Re: More on how does tradition live?

[Solidarity Foundation <svzandt...>]

Rich,
On Fri, 13 Mar 1998 08:59:19 -0500, you wrote:
  Here is a cute anecdote that I hope will help explain how
"traditions" can get confused.

Yes, it is a cute anecdote, but I think it explains more than just how
traditions can get confused. Actually, I think you may have hit on the
key to this question of halakha vs. minhog.

Namely, where you write:

        So here we have a paradox or conundrum or irony.  THE repository of
tradition, the scholarly rabbi, has the raw facts of how it should be done,
but without the technical insight of music, hi range of understanding the
implications is quite limited.  From volume, he know, from pitch he doesn't
know.

        this is why traditions are important, but are also flexible in a
sense.  By taking this tradition and applying some music seichel (common
sense) we can readily understand its meaning. simply stated, try to sing in
the same key as the cantor so as not to be a nudnik!  But, since people have
tradition WITHOUT a certain measure of wisdom or understanding, this becomes
a very narrow thing, sing as loud as the cantor does.  (How one measures
this is also difficult, my piano is the average person's forte!)

        So it's important sometimes to quote the tradition precisely
without embellishment, and then see it through the lens of Jews, musicians,
Americans, etc.  That is apply all of our God given senses to understand
and to interpret!  And of course realize that no 2 Yidden will agree on
anything (except that the rabbi's wrong!)
______

Yes! So it must be the bal-melukhes (craftspeople) and balabustes (house-
wives) who are really responsible for maintaining the traditions of
minhog in most areas of life. The traditions we're talking about (klezmer
is what I particularly have in mind -- also vocal styles, most other
things pertaining to traditional Jewish music) must be seen through the
lens of the artists. That's why it's so important to be steeped in the
tradition.

I'd like to repeat what I wrote on March 8:
I am advocating changes in terms of a tradition. That means
> people should be thoroughly steeped in the tradition as a first requirement.
> Only then will they be able to judge what changes might be for the better,
> or at least of equal quality, and what changes might be for the worse.
> When you are able to be creative from within a tradition, that's when
> it's a living tradition. 

It is still considered a requirement, to be a classical musician, to 
thoroughly study Bach, Handel, Mozart, Beethoven, etc. Isn't it also a
requirement, to play klezmer, to THOROUGHLY study Belf, Brandwein, 
Shloimke Beckerman, Tarras? And the whole culture surrounding klezmer
music? Because don't forget, when we're talking about Jewish music
and Jewish culture (E. European) we have a special problem and a special
responsibility, as we're dealing with a culture that didn't just "go
out of style" -- it was muredered. Only not quite. Some of us will spit
in "Der Fuehrer's Face" and not just say "Oh, times have changed, we're
up to date now, we can't get involved with that stuff any more."
Itzik-Leyb