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CANTILLATION INTEREST GROUP DIGEST #2
- From: Sam Wittenberg <samwit...>
- Subject: CANTILLATION INTEREST GROUP DIGEST #2
- Date: Fri 29 Dec 1995 08.45 (GMT)
***************CANTILLATION/TROPE/TROP INTEREST GROUP**************
o o o o o o
K'tivah b'lo ta'amah \ /\ /\ /\ /\ /\ / Script without accents
- \ / is
k'melekh b'lo atarah \ / like a king without a crown
\__________/
..... .... .. .....
. : : : : :
: : : : .; :
CANTILLATION INTEREST GROUP DIGEST #2 - there are 11 messages in this
digest:
1. Digest update
2. How do you handle multiple munach runs?
3. Trop interest group digest - comments
4. Sephardic trop
5. Trop interest group digest - transmit music via email
6. How do you handle multiple munach runs?
7. How do you handle multiple munach runs?
8. How do you handle multiple munach runs?
9. How do you handle multiple munach runs?
10. How do you handle multiple munach runs?
11. More on munach
Newsgroup: alt.music.jewish
From: samwit (at) infi(dot)net (Sam Wittenberg)
Date: Wed, 27 Dec 1995
Subject: Cantillation/Trope/Trop Interest Group Digest update
This is a digest of all recent posts (and related e-mail) regarding the
knowledge/skills of Torah/biblical cantillation. These digests will be
posted to alt.music.jewish (and to soc.culture.israel and
soc.culture.jewish) about every 2 to 3 weeks. If you want to receive
this digest by e-mail, send an email to me at samwit (at) infi(dot)net with your
interest. You can restrict your request, if you wish, to simply your
email address, or you can give additional information such as name,
synagogue affiliation, lay or professional position, and cantillation
interest/knowledge/skills.
Sorry for the delay in getting this posted. Two lame excuses: First, I
was sick (but I bet most of the people reading this have been ill
recently as well; r'fuah sh'lemah to all). Second, my internet service
provider's newsgroup server crashed on several occasions and it took me
about a week to reconstitute these messages. I'm not even sure that I
have everything. If you know of any posts that I missed, please email
to me the full text with *from*, *subject*, and *date* included. I will
send out an appendix of these missed posts if needed.
BTW, our mailing list now numbers 17.
A belated Hag Hanukkah Same'ach to everyone.
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From: Ralph Isberg <risberg (at) opal(dot)tufts(dot)edu>
Subject: Cantillation Group: How do you handle multiple munach runs?
Date: 6 Dec 1995 17:44:35 GMT
Here is a question for those thinking about how to handle special
situations that arise in certain Torah readings:
When I see a passage that has two or three munach tropes in a row (such
as before pazer, t'lisha g'dola or in between zarkah and segol), I read
this as a single extended munach, as if there were a hyphen between the
words, giving the accent to the final word on the appropriate syllable.
This is only under circumstances where it is written as "munach munach"
*not* as munach | munach. On the other hand, I have heard this sung in
another fashion, such that each word is given an independent munach. Is
the proper reading dependent on the context in which this is found, or
is there a best strategy to follow?
Ralph Isberg
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From: bjcohon (at) ix(dot)netcom(dot)com (Barry Cohon )
Subject: Trop interest group digest
Date: 6 Dec 1995 05:28:43 GMT
At Sam Wittenberg's suggestion, here are a couple of reactions to the
first digest:
<Yasher Koach on initiating this digest...
<The bibliography was particularly interesting. Very thorough,
with one glaring omission. I missed the name of A.Z.Idelsohn, whose
pioneer field research and notation of Jewish chants laid the
foundation for so many other musicologists. His 10-volume Thesaurus of
Hebrew Oriental Melodies, which includes notated Trop of several
European and Near Eastern Jewish traditions, and his "Jewish Music in
its Historic Development" are basic.
<As a lifelong Bal Korey -- and one-time student of Idelsohn's -- I
find it fascinating to listen to trends in Torah reading. Far from
being the static system and inexact oral transmission it seems to be,
Torah chanting goes through definite styles. The more different
readers I hear, the more various styles and trends I can spot. I even
catch myself doing things differently than I used to do them. I'd like
to hear from other readers on this point.
To which Sam Wittenberg answered:
>To have had a mentor of such standing is noteworthy, let alone
>marvelous. Stories, accounts and recollections are wonderful to share.
>I hope that this aspect will also be shared among the group in
>addition to the technical and the academic. Also I agree that Torah
>chanting is a vibrant and living tradition, and just the reason why I
>hope this little group flourishes.
So let's flourish.
