (disambiguation. Halab redirects here for other meanings see Halab (disambiguation. Iraqi Jews are Jews born in Iraq or of Iraqi heritage The history of the Jews in Iraq is documented from the time of the Babylonian captivity c North Africa or Northern Africa is the Northernmost Region of the African Continent, separated by the Sahara from Sub-Saharan Jews of Greek, Turkish and Balkan origin have songs of the same kind in Ladino, associated with the festivals: these are known as coplas.
The texts of many pizmonim date back to the Middle Ages or earlier, and are often based on verses in the Bible. Etymology According to the Online Etymology Dictionary, the word bible is from Latin biblia, traced from the same word through Medieval Latin and Late Latin Many are taken from the Tanakh, while others were composed by poets such as Yehuda Halevi and Israel Najara of Gaza. See also Old testament, Septuagint, Targum, Peshitta The Tanakh (תַּנַ"ךְ (taˈnax or; also Tenakh or Tenak is Yehuda Halevi, in full Yehuda ben Shemuel Ha-Levi, also Judah Halevi, or Judah ben Samuel Halevi ( Hebrew: יהודה הלוי) (c Israel ben Moses Najara (c 1555 Damascus - c 1625 Gaza) ( Heb Some melodies are quite old, while others may be based on popular Middle Eastern music, with the words composed specially to fit the tune. The music of the Middle East and North Africa spans across a vast region from Morocco to Afghanistan and its influences can be felt even further afield
Baqashot
The Baqashot are a collection of supplications, songs, and prayers that have been sung for centuries by the Sephardic Aleppian Jewish community and other congregations every Shabbat morning from midnight until dawn. This article is about a type of Jewish religious music Baqashot Sephardi Jews ( Hebrew: ספרדי, Standard Səfardi Tiberian Səp̄arədî; plural PLEASE TAKE NOTE************ Shabbat or Shabbos ( Hebrew: שַׁבָּת, shabbāt, shabbes, "rest/inactivity" is the Weekly Sabbath Usually they are recited during the weeks of winter, when the nights are much longer.
The custom of singing Baqashot originated in Spain towards the time of the expulsion, but took on increased momentum in the Kabbalistic circle in Safed in the 16th century. Kabbalah (קַבָּלָה lit "receiving" is a discipline and school of thought discussing the mystical aspect of Judaism. Safed (צְפַת pronounced Tsfat; صفد pronounced Safad) is a city in the Northern District of Israel. Baqashot probably evolved out of the tradition of saying petitionary prayers before dawn and was spread from Safed by the followers of Isaac Luria (16th century). Safed (צְפַת pronounced Tsfat; صفد pronounced Safad) is a city in the Northern District of Israel. Rabbi Isaac Luria (1534 – July 25 1572) was a Jewish mystic in Safed. With the spread of Safed Kabbalistic doctrine, the singing of Baqashot reached countries all round the Mediterranean and became customary in the communities of Morocco, Tunisia, Algeria, Rhodes, Greece, Yugoslavia, Egypt, Turkey and Syria. It also influenced the Kabbalistically oriented confraternities in 18th-century Italy, and even became customary for a time in Sephardic communities in western Europe, such as Amsterdam and London, though in these communities it has since been dropped. By the turn of the 20th century Baqashot had become a widespread religious practice in several communities in Jerusalem as a communal form of prayer.
Secular Jewish music
Since Bibical times, music and dance have held an imporant role in many Jews lives. See Secular Jewish culture for the main article on secular Jewish culture Secular Jewish music (and dances) have both been influenced by surrounding Gentile traditions and Jewish sources preserved over time. The term Gentile (from Latin, gentilis, meaning of or belonging to a clan or tribe refers to non- Israelite tribes or nations in the Bible.
