Posts Tagged Music

Happy Birthday, Oscar!

Posted by Rachel Broder in Jewish Knowledge on July 12, 2011

 Today would be Oscar Hammerstein II’s116th birthday.  Hammerstein was a staple in my house growing up, but only recently did I learn that he had some Jewish blood in him.  Though raised Episcopalian, his grandfather (Oscar Hammerstein I) was a German Jew.  Both of Hammerstein’s music partners were also of Jewish and German descent- Lorenz Hart and Richard Rodgers.  In celebration of Hammerstein and the bit of Jewish blood in him, I’m going to gush about him.

I loved Hammerstein’s lyrics before I had ever really heard his name.  The Sound of Music and Cinderella (different music from the Disney film, but same plot) were two of my very favorite movies as a child, both songbooks with lyrics written by Hammerstein.  “Do-Re-Mi” and “Edelweiss” were two of the first tunes I really learned to play on the piano in my previous life as a student of jazz piano.  His lyrics are elegant and impossibly beautiful, something I learned as I grew and began to push my way through various piano fake books.  Song after song, Hammerstein achieves something that most musicians can’t realistically even dream of: eternal life.  Kids still swoon to the music in The Sound of Music and adults to the scores of Show Boat, South Pacific, State Fair, Oklahoma!, etc.  Hammerstein also teamed up with the wonderful Jerome Kern (also Jewish), together creating some of my favorite music of all time.  Maybe I’m an old soul, or a pure sentimentalist like my man Hammerstein, but his music makes me melt and I’ll bet an ice cream cone that you can sing along to at least one of his tunes. 

So let us celebrate the Doylestown native’s birthday with a few of the most superb songs ever written.

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Rock Like A Punk Jew

Posted by Rachel Broder in Jewish Knowledge on July 6, 2011

Generally when I listen to punk rock I don’t really think about the people behind the music, but more so the effect of it.  But then I did some poking around on the World Wide Web.  Mick Jones from The Clash was born to a Russian Jewish mother.  Tommy Ramone is Jewish, and so was Joey.  And so are Chris Stein (Blondie), Lenny Kaye (Patti Smith Group), Handsome Dick Manitoba (The Dictators), Richard Hell (Richard Hell & The Voidoids), Hilly Kristal (Owner of CBGB), Martin Rev and Alan Vega (Suicide), and Jonathan Richman (The Modern Lovers).  What’s up with all of these punk rocking Jews?

sharonactor.com

In my effort to figure out a connection between Jews and punk rock, I stumbled across Steven Lee Beeber.  In his 2006 novel Heebie-Jeebies at CBGB’s, Beeber writes, “Punk reflects the whole Jewish history of oppression and uncertainty, flight and wandering, belonging and not belonging, always being divided, being in and out, good and bad, part and apart.”  He sees Jewish-influenced punk music as a reaction to the Holocaust, a movement fueled by Jewish men born a generation after the Holocaust, who expressed both anger and confidence.  Beeber talks about punk rock’s use of Nazi symbols as a means by which to both shock and exert power.  Basically, Beeber connects a lot of the dots. 

Saul Austerlitz reflects on Beeber’s novel and writes that, “Punk may not have been Jewish, but its push-and-pull dynamic regarding American culture at large might as well have been.”  His really great article on beliefnet.com explains punk rock as a struggle similar to Jewish struggle, therefore making the two a perfect match.  As I listen to The Clash or London Calling, I feel each song’s power as it very quickly flashes, booms, and abruptly ends.  The music of The Clash and other punk bands is fast and loud, violent at times, and very often expressing a conflict with society.  Punk rock has always been utterly reactionary, a means by which musicians could verbally and melodically fight back.  What people needed a stage from which to fight back more so than the Jews?

Enjoy this very hot first week of July with any of the killer Jewish punk heads listed at the top of this post, and maybe also a little Adam Sandler spoof: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OLieRUthktM

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Mahler Mania!

Posted by Rachel Broder in Jewish Knowledge on February 17, 2011

The first time I really heard a Mahler symphony was in the tenth grade.  A friend of mine was giving a presentation on Holocaust survivors and needed a piece of music to play during a portion of it.  She asked my dad for a suggestion, and he told her to play Mahler’s First Symphony.   

