[HANASHIR:12167] Re: Th Great and Near-Great (apologies to Mel Brooks)

[Shirona <shirona...>]

Great music, like great art or literature - gets to become "great" by
passing many tests, TIME being a major test that at any present time is
still unknown...  Will the work survive the test of time?  And even then,
the "verdict" may change from one generation to the next.  There were many
musicians and artists who were regarded as great in their own time, only
later to be forgotten or dismissed...and visa-versa...

Does popularity count?   Is McDonalds's "great food"?  Are Hallmark cards
"great poetry"?  Here's one that's close to my heart - is Rap "great
music...."???  (*#!!&%*?!!)    I think we all like to believe that our own
individual "take" on the subject somehow nails the issue - I'm certainly
guilty of that...whether we're judging Jewish music or popular music or
anything.  If our personal opinion falls within the popular vote we might be
assured that "everyone else thinks it's great"... but if we see things
differently we might think something like - "what do those uncultured masses
know about greatness anyway". Again, I've been guilty of both... (hey, it's
the time of year for this, right?)

But deep down I do believe in greatness.  When a work of art (and music,
etc) transports you (like Jeff describes below) to another realm... when you
truly feel spiritually uplifted - whether in Shul or at the Met - then the
art achieves it's purpose.  It's just that we all have such different
criteria for that to happen...

Shana Tova u'metuka,

Shirona

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Singer, Songwriter and Teacher of Jewish Music
 Visit my website at    www.shirona.com
Listen to my music at www.mp3.com/shirona
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

----- Original Message -----
From: "Jeff Klepper" <jeffklepper (at) yahoo(dot)com>
To: <hanashir (at) shamash(dot)org>
Sent: Tuesday, September 10, 2002 11:04 AM
Subject: [HANASHIR:12164] Th Great and Near-Great (apologies to Mel Brooks)


> > 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.
>
> Adrian, thanks for a beautiful statement...
>
> Dr. Adler, who I know and respect, comes from a distinguished German
Jewish
> tradition which celebrated art of "high culture" and looked down at the
> culture and music of the Eastern European Chassidim.   His father was a
> renowned cantor who came to America from Germany and was responsible for
> adapting Lewandowski's music for the American synagogue.  That was a great
> accomplishment.
>
> Though I am not from German lineage, for much of my life I saw Chassidic
> tunes as ditties, as little more than nostalgia.  Then one day it
happened:
> I sang a nigun with a group of people and was transported into another
> realm.  After that experience all the theories about 'd'veykut' made
sense -
> the nigun is, after all, a mystical tool -  and I have now come to see the
> mystical and redemptive potential in (nearly) all music.
>
> All of us are biased in some way towards different kinds of music due to
our
> upbringing, social identity,  and life experiences.  Some of us are able
to
> break through the barriers that divide musical genres and some of us
aren't,
> and since we're human, music that opens up the world for us today might
not
> have the same effect next month (and vice versa.)
>
> For some it is very comforting to hold fast to a certain mode of musical
> expression and not seriously explore others.  It's unfortunate that some
> have closed themselves off from exploring the potential rewards of
> discovering different kinds of music, and how they might possibly add
> meaning to our Jewish spiritual lives.  But Adrian is right: we can help
> each other appreciate the power of many varied forms of music without
> resorting to any kind of personal bashing or flaming.  Especially during
> this Holy Season.
>
> Gamar chatima tova to all,
> Jeff Klepper
>
>
>


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