In the eye/ear of the beholder?

[Dan Kazez <KAZEZ...>]

Dear Definers,

It should be abundantly clear by now that none of us knows 
how do define "Jewish music."  Just as no one can define 
"good music" or "good food" or "nutritious food."

It always depends on who is talking to whom and with what 
purpose in mind.

As a concert cellist, one who performs concerts of "Music on 
Jewish Themes" (how's that for wonderfully ambiguous!), the 
music that I look for is classical music influenced by 
Judaism in such a way that members of the audience, upon 
hearing me perform will think "Jewish."  So, for my (narrow) 
purpose, most of Copland's music is not Jewish.  Also, for 
my purposes, I do not completely restrict myself to Jewish 
composers.

But this is just one definition for one very narrow purpose.  
A scholar, an author, or a playwright will have very 
different "definitions."

A concert organizer focusing on the myriad works of Jewish
composers might include Copland, Bernstein, and Ullman--
music that might not sound particularly Jewish.  It is 
perhaps a matter of semantics.  Perhaps a concert of this 
sort should be called "music of Jewish composers" rather 
than "Jewish music"?

Dan

    +----------------------------------------------------------+
     Daniel Kazez, Associate Professor of Music
     Wittenberg University, Springfield, Ohio 45501 USA
     tel: 937-327-7354  fax: 937-327-6340  kazez (at) wittenberg(dot)edu
     http://www.voyageronline.net/~drcello/kazez.htm
     http://www.cello.org/cnc/jewish.htm
     http://www.oac.ohio.gov/artstour/solo/kazez.htm
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1995 - 96 \/ CONCERTS: Prague, Berlin, Rome, Florence \/ Paris, Salzburg, 
Brussels, London, DeKalb, Toronto, Dayton, Akron, Columbus, Indianapolis

1997 INTERNATIONAL CONCERTS: India, Britain (England, Scotland, Wales), Israel