This February marks the 100th anniversary of Mahler’s illness, and this May is the 100th anniversary of his death.  He fell ill in December of 1910, but then insisted on keeping a date at Carnegie Hall in February 1911.  Following the concert, he came down with extreme fever and was diagnosed with bacterial endocarditis.  He died on May 18th, and was buried in Vienna.

 What amazes me about Mahler’s music, beyond the beauty, is its incredible presence in modern society.  Though older generations make up most of the audience at the orchestra concerts I attend, I can proudly say that I am among other young persons who will carry classical music into the future- and Gustav Mahler is coming with me.  Growing up I knew nothing of Mahler’s ten symphonies or song-cycles  his career as a conductor and composer, or his struggle to become appreciated as a composer.  I was unfamiliar with Mahler’s Jewish roots, his battle with anti-Semitism, and his (probably) politically forced conversion to Christianity.  But now I know.  Mahler famously considered himself to be, “thrice homeless, as a native of Bohemia in Austria, as an Austrian among Germans, as a Jew throughout the world—always an intruder, never welcomed.”  It is quite stunning and satisfying that a man who thought himself so alien is now so loved.

 Mahler’s success grew during his own lifetime, but faded following his death.  Though appreciation began to again grow steadily years after Mahler’s death, many attribute the real revitalization of his work to the grand composer/conductor Leonard Bernstein.  During the 1960s, Bernstein created the first complete cycle of recordings of all nine of Mahler’s completed symphonies.  Today Mahler’s music is celebrated throughout the world.  For longtime Mahler lovers and neophytes alike, here is a list of upcoming concerts celebrating the work of the one and only Gustav Mahler:

- February 22nd: 7th Symphony performed by The London Symphony Orchestra at the Kimmel Center

- February 24th- March 1st: 9th Symphony performed by The Boston Symphony Orchestra

- March 3rd-5th: 4th Symphony performed by The New York Philharmonic

-  April 14th- 16th: 4th Symphony performed by The Philadelphia Orchestra

- April 28th- 30th: 5th Symphony performed by The New York Philharmonic

- May 7th- 8th: 2nd Symphony performed by The San Francisco Symphony

- May 12th- 14th: 6th Symphony performed by The San Francisco Symphony

- June 1st- 2nd: 3rd Symphony performed by The Colorado Symphony

- June 2nd- 5th: 9th Symphony performed by The Chicago Symphony Orchestra

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But How Do You Spell It?

Posted by Rachel Feltman in Link Roundup on December 1, 2010

The Holidays are finally upon us. I hope you had a wonderful first evening of Hanukkah. Since the fun is far from over, here’s a quick link round-up of Hanukkah fun.

  • Let’s start with The Leevees, my favorite Hanukkah band. There are so many to pick from, as I’m sure you’re well aware. The Leevees have an album exclusively about Hanukkah available for your listening pleasure this week. My personal favorite addresses a troubling question for us all to ponder: How do you spell ‘Channukkahh’? It’s an issue I’ve had to struggle with since early childhood. Between you and me, I think the ‘C’ looks nice in there. Apparentally, none of the ‘experts’ agree. If you’d like music that’s a bit more old school, there’s always Adam Sandler’s Hanukkah Song.
  • My family is really big on the old joke about Jewish holidays: They tried to kill us, they didn’t succeed, let’s eat! Anyway, I think Jewish food is the great unifier when it comes to celebrating the holidays. I don’t think I know anyone even remotely Jewish who doesn’t enjoy a good latke (and most of my friends who aren’t Jewish tend to bug me to make them).Here’s a Hanukkah recipe round-up from The Huffington Post. Delicious! I won’t have access to a kitchen until school is over, so I probably won’t be eating Latkes until the Christmas cookies are already in the oven. Oh my goodness,Tablet has fritters. Anyone want to tell me where I can find this stuff in Boston? It’s an emergency.

    A Macababy's gotta do what a Macababy's gotta do.

  • Want to brush up on what exactly we’re celebrating? Well, you should probably just go with The Rugrats version, but Judaism 101 has a good FAQ page too.

Food, music, and background. I would say that you’re pretty much good to go.

Happy Hanukkah! Have a fantastic week.

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Gustav, You Don’t Look A Day Over 149!

Posted by Rachel Feltman in Jewish Innovation on July 7, 2010

Today marks the 150th birthday of Gustav Mahler, famed Jewish composer and conductor. Although he was considered one of the greatest conductors of his day, his compositions (now widely accepted as some of the most powerful music ever composed), were largely ignored, and even criticized, until long after his death.

