(more) Re: Budowitz, Klezmania, and Purim

[Ruth Rose <rose678...>]

p.s. The Theresienstadt composers should also be mentioned in this context:
although their music and the fact that they composed at all under the
circumstances has an enormous historical significance (both in the Jewish as
in the musical and artistic sense), the question arises as to how "Jewish"
their music really is. Outside this context, a lot of their music isn't
indeed Jewish -- except for the obvious factor that they are Jewish composers.

And I have always had a real problem with pieces like the song "Christmas
Morning in Dornach" by Theresienstadt composer Viktor Ullman... the text is
as unbelievably Christian as the title... where does THAT fit in? (following
that train of thought, the Ravel Kaddish is much more Jewish -- and Ravel
WASN'T Jewish, although there are people out there trying to prove the
impossible)

Our "labels" constantly change in significance and content, which should
make us aware that this kind of categorizing, although useful and sometimes
even necessary, is very relative and ephemeral.

Ruth Rose