[HANASHIR:4291] Minor and major music

[Rod Eisenberg <reisenberg...>]

Here is a rendition of why Jewish music is often in minor modes.  It is 
interesting that Sephardic music is more often in major modes than
Ashkenazic.  The CD "The Chanukah Story", which is a narrated story of
Chanukah by the Western Winds Ensemble, relates that minor keys are often
preferred in Jewish music because of the tension between the good times, and
the fear or expectation of more bad times to come, like more persecutions.

It is interesting to related our history with the development of music.  In
Germany, in the Reform world, life was pretty good, (at least for a few
years) and a focus was on being settled in the society.  The music seems to
reflect this.  Besides, you drink beer to resolve (or is it dissolve?) your
tensions, hence the happy hour!

As my mother used to say:  It is never so bad that it can't get worse.
And indeed, minor keys provide that bit of tension, leaving one with a bit
of an unsettled feeling.  The tension is resolved in the major keys.

It seemed to be an interesting explanation.

************************************************************************
Dr. Rod Eisenberg      eisenberg (at) eku(dot)edu       reisenberg (at) 
compuserve(dot)com
Chemistry Department
Eastern Kentucky University   *Whether an idea be right or wrong, reason
Richmond, KY 40475-3102       * will confirm it with irrefragable proofs
                              * --Charlotte Mason
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