Peanuts by Charles M. Schulz

Mahler was born on July 7th, 1860, to a family that lived a constant uphill struggle. The Mahler family, originally from Bohemia, belonged to two very unpopular minorities: They were German speaking, and they were Jewish. Gustav’s father worked his way into the middle class by purchasing an inn, which would later give his talented son the chance to pursue a career in music. Despite this advantage, Mahler’s Jewish heritage would always be looked down upon. He described himself as “thrice homeless, as a native of Bohemia in Austria, as an Austrian among Germans, as a Jew throughout the world—always an intruder, never welcomed” [Memories and Letters]

To achieve his greatest career move-Director of the Vienna Court Opera (Hofoper), Mahler was forced to convert from Judaism to Catholicism. Even after he’d made this sacrifice, his heritage was consistently used against him throughout the rest of his musical career. Rivals and critics of Mahler’s compositions were known to employ the use of anti-Semitic press to defame him. Criticism of his work regularly escalated to full-blown attacks against his person from local papers. Later, despite his intense study of the German nationalists (Nietzsche called him a genius, and Freud supposedly gave him the counseling that saved his failing marriage), Mahler was denounced by the Nazi party. His music was declared to be degenerate, and was not played in his homeland throughout the war. Of course, this temporary disappearance only made it easier for his music to then be rediscovered by a new generation. Long after his death in 1911, Mahler took his place as a great composer of Europe.

Today, some criticize Mahler for what they view as an abandonment of his faith. In truth, Mahler was far from being alone in this flaw (Mendelssohn was another of the many artists who converted). His music continued to be influenced by his heritage, with such bold displays as a klezmer movement in his first symphony. After his conversion, his personal turmoil over the act influenced his music and choices. Many consider his move to New York, where he became the first conductor to direct the Philharmonic as a full orchestra, to have been a final protest of his treatment in Vienna. He wrote, “America is really different from Europe. Only there do you feel like a human being, with no master above you.”

You can find out more about Gustav Mahler at his Wikipedia page or by visiting The International Gustav Mahler Society website. Most importantly, listen to his music! My sister, a self-proclaimed Mahler fanatic, recommends “Ich ben der welt abhanden gekommen” and “Urlicht”. She warns that the latter will make you melt into a puddle of “Mahlered” goo.

Happy birthday, Gustav!

Update: Today is also the 150th birthday of Abraham Cahan, the founding editor of the Jewish Daily Forward!

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Feast or Famine: Music in Jewish Life and History Part II

Posted by admin in Jewish Knowledge, JPS Books on May 12, 2010

Today’s guest blogger is Dr. Marsha Bryan Edelman, author of Discovering Jewish Music. This is the second installment of  Dr. Edelman’s two part series on music’s role in Jewish history. Click here to read part 1.

http://www.milkenarchive.org

When massive immigration from Europe in the 19th and early 20th centuries brought millions of Jews to American shores, these “new” attitudes toward music came along.  And as the Jews prospered, so, too, did their music.  In American Reform congregations, synagogue choirs sang newly composed music on a regular basis. Orthodox synagogues continued (to this day) to reject the notion of accompanied rituals, but music flourished there, too, during what became known as a “Golden Age of Hazzanut” (cantorial chant).  Virtuoso cantors accompanied by choirs of men and boys inspired great devotion in the throngs who marveled in their spiritual labors in the synagogue. The new recording industry took full advantage of the popularity of cantorial music, turning gifted liturgical singers into overnight sensations every bit as popular as the actors whose names were emblazoned on the marquees of the Yiddish theaters.

The Jewish musical feasting available to early 20th century listeners never turned quite to auditory famine, but the menu of music available to connoisseurs underwent a substantial change as the new immigrants gradually assimilated American cultural styles and liturgical practices.  Still, the music we hear today bears the spiritual stamp of generations past who sought to infuse the richness of Jewish music into their lives.  Whether it is the melodies of Shlomo Carlebach chanted in today’s Modern Orthodox minyanim or the popularity of the guitar-accompanied niggunim that begin services in liberal synagogues, the spiritual values of Hassidic music continue to play a role across the denominational spectrum.  At the same time, composed music, by contemporary singer-songwriters, offer a rich menu of selections for liturgical offerings as well as concerts and recordings. Thanks to the wonders of modern technology, you can sample the vast variety of domestic and even international offerings on websites for every taste.