Israeli music
Modern Israeli music is heavily influenced by its constituents, which include Jewish immigrants from more than 120 countries around the world, which have brought their own musical traditions, making Israel a global melting pot. The music of Israel is a unique combination of Jewish and non-Jewish music traditions that have come together over the course of a century to create a distinctive musical For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Israel topics. Music is an Art form in which the medium is Sound organized in Time. PLEASE TAKE NOTE************ The melting pot is an analogy for the way in which homogeneous societies develop in which the ingredients in the pot (people of different cultures races and religions are The Israeli music is very versatile and combines elements of both western and eastern music. It tends to be very eclectic and contains a wide variety of influences from the Diaspora and more modern cultural importation to Hassidic songs, Asian and Arab pop, especially Yemenite singers, and hip hop or heavy metal. The term Diaspora (in Greek, διασπορά &ndash " a scattering or sowing of seeds " refers any population sharing common ethnic Hasidic Judaism (also Chasidic, etc from the Hebrew: he '''''חסידות''''', Chassidus, meaning "piety" from the Hebrew Hip hop music, also referred to as rap music, is a Music genre typically consisting of a rhythmic vocal style called rap which is accompanied with
From the earliest days of Zionist settlement, Jewish immigrants wrote popular folk music. At first, songs were based on borrowed melodies from German, Russian, or traditional Jewish folk music with new lyrics written in Hebrew. Starting in the early 1920s, however, Jewish settlers made a conscious effort to create a new Hebrew style of music, a style that would tie them to their earliest Hebrew origins and that would differentiate them from the style of the Jewish diaspora of Eastern Europe, which they viewed as weak. This new style borrowed elements from Arabic and, to a lesser extent, traditional Yemenite and eastern Jewish styles: the songs were often homophonic (that is, without clear harmonic character), modal, and limited in range. "The huge change in our lives demands new modes of expression," wrote composer and music critic Menashe Ravina in 1943. ". . . and, just as in our language we returned to our historical past, so has our ear turned to the music of the east . . . as an expression of our innermost feelings. "[1]
The youth, labor and kibbutz movements played a major role in musical development before and after the establishment of Israeli statehood in 1948, and in the popularization of these songs. The Zionist establishment saw music as a way of establishing a new national identity, and, on a purely pragmatic level, of teaching Hebrew to new immigrants. The national labor organization, the Histadrut, set up a music publishing house that disseminated songbooks and encouraged public sing-alongs (שירה בציבור). This tradition of public sing-alongs continues to the present day, and is a characteristic of modern Israeli culture.
Israeli folk
Termed in Hebrew שירי ארץ ישראל ("songs of the land of Israel"), folk songs are meant mainly to be sung in public by the audience or in social events. For other uses see Israel (disambiguation The Land of Israel ( Hebrew: אֶרֶץ יִשְׂרָאֵל Eretz Yisrael) is Some are children's songs; some combine European folk tunes with Hebrew lyrics; some come from military bands and others were written by poets such as Naomi Shemer and Chaim Nachman Bialik. Naomi Shemer (נעמי שמר born 13 July 1930, died 26 June 2004) was one of Israel 's most important and prolific Song Hayyim Nahman Bialik ( Hebrew: חיים נחמן ביאליק) ( January 9, 1873&ndash July 4, 1934) also Chaim or
The canonical songs of this genre often deal with Zionist hopes and dreams and glorify the life of idealistic Jewish youth who intend on building a home and defending their homeland. History of Zionism|Timeline of Zionism|World Zionist Organization|Zionist political violence Zionism is an international political movement that originally supported the PLEASE TAKE NOTE************ A common theme is Jerusalem as well as other parts of Eretz Israel. Jerusalem (יְרוּשָׁלַיִם, he-Latn Yerushaláyim; Arabic: ar القُدس, ar-Latn al-Quds) is the For other uses see Israel (disambiguation The Land of Israel ( Hebrew: אֶרֶץ יִשְׂרָאֵל Eretz Yisrael) is Tempo varies widely, as do the content. 2266-Tetramethylpiperidine-1-oxyl or TEMPO is the Chemical compound with the formula (CH23(CMe22NO Some songs show a leftist or right-wing bent, while others are typically love songs, lullabies or other formats; some are also socialist in subject, due to the long-standing influence of socialism on Jews in parts of the Diaspora. Socialism refers to a broad set of economic theories of social organization advocating state or collective ownership and administration of the Means of production and distribution
Patriotic folk songs are common, mostly written during the wars of Israel. War is an international relations Dispute, characterized by organized Violence between National Military units For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Israel topics. They typically concern themselves with soldiers' friendships and the tragedy of death during war. Some are now played at memorials or holidays dedicated to the Israeli dead.
