[HANASHIR:12145] Great Music

[Adrian Durlester <adrian...>]

Chaverim:

As list owner and moderator I do want to exercise my prerogative to
remind us all to keep the discourse respectful and civil. So far, we've
managed to do so, but this thread has its perils. . .

I do wish to remind us all that this list, Hanashir, was started
directly as an outgrowth of the Hava Nashira Song Leading Workshops at
Olin-Sang-Ruby-Union Institute camp, and that is started initially as a
list for songleaders. I had always intended the list to be open to a
broader community, and I thank Gd that it has become so.

The faculty at Hava Nashira has included songwriters, songleaders,
performers, cantors, rabbis and others. The participants have been a
similar mix. 

This debate about one music being "better" than another has been raging
a long time. While, as a classically trained musician, and lover of the
cantorial arts, I do sympathize with the frustration that led to Sam
Adler's choice of words, I do think his choice of words was unwise.

Music is not "great" by virtue of what style it is written it, or by who
writes it. Many of the respected classical composers (including the
great Jewish liturgical composers) have written what I might refer to in
the colloquial as "dogs" (with no disresepct to canines from this dog
lover) as well as brilliant musical jewels. The same can be said of
every composer (yes, even Mozart wrote a few "dogs.")

I can get chills up my spine conducting, accompanying, performing or
just listening to some of the great works of Sulzer, Lewandowski and
others of that ilk. I get similar chills with the great music of
Friedman, Taubman, Maseng, and more, and similary Steinberg, Kingsley,
Richards, Higgins, et al. (These are just examples--I've left lots of
names out, living and dead,  my apologies to them all.)

In my childhood, I had a strong classical bent, studying from the age of
5 at Juilliard. I quickly learned to not be a purist, influenced
strongly when my childhood idol, Leonard Bernstein, praised the Beatles
for their music and musical innovations. Ever since that time, I have
found myself equally at home in most musical realms. While I don't
regularly listen to hip hop or country, I've heard indivdual songs that
I believe are well written. And the memories of my childhood contain as
much Jackson 5 as they do the "Big 3" of the classical world.

We do need balance-there is a place for all of this music in our
worship. It would be a shame if some of the wonderful classic style
pieces in the repertoire became lost to us. Our congregations need
balance too-between the fully participatory style, and the opportunity
to hear a fine cantor serve as shaliach tzibbur for the community. There
is a time for every purpose under heaven, is there not?

However-I refuse to allow either style be categorized sinmply as "great"
because that implies that the other is "lesser."

No, I daresay some of our contemporary composers have within them the
musical gift and genius of the so-named "classical masters" of Jewish
music.

I might also remind us that what we think of as the "classical style" of
Sulzer, Lewandowski and others might have been frowned upon by serious
musicians of their day, in the same way the Sir Arthur Sullivan was oft
looked down upon for the style of music he wrote with William Schwenck
Gilbert as partner. In fact, one can find many stylistic similarities
between the the works of Sir Sullivan and many of the late 18th and turn
of the century Jewish composers that might relegate their music into the
"light" category. (Try listening to Lewandowski's Halleluyah-Psalm 150
with your eyes closed and imagine a Gilbert and sullivan-esque scene on
stage.)

I also think Adler's comment about chassidic melodies uncalled for.
Chassidic ditties are not written or created as they are because people
are mindless automatons. They are written as they are because the
chasidim believe that one can achieve dvekut better in that way. There
are times I need the music of Lewandowski to feel closer to Gd. There
are times I need the music of Debbie Friedman to closer to Gd. There are
times I need the "ditties" or Reb Shlomo or the niggunim of the chasidim
to feel closer to Gd. Each serves its purpose in its time and place.

I will continue to be the kind of Jewish musician who uses and teaches
all kinds of music--all kinds of great music--regardless of stylistic
labels. I encourage all of us to do the same.

Shanah tovah u'metukah.

B'vracha,

Adrian A. Durlester, MTS
E-mail: adrian (at) durlester(dot)com  URL:www.durlester.com
Director of Education, Beth El Hebrew Congregation, Alexandria, VA
Chair, CAJE 27, August 4-8, 2002, Trinity University, San Antonio, TX
List Owner, hanashir (at) shamash(dot)org; Jewish Songleaders/Performers List
Co-Owner, l-torah (at) shamash(dot)org; Liberal Torah Discussion List


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