There are still moments of musical famine on the Jewish calendar.  In traditional communities, the introspective seven weeks between Passover and Shavuot are a period marked by a lull in public musical performances.  The three weeks leading to Tisha B’Av, the anniversary of the destruction of the Temple, are also marked by an absence of music from daily life and communal celebration.  But these brief periods of abstinence are just an opportunity for us to regain our appetites for the smorgasbord of Jewish music that awaits us as we turn the page of the calendar.  Happy are we, in the 21st century, for whom there is no end to the delights of Jewish music.

For more information on Jewish music, check out the following sites:

Dr. Marsha Bryan Edelman is Professor Emerita of Music and Education at Gratz College.  A musician herself, active as a singer, conductor, arranger and producer, she has also served the Zamir Choral Foundation in a variety of musical and administrative capacities since 1971. Marsha has taught and lectured on a variety of topics relating to the nature and history of Jewish music for nearly 40 years, and published a long list of articles and program notes for concerts and recordings and recordings, including a highly regarded book, Discovering Jewish Music (Jewish Publication Society 2003; paper 2007).

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Feast or Famine: Music in Jewish Life and History Part I

Posted by admin in Jewish Knowledge, JPS Books on May 7, 2010

Today’s guest blogger is Dr. Marsha Bryan Edelman, author of Discovering Jewish Music. This is the first installment of  Dr. Edelman’s two part series on music’s role in Jewish history. Click here to read part 2.

There’s a popular synopsis of Jewish history that says “They tried to kill us. We prevailed.  Let’s eat!”  This tendency toward gorging is balanced (somewhat) by the six fast days on the Jewish calendar, all of which leaves us with a “feast or famine” approach to Jewish holidays – and eating.

This “all or nothing” mentality can also be applied to the history of Jewish music.  In the days of the Jerusalem Temple, music was an elaborate and essential component of Jewish rituals.  The Temple orchestra was comprised of at least 12 harps and lyres of various sizes and enhanced with trumpets, finger cymbals and the jingling of the bells sown onto the hem of the high priest’s garments.  No fewer than 12 Levites sang in chorus, chanting psalms to accompany the sacrifices.  As the 150th psalm itself testifies, the presence of a variety of instruments (used both in Temple rites and secular celebrations) were necessary for praising God, and the human voice, uniquely able to articulate specific praises, was the most highly prized of all.

All of that elaborate musical activity came to an end when the Temple was destroyed in 70 CE.  The rabbis marked the national mourning for their lost ritual center (and political autonomy) by imposing a ban on the public performance of music.  They obviously couldn’t monitor the informal singing of lullabies and work songs, but public use of instruments was limited to wedding celebrations and festivities surrounding the inauguration of a new synagogue or Torah scroll.  Even synagogue singing was limited to perfunctory chants by the sheliach tzibbur (representative of the community who led the prayers) and brief responses by the congregation.  Remarkably, that ban held for the better part of 1800 years! There were isolated examples of art music written for synagogue services and life cycle celebrations during the 16th – 18th centuries, but the overwhelming response to the Diaspora experience was a decided lack of formal musical accompaniment, despite the evolution and prominence of music all around us.

The Educational Program on Yiddish Culture

Two very different developments changed the course of Jewish music in Ashkenazic communities, and led to the proliferation of Jewish music that we hear in the US today.  The first was the re-insertion of “joy” into Eastern European Jewish life through the popular philosophy of the Hassidic movement.  The Ba’al Shem Tov (ca. 1700 – 1760) used the wordless melody, the nig’n, to express Jewish emotions in song.  Precisely because it was without text, the nig’n could be sung at any tempo, and could capture – or change – any mood.  Whether devoted to achieving dveykut (spiritual communion with God), dancing, or punctuating a rabbinic discourse with lively pounding on the rebbe’s tish (table), Hassidic songs captivated the masses, and enabled even the least educated Jew to express devotion to God and insert positive energy into Jewish life.

In Western Europe, the offer of citizenship put a formal end to the stateless wandering of the Jews.  The new Reform movement refocused Jewish prayer away from mourning for the loss of Jerusalem and upended the historic ban on synagogue music inspired by the destruction of the Temple.  Newly composed synagogue repertoire that modeled itself on the music of the church (complete with organ accompaniment) brought Jewish liturgical music into the Modern era.  Conservatory-trained musicians provided cantorial recitatives and choral works, and congregants added the singing of hymns to their role as active participants in musical worship.