WIth a hearty Shalshelet to all,
Baruch Cohon
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Date: Wed, 06 Dec 1995 11:28:13 -0500 (EST)
From: risberg (at) OPAL(dot)TUFTS(dot)EDU (Ralph Isberg)
Subject: Re: test of trop group digest and more
>I have received the Cordoza tape already from the commercical source.
>This is from the cantor who was at the Spanish-Portuguese sephardic
>synagogue. The names for the trop are different than what ashkenazi
>use.
I have seen this. For example, Ashkenazic has no formal name for 2
pashta on one word (and ,in Lithuanian style, I have only heard one
person sing it differently than single pashta). According to a chumash
I have, Sephardim have *tre-kadmin* (Aramaic for 2 kadma). On a tape I
have from Mikvah Israel Synagogue in Philadelphia, it is always
vocalized differently (more elaborately) than the single note. Do you
have that on the Cordoza tape? Sam
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Date: Thu, 7 Dec 1995 20:01:49 -0800
From: steve39 (at) ix(dot)netcom(dot)com (Steven Friedrich)
Subject: Re: Trop Interest Group digest
It is possible to transmit music via email in at least 2 ways that I
know.
1. Encode a midi file of the music with a program called Wincode. This
converts the digital midi info into a aascii format that can be
transmitted as text. Wincode would then be used by the recipient to
decode the text back to midi format with an .mid extention (Any binary
info can be transmitted in this manner, including graphics and
programs.)
2. Attach an actual file to the emailed letter. I know this works well
for those whose internet provider allows for it (netcom, netscape) but
i'm not so sure it works on aol or compuserve. Midi files can be sent
this way as well as music notation files like MusicTime.
So it is possible for the group to share notation or music in this
manner.
I look forward to future correspondence.
Cantor Steven Friedrich steve39 (at) ix(dot)netcom(dot)com
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Date: Mon, 11 Dec 1995 17:02:52 -0500 (EST)
From: risberg (at) OPAL(dot)TUFTS(dot)EDU (Ralph Isberg)
Subject: Re: Cantillation Group: How do you handle multiple munach runs?
I got this reply from Josh Jacobson.
>Date: Sat, 09 Dec 1995 17:46:56 -0500
>From: JRJ4859 (at) aol(dot)com
>Subject: Re: Cantillation Group: How do you handle multiple munach
>runs?
>To: risberg (at) OPAL(dot)TUFTS(dot)EDU
>
>Certain te'amim (zakef, zarka, telisha, pazer) can be preceded by
>several munachs. In some cases, as many as five munachs (munachim).
>Keep in mind that munach is always a conjunctive, a word that must be
>joined in meaning (and hence in inflection) to the disjunctive word
>which follows it. Some systems use an elaborate melody for munach in
>some situations. This is dangerous, as it may result in too much
>emphasis being placed on a word which should be subservient to the word
>which follows. Also remember that the melody of a conjunctive ta'am
>such as munach varies, depending on which disjunctive it is serving.
>The general practice is to repeat the motif for munach for each word on
>which it appears.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
From: nsoltz (at) aol(dot)com (NSoltz)
Subject: Re: Cantillation Group: How do you handle multiple munach
runs?
Date: 19 Dec 1995 20:37:31 -0500
My practice has been to read each munach separately.
Rabbi Ned Soltz
----------------------------------------------------------------------
From: Sheldon Levin <slevin (at) mciunix(dot)mciu(dot)k12(dot)pa(dot)us>
Subject: Re: Cantillation Group: How do you handle multiple munach runs?
Date: Thu, 21 Dec 1995 03:11:57 GMT
This is hard to answer with out singing or at least music paper.
Generally in Torah Trope multiple munachs are sung by me with the notes
F-A-G until the last one which is sung as the partner to the sign which
it preceeds. (This is assuming the key is "C" with Mercha starting on
the
third). Call me at 215-844-1512 and I will sing it to you.
Cantor Sheldon M. Levin
slevin (at) mciunix(dot)mciu(dot)k12(dot)pa(dot)us
On 19 Dec 1995, NSoltz wrote:
> My practice has been to read each munach separately.
>
> Rabbi Ned Soltz
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From: steve39 (at) ix(dot)netcom(dot)com(Steven Friedrich)
Subject: Re: Cantillation Group: How do you handle multiple munach
runs?
Date: 22 Dec 1995 04:44:54 GMT
Chaverim:
There are two types of munach groupings. The more common is a Revia
preceded by 2 munachs separated by a legarme. This munach legarme which
starts the musical and grammatical phrase is stronger than a plain
munach and in Binder is represented by a 5 tone motif which in Haftarah
could be a-d-e-f-d-f followed by the munach revia (d-a'-d/d-d-c-a-c-a).
