Re: hora

[Steven Lowenthal <lownthl...>]

paul holden wrote:
> 
> Hi everyone
> I play in a quartet with a predominantly Russian folk repertoire, but we
> are gradually introducing Jewish material. Does anyone know of a really
> good source of music? All we really need is melody and chords, or a piano
> version. Also we would particularly like to know more about traditional
> rhythms in Jewish folk music. Finally what is a Hora? We've been asked to
> play one at a wedding next month - help!
> 
> Paul

Paul

I'm from the Greater NY area in the USA and have been to many Jewish 
celebrations (such 
as weddings and bar mitzvahs).  Typically, what was played for a hora was Hava 
Nagila, 
which, as explained by Yoel in one of your other responses, is an Israeli tune 
with a 
snappy beat.  But, I have seen people dance the same steps to Eastern European 
style 
Frailachs, which are Yiddish in origin. So if someone asks for a Hora, 
depending upon 
their particular Jewish upbringing, they may expect something Israeli, 
something 
Yiddish, or something that has three beats per measure with the emphasis on the 
first 
and third beats. 

There are several books I would recommend to use as resource material for your 
Jewish 
wedding:

 "Easy to play Jewish Nostalgia" (by J&J Kammen Music Co.) which contains 
mostly 
popular Yiddish tunes some of which you can dance the "hora" to such as Chussen 
Kalle 
Mazel Tov, Die Green Koseene, as well as others which are should be familiar to 
all 
such as Shein Vi Di L'vone, Tumbalalaika, Roshenkis Mit Mandlen, and if the 
bride is 
the last child to be married off, Di M'zinke Oisgegeb'n (which is played while 
the 
parents are seated at the center of a circle of dancing guests who sprinkle 
them with 
mazel-tovs and hugs and kisses).

"Israel in Song", Compiled by Velvel Pasternak of Tara Publications 
(800-827-2400), 
which contains some beautifully written Israeli and Hebrew tunes such as 
Y'rushalayim 
Shel Zahav, Donna Donna, Bashana Haba-a, Ose Shalom, and, of course, Hava 
Nagila.


Since you already play Russian music, you will enjoy playing most of the music 
found in 
the Kammen International book number 1.  Although it does not contain any chord 
symbol 
names, it is written for piano and by looking at what is notated in the bass 
cleff, one 
can easily determine the appropriate chord. In addition to some of the best 
known 
Frailachs (e.g. numbers 1,15, and several in between), considered Horas by most 
Greater 
NY area Jews, there are also Bulgars, Ukrainian Dances, Russian Shers, and 3/4 
or 3/8 
time Bessarabian Horras which would be more popular with Jews whose roots are 
from 
Eastern Europe.  Although my copy of Kammen no. 1 was purchased in the early 
60's and 
schlepped though the Borscht Belt (small hotels in the Catskill mountains), I 
have 
recently seen a reprint at Sam Ash (800-472-6274).  I just called them and they 
have 
still have one left and can ship this to you via 2nd day air.

I would also strongly recommend "The Compleat Klezmer" by Henry Sapoznik.  (You 
may 
have read something about Klezmer on this newsgroup if your hip boots were high 
enough 
to wade through all the x-rated material that alt.music.jewish blessed with.)  
The 
rhythms that you hear in Klezmer are based on traditional Jewish and (not 
necessarily) 
 traditional Hassidic melodies and rhythms that go back a long way.  Mr. 
Sapoznik 
devotes a good part of his book towards a brief history of how Klezmer has 
evolved from 
some of the older forms Jewish music and a neat little section, written by Pete 
Sokolow, that illustrates (using musical notation) precisely how some of the 
rhythyms 
and harmonies should be played. The remainder of the book contains 33 tunes 
that were 
taken from performances recorded in the years 1912-1939, mostly Bulgars.  The 
first 
one, Bb Minor Bulgar, has a personality of its own and is worth playing despite 
its 5 
flats. 

Please feel free to contact me if you have any additional questions or wish to 
exchange 
some midi files (use EMAIL, do not post them to this newsgroup) containing some 
of your 
Russian folk music for some musical tidbits that I have put together.  I would 
like to 
hear a little more about your quartet (instrumentation, who does your 
arranging, what 
music software you prefer to use, etc.). 

Regards,

Steven Lowenthal