Dr. Marsha Bryan Edelman is Professor Emerita of Music and Education at Gratz College.  A musician herself, active as a singer, conductor, arranger and producer, she has also served the Zamir Choral Foundation in a variety of musical and administrative capacities since 1971. Marsha has taught and lectured on a variety of topics relating to the nature and history of Jewish music for nearly 40 years, and published a long list of articles and program notes for concerts and recordings and recordings, including a highly regarded book, Discovering Jewish Music (Jewish Publication Society 2003; paper 2007).

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Jews and Christmas music – not such an unlikely mix!

Posted by Naomi in Jewish Knowledge, JPS Books, JPS History, Publishing on December 20, 2009

IrvingBerlin2It’s no secret – I love Christmas music.  I adore it!  Heck, I love it even more than some of my Christian friends do.  You can bet your buttons that when December rolls around, I’m tuning my radio to a 24/7 Christmas music radio station.   And of course, people are always asking me, “Naomi, why do you love Christmas music so much?  Why don’t you find it irritating like the rest of us do?  And… come on, seriously, you’re Jewish!”  True, true.  I suppose there’s something nostalgic about the music, the bells, the thought of chestnuts roasting on an open fire while the weather outside is frightful…

I think that the best answer is probably that there’s no accounting for taste.

That being said, you could argue (though it’s a stretch) that I love Christmas music because much of it was actually written by Jews.  This fun fact is no secret, either.  A recent article from InterFaithFamily.com points out that in this year’s American Society of Composers and Publisher’s 25 Most Popular Holiday Songs list, more than half were composed, co-written, or performed by Jews.  We all knew that Irving Berlin wrote “White Christmas”, but did you ever think that “Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer” would be a member of the tribe?

Well, doesn’t it seem a bit strange that so much of this music has been written by Jews?  Perhaps it’s not so strange if you think about the phenomenon in its historical context – and this is what’s argued by David Lehman, author of A Fine Romance: Jewish Songwriters, American Songs. In an October interview with Smithsonian magazine, Lehman explains how between WWI and the mid-1960s, in the wake of the hardships of life in Europe, Jewish songwriters “reinvented America itself as a projection of their ideals of what America could be,” essentially creating a religion of “American-ness”.  Perhaps this is what the holiday songs were all about: the portrayal of a joyful, nostalgic America, centered around hearth and home. They saw America as a place of comfort, and sought to reflect that feeling in their music.

So there you go, that brings it back to the nostalgia argument.  Now that we’ve cleared that up, I’d like to wish you all (in the wake of this recent brutal nor’easter), a wonderful, warm week – and if you’re celebrating it, a lovely, nostalgic Christmas.

Naomi

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Yeehaw! A Jewish Literary Roundup

Posted by Naomi in Jewish Knowledge, Link Roundup on August 10, 2009

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Source: http://mortgagemeltdown.typepad.com

Only a few hours into the day, I’ve decided that it’s high time for another link roundup.  As I mentioned last time, part of my job here at JPS is to surf the internet and keep abreast of what’s happening the Jewish book world.  As a result, I regularly stumble across tons of interesting blog posts, websites, and articles.  (Want my job?  Well, it turns out that since I’ll soon be leaving JPS to start grad school, the Online Sales and Marketing Associate position will be open, and JPS is looking to hire someone great!)  Anyways, today has just been so chock-full of goodies that I can’t really contain myself!  So here’s the catch of the day:

● Rachel Barenblat (alias: the Velveteen Rabbi) has been interview about her Jewish poetry, and what it means to her, at Read Write Poem.

● eJewish Philanthropy gives us a heads-up about a new Limmud Conference.  This time, it’s a one-day event at the Hampton Synagogue in WestHampton, New York – and it’s being organized under the umbrella of Limmud FSU.  So all you Jews from Russian-speaking families, here’s your chance to participate in an exciting day of informal learning sessions, discussions, and performances!

● Tablet Magazine presents a selection of Israeli pop music that draws freely from Jewish liturgy.  Liel Leibovitz presents not only a fun playlist, but podcasts a discussion about how Israeli pop artists explore their faith through music.  Have a listen, and see if you can spot the liturgical references.

● Charles London, author of Far From Zion: The Search for a Global Community, guest blogs at My Jewish Learning and the Jewish Book Council about Diaspora Jewry and the overhaul of the Museum of the Jewish People in Israel.

- Naomi

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