Klezmer
Around the 15th century, a tradition of secular (non-liturgical) Jewish music was developed by musicians called kleyzmorim or kleyzmerim by Ashkenazi Jews in Eastern Europe. See also Secular Jewish music Klezmer (from Yiddish כּלי־זמיר kley - instrument and zemer - song etymologically from They draw on devotional traditions extending back into Biblical times, and their musical legacy of klezmer continues to evolve today. The repertoire is largely dance songs for weddings and other celebrations. They are typically in Yiddish. Yiddish (yi [[wiktייִדיש ייִדיש]] yidish or yi [[wiktאידיש אידיש]] idish, literally "Jewish" is a nonterritorial High
Sephardic/Ladino
Sephardic music is the unique music of the Sephardic Jews. This article is about the music of the Sephardic Jews For the main article on secular Jewish music see Secular Jewish music. Sephardi Jews ( Hebrew: ספרדי, Standard Səfardi Tiberian Səp̄arədî; plural PLEASE TAKE NOTE************ Sephardic music was born in medieval Spain, with canciones being performed at the royal courts. A song is a Musical composition. Songs contain vocal parts that are performed 'sung' and generally feature Words ( Lyrics) commonly followed Since then, it has picked up influences from across Spain, Morocco, Argentina, Turkey, Greece and various popular tunes from Spain and further abroad. Morocco (المغرب "al-Maghrib" officially the Kingdom of Morocco (المملكة المغربية is a country located in North Africa For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Argentina topics. Turkey (Türkiye known officially as the Republic of Turkey ( is a Eurasian Country that stretches Greece (Ελλάδα transliterated: Elláda, historically, Ellás,) officially the Hellenic Republic (Ελληνική Δημοκρατία There are three types of Sephardic songs -- topical and entertainment songs, romance songs and spiritual or ceremonial songs. Lyrics can be in several languages, including Hebrew for religious songs, and Ladino.
These song traditions spread from Spain to Morocco (the Western Tradition) and several parts of the Ottoman Empire (the Eastern Tradition) including Greece, Jerusalem, the Balkans and Egypt. The Ottoman Empire (1299–1923 ( Old Ottoman Turkish: دولتْ علیّه عثمانیّه Devlet-i Âliye-yi Osmâniyye, Late Ottoman and Modern Turkish Jerusalem (יְרוּשָׁלַיִם, he-Latn Yerushaláyim; Arabic: ar القُدس, ar-Latn al-Quds) is the This article is about the country of Egypt For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Egypt topics. Sephardic music adapted to each of these locals, assimilating North African high-pitched, extended ululations; Balkan rhythms, for instance in 9/8 time; and the Turkish maqam mode. Maqam is a modal structure that characterizes the art of music of countries in North Africa, the Middle East and Central Asia. In Music, a scale is an ordered series of Musical intervals which along with the key or tonic, define the pitches However mode
Mizrahi
Mizrahi music usually refers to the new wave of music in Israel which combines Israeli music with the flavor of Arabic and Mediterranean (especially Greek) music. This article is about the music of the Mizrahi Jews For the main article on secular Jewish music see Secular Jewish music. For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Israel topics. The araB gene Promoter is a bacterial promoter activated by e L-arabinose binding The musical legacy of Greece is as diverse as its history. Cypriot music has certain similarities to traditional Greek Music, and their Typical Mizrahi songs will have a dominant violin or string sound as well as Middle Eastern percussion elements. The violin is a bowed String instrument with four strings usually tuned in Perfect fifths It is the smallest and highest-pitched member A string instrument (or stringed instrument) is a Musical instrument that produces Sound by means of Vibrating strings In the Hornbostel-Sachs Mizrahi music is usually high pitched. In today's Israeli music scene, Mizrahi music is very popular.