The second type would be a pazer or a t'lisha gedola preceded with
anywhere from 1 to 5 munachs. All the words in this group represent a
single gramatical and musical phrase as well. All the munachs have no
interval and so are all sung on the same note (the same as the first
pitch of the pazer or gedola). Rhythmically, each munach again is
equal, and each word is chanted evenly within the entire phrase with
all emphasis going to the pazer or gedola.
Cantor Steven Friedrich
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
From: Cantor Neil Schwartz <schwartz (at) enter(dot)net>
Subject: Re: Cantillation Group: How do you handle multiple munach
runs?
Date: 26 Dec 1995 16:28:30 GMT
steve39 (at) ix(dot)netcom(dot)com(Steven Friedrich) wrote:
>Chaverim:
>There are two types of munach groupings. The more common is a Revia
>preceded by 2 munachs separated by a legarme. This munach legarme which
>starts the musical and grammatical phrase is stronger than a plain
>munach and in Binder is represented by a 5 tone motif which in Haftarah
>could be a-d-e-f-d-f followed by the munach revia (d-a'-d/d-d-c-a-c-a).
>
>The second type would be a pazer or a t'lisha gedola preceded with
>anywhere from 1 to 5 munachs. All the words in this group represent a
>single gramatical and musical phrase as well. All the munachs have no
>interval and so are all sung on the same note (the same as the first
>pitch of the pazer or gedola). Rhythmically, each munach again is
>equal, and each word is chanted evenly within the entire phrase with
>all emphasis going to the pazer or gedola.
>
>Cantor Steven Friedrich
>
Shalom. Using Solomon Rosowsky's "Cantillation of the Bible" as a
guide, here are some thoughts about the use of Munach. (He taught for
decades at JTS, and Abraham Binder taught similar material at HUC).
Munach is one of the conjunctives or M'shartim, also called "servants'
by Rosowsky. Munach L'garmei is one of the many disjunctives or
Mafsikim, and is made up of a Munach with a P'sik. The P'sik also
appears with other trope, but only as part of a Munach L'garmei does it
affect the melody and punctuation to such an extent. The melody for
Munach L'garmei as used for Torah chanting in F Major is "F-F-G-A-F-G"
according to Roswosky (pg.414).
Munach is commonly used as a conjunctive leading to these disjunctives:
Zakef-Katon, Etnachta, R'via, Zarka, Segol, and Pazer. The melody which
is used for Munach before Pazer is also used for Munach before T'lisha
G'dola and T'lisha K'tana (see below for Rosowsky references). Munach
also appears in these less well-known groups: Munach - Mercha - Pashta
in a Zakef-Katon clause (Rosowsky pg.247), and Munach - Mercha - T'vir
(Rosowsky pg.342).
Multiple strings of Munach appear primarily before Pazer and T'lisha
G'dola; since T'lisha K'tana is a conjunctive (in Rosowsky's opinion) it
may only have one Munach. There may be a maximum of 3 Munach trope
before a T'lisha G'dola and up to 4 before a Pazer (Rosowsky pg.396).
For Torah chanting in F Major, the musical value for EACH Munach in
either string is "F-A-G", as found in the musical examples on pp. 448
and 455 of Rosowsky.
For Haftara chanting in D minor I use the melody "D-G-F" for each Munach
in this situation. Hope this has been helpful - details like these are
what make cantillation such a fascinating subject to teach and present.
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Date: Wed, 27 Dec 1995 23:24
From: samwit (at) infi(dot)net (Sam Wittenberg)
Subject: More on munach
Originally, this was an email correspondance between myself and Ralph
Isberg. In light of the thread in this digest, I copy it for everyone's
interest.
>We know how to chant munach | munach r'vi'e (read L to R). But what
>about munach | munach | munach r'vi'i? For example: Parshat Shmini,
>10:9 "Yayin(munach) v'shechar(gershayim) al-tesht(munach |)
>atah(munach |) u'vanecha(munach) itach(r'vi'i).
My current practice (based on a footnote with the trop music in the back
of the Hertz chumash) is to chant munach preceding gershayim the same as
munach preceding mahpach or darga (A-A-G-A-C-A). The double munach
l'garmeh (munach p'sik) I would chant F-F-G-A-F-G (pause) F-F-G-A-F-G.
(Key of F major). Any comments?
End of Trop Interest Group Digest #2, 29 Dec 1995
*************************************************
- CANTILLATION INTEREST GROUP DIGEST #2,
Sam Wittenberg