Re: Non-Jewish Composers of "Jewish music"

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

In article <96Feb8(dot)015323-0800pdt(dot)205212-11912+549 (at) 
orb(dot)direct(dot)ca>,
moshe denburg <denburg (at) direct(dot)ca> wrote:
>authored by anyone but the one Creator. Thus, Schubert, Beethoven,
>Bernstein, and the Modjitzer Rebbe, are all nought but vehicles of a
>timeless Divine gift. I don't think there are too many musicians who would
>argue with this sentiment, though in our search for self-identity we slip up
>again and again, and limit the N'gina by the limitations of the relatively
>trivial spheres of our various cultures.

I will argue with this sentiment.  I'm Jewish.  There's no One
Creator.  And when I compose music, it's hard work.  The evidence from
Beethoven's sketch books show that it was hard work for him, too.  So
musical composition is a "Divine Gift" in exactly the same sense that
clean toilets at the end of the day are a "Divine Gift."