Dancing
Deriving from Biblical traditions, Jewish dance has long been used by Jews as a medium for the expression of joy and other communal emotions. See Secular Jewish culture for the main article on secular Jewish culture Each Jewish diasporic community developed its own dance traditions for wedding celebrations and other distinguished events. The Jewish diaspora ( Hebrew: Tefutzah, "scattered" or Galut גלות "exile" Yiddish: tfutses) the presence For Ashkenazi Jews in Eastern Europe, for example, dances, whose names corresponded to the different forms of klezmer music that were played, were an obvious staple of the wedding ceremony of the shtetl. Ashkenazi Jews, also known as Ashkenazic Jews or Ashkenazim ( Hebrew: אַשְׁכֲּנָזִים, ˌaʃkəˈnazim sing Eastern Europe is a general term that refers to the Geopolitical region encompassing the easternmost part of the European continent. See also Secular Jewish music Klezmer (from Yiddish כּלי־זמיר kley - instrument and zemer - song etymologically from A shtetl (שטעטל diminutive form of Yiddish shtot שטאָט "town" pronounced very similarly to the South German diminutive "Städtle" "little Jewish dances both were influenced by surrounding Gentile traditions and Jewish sources preserved over time. The term Gentile (from Latin, gentilis, meaning of or belonging to a clan or tribe refers to non- Israelite tribes or nations in the Bible. "Nevertheless the Jews practiced a corporeal expressive language that was highly differentiated from that of the non-Jewish peoples of their neighborhood, mainly through motions of the hands and arms, with more intricate legwork by the younger men. "[2] Additionally, in most religious communities, members of the opposite sex did not dance together.
Jewish Art Music
Preclassical, Classical and Romantic composers
Jewish musicians in the Western European classical tradition have long debated the question of what is Jewish music. Most musicians of Jewish origin in the 19th century composed music that could not be considered Jewish in any sense, either by critics or by the musicians themselves. For example, Jacques Offenbach (1819 - 1880), a leading composer of opera and operetta in the 19th century, was the son of a cantor, and grew up steeped in traditional Jewish music. Jacques Offenbach (born Jacob Offenbach 20 June 1819 in Cologne &ndash 5 October 1880 in Paris) was a German Yet there is nothing about his music which could be characterized as Jewish in terms of style, and he himself did not consider his work to be Jewish. As another example, Felix Mendelssohn, the grandson of the Jewish philosopher Moses Mendelssohn, continued to identify himself as a Jew, even though he was baptized as a lutheran at the age of seven. Jakob Ludwig Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy, born and generally known as Felix Mendelssohn (February 3 1809 &ndash November 4 1847 was a German Composer Moses Mendelssohn ( Dessau, 6 September 1729 4 January 1786 in Berlin) was a German Jewish Philosopher Yet, while he occasionally draws inspiration from Christian sources (one of the themes in his second piano trio, opus 66, is the Lutheran doxology), there is nothing characteristically Jewish about any of his music. "Music written by Jews is not necessarily Jewish music," wrote Erich Werner in 1938 in a seminal essy on the subject in the journal "Musica Hebraica".
That said, there are nonetheless a number of composers who wrote music that they considered Jewish, even if stylistically there was nothing to tie their compositions to traditional Jewish music of liturgy or to the Eastern European klezmer tradition. See also Secular Jewish music Klezmer (from Yiddish כּלי־זמיר kley - instrument and zemer - song etymologically from The first, and one of the most important of these, was Salamone Rossi (1570 - 1630). Salamone Rossi [[Hebrew] סלומונה רוסי] As court composer in Mantua, Rossi was instrumental in the development of the Baroque trio sonata form. Rossi composed a song cycle called "The Songs of Solomon", which drew on Jewish liturgical and biblical texts.
Other composers who drew on Jewish subjects include
- Felix Mendelssohn, who wrote the oratorio "Elijah". Elijah or Elias ( was a Prophet in Israel in the 9th century BC While Mendelssohn never acknowledged that his choice of a topic was influenced by his Jewish origins, it is probable that his intimite familiarity with the biblical text came from his childhood.
