Dating the melodies used in Psalms, cantillation, etc.

[Joel Bresler <jbresler...>]

Chevra,

Much handwaving on the Early music list, as folks are talking about
Historically Informed Performances (HIP) of Hebrew Psalms, dating from the
time they were written(!)

A correspondent inquired:

>psalms sung in Hebrew as close to how
>they would/could have been sung in the period when they were written
>(circa 9th through the 4th centuries BC, if I'm not mistaken)

I have responded that we haven't the faintest idea, (we can't even agree on
Beethoven metronome marking, for heaven's sake!) but maybe this erudite
crew can weigh on with more substance.

Best, JOel

Here's the background:

---

Date: Mon, 29 Jun 1998 00:20:28 +0200
Errors-To: gonter (at) falbala(dot)wu-wien(dot)ac(dot)at
Reply-To: earlym-l (at) olymp(dot)wu-wien(dot)ac(dot)at
Originator: earlym-l
Sender: earlym-l (at) olymp(dot)wu-wien(dot)ac(dot)at
From: Joel Bresler <jbresler (at) ultra(dot)net>
To: Multiple recipients of list EARLYM-L <earlym-l (at) 
olymp(dot)wu-wien(dot)ac(dot)at>
Subject: Re: HIP Hebrew psalms recording
X-Listprocessor-Version: 6.0c -- ListProcessor by Anastasios Kotsikonas
X-Comment: Early Music List

Lansing,

I will look forward to the group's comments, but I am afraid the short
answer is no one knows at all how these songs were sung. (not a surprise, I
suppose, if we can't even agree on Beethoven metronome markings...) the
reconstructions are all very controversial.

Best, Joel

At 08:42 PM 6/28/98 +0200, you wrote:
>I'm looking for a recording of the psalms sung in Hebrew as close to how
>they would/could have been sung in the period when they were written
>(circa 9th through the 4th centuries BC, if I'm not mistaken).  I've been
>able to find several recordings as they are sung *today*, but I can't seem
>to find a "HIP" recording.  I figured that some early music group out
>there would have done some sort of reconstruction, but so far I'm striking
>out.  The Boston Camerata has a nice CD of medieval Jewish songs, but this
>is neither the time period nor text I'm looking for.  Not being a
>Hebrew/Jewish scholar by any means, I don't really know where to look.
>
>Any ideas?
>
>Many thanks in advance,
>Lansing McLoskey
>
>

Date: Mon, 29 Jun 1998 15:03:17 +0200
Errors-To: gonter (at) falbala(dot)wu-wien(dot)ac(dot)at
Reply-To: earlym-l (at) olymp(dot)wu-wien(dot)ac(dot)at
Originator: earlym-l
Sender: earlym-l (at) olymp(dot)wu-wien(dot)ac(dot)at
From: Odhecaton_Z <mcloskey (at) fas(dot)harvard(dot)edu>
To: Multiple recipients of list EARLYM-L <earlym-l (at) 
olymp(dot)wu-wien(dot)ac(dot)at>
Subject: Re: HIP Hebrew psalms recording
X-Listprocessor-Version: 6.0c -- ListProcessor by Anastasios Kotsikonas
X-Comment: Early Music List

Lansing,

        That's a really interesting question.  I did a little checking in
HOLLIS, and sent a few possible (though weak) possibilities.
        Here are the problems in finding such sources as I see them:
        1.  Ahistoricity:  Jews like to think of themselves as retaining an
ancient tradition.  Thus, many will swear that the way psalms are performed
today is close to the way they've always been performed.
        2.  Lack of sources:  HIP seems to go back only as far as notation
does.  For Jewish stuff, that's around the 9th century (and the Masorite
Manuscript).  Then it becomes ahistorical.  There's a lot of stuff
regarding instruments and chieronomy floating around from before then, but
few people seem to do anything with it.
        3.  While, as an ethnomusicologist, I hate to propound this theory
(because it is wrong), there used to be a belief in some circles that
Yemenite melodies are cloeset to "authentic" because they supposedly have
been isolated for the past 2000 years or so (again incorrect, but in one
way it's an approach to HIP); you might want to look at such recordings (in
Hebrew, "Yemenite" is "Temani" and "Psalms" is "Tehilim" or "Tehillim").

        At the same time, I seen to remember vaguely some nut's attempt to
recreate music during the time of David's temple (i.e., #1), though it's
probably mostly instrumental (i.e., without text).  I'll keep an eye open
for that.

        There's also a new-agey but insider-produced recording called
"Chants Mystiques" which seems to try HIP by making the performances
timeless in a kind of "ancient" kind of way.  (It's hard to explain; but
it's in the library).

If anything else comes to mind, I'll let you know.

Be well.

Judah Cohen
Music Department
Harvard University
Cambridge, MA  02138
jcohen (at) fas(dot)harvard(dot)edu
(617) 628-4783

>
>Ancient songs.  WS-5756 Worldwide Sydney Publishing . [1995?].
>
>Laughton, Gail.  Harps of the ancient temples.  Gail Laughton, harp.
>LR-111  Laurel Record. p1979.
>
>Sounds from silence recent discoveries in ancient Near Eastern music.
>Lecture-demonstrations on ancient Near Eastern music: music transcribed
>and arr. by Anne Draffkorn Kilmer; performed and narrated by Kilmer and
>Richard L. Crocker, using replicas of ancient lyres constructed by Robert
>R. Brown.  Bit Enki Records BTNK 101. p1976.
>
>Israel traditions liturgiques des communautes juives.  558.529 ocora.
>1983.






Joel Bresler
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