[HANASHIR:12155] Re: What is "Great Music"?

[ilana axel <iaxel...>]

As a classically trained musician, and a former
student at the Eastman School of Music of Dr. Samuel
Adler's, I'd like to say that I agree with every
single one of Anna's eloquent words and generally
employ her approach to all. Though I might add that
our High Holiday services will find all musical forms,
each in it's appropriate place, living joyfully side
by side, and to the glorious gratitude of most of our
congregants. Great music is music that inspires and
meets it's intended purpose.
Shanah Tova to you all!
Ilana Axel

--- AnnaRuach (at) aol(dot)com wrote:
> Dear Chuck and my other friends and colleagues here,
> 
> Shanah Tovah to one and all.  I hope you all enjoyed
> sharing the music you 
> love at your services.  Chuck, your agitation is
> understandable.  Dr. Adler's 
> article made it look like only one kind of music is
> worthy of being called 
> "great."  So please allow me the liberty of
> re-interpreting his remarks.  
> First of all, the music that he refers to as "great"
> I would prefer to call 
> "classical" or "presentational."  The popular style
> music which Debbie et. 
> al. have brought to us I would call "participatory."
>  (If anyone can think of 
> better labels, please let me know.)
> 
> I don't think either category should be allowed to
> overwhelmingly prevail in 
> any synagogue.  Each is appropriate at different
> times.  I think we should 
> all rejoice in the fact that the spectrum of Jewish
> music is so wide and 
> multi-colored.  Personally, I love both.  As a
> cantor in a Reform synagogue, 
> I feel extremely fortunate to have this array from
> which to choose.  The High 
> Holidays have an aura of solemnity and grandeur
> which are expressed by our 
> Adult Choir singing the grand compositions (which
> helped to define the music 
> of early Reform) of Lewandowski, Sulzer, and
> Jassinowsky, as well as the 
> "new" classics of Janowski, Piket, and Michael
> Isaacson.  Our pipe organ gets 
> a good workout and my soprano pipes let fly.  The
> music is beautiful and 
> provokes thought and meditation.  
> 
> During the rest of the year, we mix it up.  We have
> a monthly Family Service 
> where the "participatory" oeuvre takes over.  Folk,
> pop, whatever you want to 
> call it.  I've come to call it "Jewish American
> Pop."  It includes tunes by 
> Shlomo Carlebach, niggunim, the so-called NFTY
> repertoire, and we even go 
> across denominational lines to include tunes by
> D'veykus and other so-called 
> "frum bands."  A great tune is a great tune!  I
> crank up my rock chick singer 
> voice and my high school band and I sling our
> guitars and have a great time.  
> There is no doubt that the kids love this stuff and
> it whets their appetites 
> for more.  Once they are old enough for my High
> School Choir, they are 
> actually curious about and ready to learn the
> classic Jewish choral 
> repertoire.  They attend the Hazamir Winter Festival
> and totally dig the 
> variety, from Dan Henkin's a cappella masterpieces
> to Stephen Glass' s 
> exuberant contemporary adult style to stunning
> arrangements of contemporary 
> Israeli pop, as well as the occasional "classical"
> piece.
> 
> Of course, I am extremely fortunate to be in a
> congregation that welcomes and 
> celebrates this variety.  I think Dr. Adler's lament
> echoes those of my 
> parents and their contemporaries, and probably every
> generation of parents 
> who can't understand the music of their children. 
> Much of the music of great 
> classical composers such as Beethoven and Brahms was
> borrowed from folk tunes 
> of their time and place.  Their music was the "pop"
> of its day, and every 
> generation has its own musical voice.  I look at the
> performing lineup at 
> CAJE and say "Thank God for new songwriters and new
> music to express our love 
> for our Yiddishkeit!"  And then I go to the North
> American Jewish Choral 
> Festival and rejoice in the new compositions for
> choirs.  It's all great 
> stuff and there is room for all of it.
> 
> I think the point is that if your congregation loves
> what you're doing, keep 
> on doing it!  But as the music professionals, we
> should all be open-minded 
> and have our ears open for whatever is out there. 
> Buy CD's, go to concerts, 
> subscribe to Transcontinental Music's twice-yearly
> shipment of new 
> publications, listen to "JM in the AM."  Whatever
> floats your boat.  There is 
> so much wonderful Jewish music, of so many genres,
> to be shared! 
> 
> Cantor Anna Ott
> Anshe Emeth Memorial Temple
> New Brunswick, NJ  
> 


=====
Ilana Axel
Music Director/Jewish Music Specialist/Singer
JRF Master Teacher 2002
Shir Hadash Reconstructionist Synagogue
Northbrook, Illinois
Tel: 847-279-0473
iaxel (at) yahoo(dot)com

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