- Fromental Halévy was a well-known composer of opera in the second half of the nineteenth century. Jacques-François-Fromental-Élie Halévy ( May 27, 1799 - March 17, 1862) (usually known as Fromental Halévy was a French composer He drew occasionally on Jewish themes for his operas, most notably, La Juive. La Juive ( The Jewess ' is a Grand opera in five acts by Fromental Halévy to an original French Libretto by Eugène
- Giacomo Meyerbeer, also a leading opera composer, arranged a number of liturgical songs, including a motet arrangement for double choir a capella of Psalm 91. Giacomo Meyerbeer ( September 5, 1791 &ndash May 2, 1864) was a noted German -born Opera Composer, and
The Jewish National Revival in Art Music
At the end of the 19th and beginning of the 20th centuries many Jewish composers sought to create a distinctly Jewish national sound in their music. Notable among these were the composers of the St. Petersburg Society for Jewish Folkmusic. Led by composer-critic Joel Engel, these graduates of the St. Petersburg and Moscow Conservatories rediscovered their Jewish national roots, and created a new genre of Jewish art music. Inspired by the nationalist movement in Russian music, exemplified by Rimsky-Korsakov, Cui and others, these Jewish composers set out to the "Shtetls" - the Jewish villages of Russia - and meticulously recorded and transcribed thousands of Yiddish folksongs. Nikolai Andreyevich Rimsky-Korsakov ( Николай Андреевич Римский-Корсаков, Nikolaj Andreevič Rimskij-Korsakov) also Nikolay They then set these songs to both vocal and instrumental ensembles. The resulting music is a marriage between often melancholy and "krekhtsen" (moaning) melodies of the Shtetl with late Russian romantic harmonies of Scriabin and Rachmaninoff.
The Jewish National revival in music was not only in Russia. A number of Western European composers took an interest in their Jewish musical roots, and tried to create a unique Jewish art style. Ernest Bloch (1880 - 1959), a Swiss composer who emigrated to the United States, composed Schelomo for cello and orchestra, Suite Hebraique for violin and piano, and Sacred Service, which is the first attempt to set the Jewish service in a form similar to the Requiem, for full orchestra, choir and soloists. Ernest Bloch (July 24 1880 &ndash July 15 1959 was a Swiss -born American Composer. Bloch described his connection to Jewish music as intensely personal:
It is not my purpose, nor my desire, to attempt a 'reconstitution' of Jewish music, or to base my work on melodies more or less authentic. I am not an archeologist. . . It is the Jewish soul that interests me. . . the freshness and naiveté of the Patriarchs; the violence of the Prophetic books; the Jewish savage love of justice. . . [3]
Darius Milhaud (1892 - 1974) was one of the leaders of the French modernist school. Darius Milhaud (darjys mijo (September 4 1892 &ndash June 22 1974 was a French Composer and teacher As a child in Aix-en-Provence, Milhaud was exposed to the music of the Provençal Jewish community. Aix (ɛks or Aix-en-Provence ( Provençal Occitan: Ais de Provença in classical norm or Ais de Prouvènço in Mistralian norm to distinguish "I have been greatly influenced by the character" of this music, he wrote[4]. His opera Esther de Carpentras draws on this rich musical heritage.
Mario Castelnuovo-Tedesco (1895 - 1968), an Italian composer who immigrated to America on the eve of World War II, was strongly influenced by his Sephardic Jewish upbringing. Mario Castelnuovo-Tedesco ( April 3, 1895 &ndash March 16, 1968) was an Italian composer. His second violin concerto draws on Jewish themes, as do many of his songs and choral works: cantatas Naomi and Ruth, Queen of Sheba, and the oratorio The Book of Jonah, among others. Castelnuovo-Tedesco wrote a number of songs in Ladino, which was the language of Sephardic Jews.
Art Music in Palestine and Israel
The 1930s saw an influx of Jewish composers to Palestine, among them musicians of stature in Europe. These composers included Paul Ben-Haim, Erich Walter Sternberg, Marc Lavri, Oeden Partos, and Alexander Boskovitch. Paul Ben-Haim (or Paul Ben-Chaim, in Hebrew פאול בן חיים ( July 5 1897 &ndash January 14 1984 These composers were all concerned with forging a new Jewish identity in music, an identity which would suit the new, emerging identity of the Zionist state. While the response of each of these composers to this Nationalist challenge was intensely personal, there was one distinct trend to which many of them adhered: many of these and other composers sought to distance themselves from the musical style of the Klezmer, of eastern European Jewry, which they viewed as weak and unsuitable for the new national ethos. Many of the stylistic features of Klezmer were abhorrent to them. "Its character is depressing and sentimental," wrote music critic and composer Menashe Ravina in 1943. "The healthy desire to free ourselves of this sentimentalism causes many to avoid this. . . "[5].
