Re: Adon Olam

[elkahn <elkahn...>]

I don't believe this is correct. You might be referring to "En Keloheynu,"
which, first published in 1841 by Julius Freudenthal, resembles a German
hymn "Grosser Gott Wir loben Dich." (A.Z. Idelsohn, Jewish Music: Its
Historical DEvelopment, 1929, p.239). 

The final word on the matter should be Eric Werner. In his excellent book
on Ashkenazy Jewish music, "A Voice Still Heard" (1976), he mentions the
morning High Holiday Adon Olam as being derived from an early GErman tune.
But this is not the traditional Sabbath "Adon Olam."

The point I want to make is that I've always believed that we Jews' genius 
for borrowing is that we take
the best of the host culture and siphon it through our own sensibilities
and make it our own. (And -- fortunately in the case of America -- the
rest of the world's) It's a sad indictment of our religious institutions
indeed if we can sing something as banal as "The Fintstones" jingle to
"The Lord of All." What's next? "Sugar, Sugar" to "Kol Nidre?"

Eliott -- not having a good Monday -- Kahn
Music Archivist
Library of the Jewish Theological Seminary
New York, New York



 On Sun, 9 Aug 1998, Kame'a Media wrote:

> Hi Aaron:
> Re: Adon Olam sung to the tune of "The Flintstones:
> It might make you feel better to know that the melody to the
> "traditional" Adon Olam was borrowed from a 17th century German drinking
> song.
> "The more things change, "...etc.
> Wolf
> 
>