Jewish influences in classical music and vice versa

[David Herskovic <david...>]

It's nice to know that this list discusses all jewish music and not only
klezmer.

Here are a few pieces that sound jewish to me and I wonder whether it is
the composer being influenced by Jewish themes or Jews noshing from the
classical repertoire.

The opening of Tchaikovsky's Marche Slave is very similar to a Jewish
wedding tune 'khosen kale mazel tov'.

One of the strains in the slow part of the William Tell overture is
similar to a chupa tune.

In the first movement of Chopin's first piano concerto the piano plays
out a short melody that has a heimishe touch to it. (I admit being hard
pressed to give the exact definition of a 'heimishe touch'.)

I have read about Beethoven using the Kol Nidrei tune in his String
Quartet no.14 op. 131, though I can hardly detect it.

And then of course there is Hatikvah and Smetana's Ma Vlast.

David Herskovic