Re[4]: Aleinu (Itsy Bitsy Spider)

[richard_wolpoe <richard_wolpoe...>]

Subject: Re: Re[2]: Aleinu (Itsy Bitsy Spider) 
Author:  <jewish-music (at) shamash(dot)org > at tcpgate
Date:    2/24/98 8:58 PM


  

I think that this whole discussion has to do with enjoying or not enjoying 
Germanic melodies.  These, which make up the larger part of Reform prayer 
tunes, tend to sound somewhere between "too major mode" to "inappropriate" to 
the ear which is tuned to Russian/Chassidic davening.  Include in the German 
camp the Shma, the (best-known) Adon Olam, Ein Keloheinu, and all those 
familiar melodies and hymns.  They were supposed to lend dignity to the 
service while being stirring to the singer.  Many American Jews today are more 
attracted to the Russian/Chassidic sources of nusach and prayer melody (or 
Debbie Friedman, or...)--and I would include myself in the category of those 
who are not moved by these Germanic melodies.  But I don't think it's fair to 
depricate them with the itsy-bitsy comparison.  I've actually heard a room 
full of men in their 60's and 70's harmonizing and singing with gusto who made 
this old aleynu sound pretty good.

Lori Lippitz


______________________________ Reply Separator _________________________________
Dear Lori,
        I couldn't agree more.  My background is American/Litvish and I 
found a lot of the Eastern European stuff beautiful but also depressing.  
it's wonderful for Tisha b'Ov or El Mole rachamim, but I find it totatlly 
in discord with our Western American culture.

        I fell in love with the Western style, (eg Lewsandowski) very 
early.  The music is stirring, inspiring, dignified, hopeful, and also a 
touch setnimental (eg Soacharti Loch).  I love it.  Now being the cantor in 
an Orthodox BGerman Congregation I get it from all sides.  The OestJuder 
tell me it's too Germanic too Reform.  The very striclty Orthodox Germans 
are afradi that will become too "Polnisher".  not to metion the fact that 
as an orthodox synagogue how dare we sing Reform Music!

        Oh, well.  I think the beauty of the music spekas for itself.  And 
when critics tell me, oh, that tune is from Mozart, and theat tune is from 
Beethove, etc. I just point out that many of the Chasidishe meolies 
resembler mazurkas, polonaises, polkas, doina, etc. ie they are no more 
intrinsically Jewish than are the German stuff.  So the Greamns chose, 
bach, Beethove and mozert, and the Esatern European Jews chose music based 
n freigish.  So why is that better, tell me?

Any way, there are numerous classics with German origins: Maoz Tzur, Adir 
Hu, Oleinu, the "bensching" melody, etc.  They are beautiful and can be 
harmonized beautifully.  This is in no way denigrates some great Eastern 
european compositions and compsers, I LOVE Yossele Rosenblatt because his 
great feeling and he has some pretty rousing choral arangements of his own. 
 And his duets with his son, etc.