Re: Polyphony

[Matthew H. Fields <fields...>]

In article <3dceup$b25 (at) ixnews1(dot)ix(dot)netcom(dot)com>,
Howard Stokar <hstokar (at) ix(dot)netcom(dot)com> wrote:
>Why is there no polyphonic tradion of Jewish music?  I'm looking for
>some informed responses.

Hmmm, it occurs to me that to get more to the point of this, polyphony
is hard to learn to sing, and harder to learn to write well.  Counterpoint
occurs eventually just about anywhere music is well-funded, but it's often
associated with providing a fanciful spectacle for the entertainment of
an idle nobility---something Jewish culture hasn't had much of for many
centuries...so that probably gets closer to the roots of the difference
between, e.g., our Lutheran neighbors' basic music and our own.

Another weird idea to throw around is the notion that many Jews here
in America have reified a priesthood---despite the build-up to Bar
Mitzvah, most American Jews rely upon ordained scholars to interpret
Judaism for them.  That tends to work in symbiosis with a trend to stick
with the classical language and archaic chant modes (tropes)...

Again, it seems that to go any further with more accuracy than
guesswork, we need to investigate the question musicologically.  In
doing this, we'll have to refine the question.  Every synagogue I've
ever been to had a cantor, a keyboardist, and a 4-part choir singing a
variety of counterpoint (and only a few didn't allow the keyboardist
to play on shabbat).  So what we would mean by "no polyphonic tradition"
is something more particular, obviously.