Perhaps the most radical in his search for a new Jewish identity was Alexander Boskovitch. His Semitic Suite for piano, written in 1945, draws much from Arabic music: it is nonharmonic, almost homophonic. He uses repeated notes to imitate the sound of a Kanun, a plucked Arabic instrument.
From these early experiments has grown a large corpus of original Israeli art music, much of it specifically seeking roots in Jewish musical tradition. Notable among modern Israeli composers are
- Betty Olivera, composer in residence at Bar Ilan University. Olivera takes traditional Jewish melodies – both Ashkenazic and Sephardic – and sets them in complex, profoundly dissonant contexts. The result, surprisingly, is not something sounding ultramodern, but rather a natural extension of the folk traditions she draws on. Her work Serafim for soprano, clarinet, violin, cello and piano is a good example of this.
- Tsippi Fleischer, who has composed vocal works that merge contemporary Western compositional techniques with the modal, quartertone scales of Arabic music.
- Mark Kopytman, whose compositions draw heavily on both Eastern European Klezmer and Oriental Jewish sources.
- Yitzhak Yedid, who has composed mostly for chamber groups, strives to combine classical genres with improvisation and Eastern and Jewish styles. Yitzhak Yedid (יצחק ידיד (born September 29, 1971, Jerusalem) is an Israeli Composer and Pianist.
Non-Jewish Contributors to Jewish Music
A number of non-Jewish composers have adapted traditional Jewish music to their compositions. Some notable examples are:
- Maurice Ravel wrote Kaddisch for violin and piano, based on a traditional Jewish liturgical melody.
- Max Bruch was a German Protestant, though he is often mistakenly identified as a Jew, because of his famous arrangement of the Jewish Yom Kippur prayer Kol Nidrei for cello and orchestra. Max Christian Friedrich Bruch (January 6 1838 &ndash October 2 1920 also known as Max Karl August Bruch was a German Romantic Composer and conductor Kol Nidre ( Aramaic: כל נדרי) is a Jewish prayer recited in the Synagogue at the beginning of the evening service on Yom Kippur Bruch also wrote a cycle of Hebrew songs for choir and orchestra, called Hebraeische Gesaenge.
- Sergei Prokofiev wrote Hebrew Melodies, an arrangement of traditional Jewish folksongs for piano quintet and clarinet. Sergei Sergeyevich Prokofiev (Серге́й Серге́евич Проко́фьев Sergéj Sergéjevič Prokófjev) ( - 5 March 1953 was a Russian composer who
- Dmitri Shostakovich was profoundly influenced by Jewish folk music, and incorporated Jewish music in many of his compositions. Dmitri Dmitriyevich Shostakovich ( Russian: ru Дмитрий Дмитриевич Шостакович ( &ndash 9 August 1975 was a Russian Composer Most notable are the song cycle From Jewish Folk Poetry, the second piano trio, and the 13th symphony titled Babi Yar.
- There are critics who identify Jewish elements in Beethoven's C# minor string quartet, opus 131; however, there is no evidence that Beethoven was actually influenced by Jewish music when composing this quartet.
References
- ^ Menashe Ravina, "The Songs of the People of Israel", published by Hamossad Lemusika Ba'am, 1943
- ^ Yiddish, Klezmer, Ashkenazic or 'shtetl' dances, Le Site Genevois de la Musique Klezmer. Accessed 12 Feb 2006.
- ^ Quoted in Mary Tibaldi Chiesa, "Ernest Bloch - The Jewish Composer" in Musica Hebraica, Volume 1-2 (Jerusalem, 1938)
- ^ Darius Milhaud, "La Musique Juive au Comtat-Venaissin in Musica Hebraica, Volume 1-2 (Jerusalem, 1938)
- ^ Menashe Ravina, The Songs of the Land of Israel, monograph published by the Intitute for Music, Ltd. , Jerusalem, 1943
External links
- Grove article on Jewish music
- A World of Jewish Music Streaming Online - OlamRadio.com
- Jewish Music Reviews and discussion
- Jewish Music Research Center
- Jewish Music Sales & Downloads
- Jewish Music Radio
- Jewish Music Downloads
- Jewish Music Review - anything and everything about Jewish Music
- Jewish Music Wiki
- YK's Jewish Music Forum
- Jewish Rock And Soul Music
- Jewish/Israeli Artists
See also
| Religious music |
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