Re[4]: Adon Olam

[richard_wolpoe <richard_wolpoe...>]

I agree 100%.  I am opposed to trivial and nonsense melodies with the exceptions
of Purim and perhaps simachas Torah.  However, drinking songs can be of a 
different genre.  I understand that there is/was a drinking song called "To 
Anacreon in Heaven" that has been giving a lofty role down here on earth!.  
<smile> 


Also, many people have objected to Imber's haTikvoh because they objected to 
Imber  (i.e. he wasn't religous enough or he wasn't sober enough).  We can 
sometimes separate a melody from its origins.


some people view Felix mendelsohnn as an ethnic jewish composer and are 
comfortable with his melodies in the Synagogue, and others see him as a 
meshumod.  Guilt by association becomes a VERY slippery slope.

Our shul uses a choral piece form Lewandowski begining with u'vzel kenofecho.  
(it has a solo that begins from haskiveinu.  this melody has a few bars that are
reminiscent to "Stille nacht".  Ok.  did Lewandowski plagarize from Franz 
Gruber?  I don't know.  the piece is traidtional in our shul.  does it have 
baggage, it does to visitors unfamiliar with Lewandowski!  Some have asked me 
what's that xmas Carol doing in the service?

We have already threaded itsy bitsy.  How about v'neemar?

3 blind mice
& 
The farmer in the Dell.

What can we say?

I know that following the Mets triumph in 1969 people used Meet the Mets in 
kedusho.  I think it's highly inappropriate.   Then againm Erev shel shoshanim 
has made it into kedusho and might be construed to be equally inappropirate.

The list goes on and on.

Regards,
Rich Wolpoe








______________________________ Reply Separator _________________________________
Subject: Re: Re[2]: Adon Olam 
Author:  <jewish-music (at) shamash(dot)org> at Tcpgate
Date:    8/10/98 12:25 PM


Rich:
     
Ah yes, and Darwin also said that the fittest shall survive. The reason 
"Hatikvah," "THe Moldau," "Etz Chaim" (originally carried from Spanish 
Jews to Amsterdam, I believe) have survived, is because it's a great tune. 
"The Flintstones" is not.
     
The "Adon Olam" I'm referring to by the way is (in a minor) : 
e-e-f-e-d-c-b-a
     
I myself don't care where a tune comes from, if it's good. However, we 
should all bear in mind that music often can bear other connotations. Some 
people look at a swastika and see an Anasazi Indian symbol, others look at 
a swastika and want to take a baseball bat to the bearer.
     
I will always associate "The Flintstones" with American Television. I 
don't want
to hear it in a synagogue. And -- hear we go -- I don't care to hear all 
of this dye-dye-dye pseudo-nigunim sing-along stuff either. It just
doesn't put me in the mood to pray when I hear lousy music. Sorry, it's just 
that lousy music
puts me in a lousy mood, and I try my best to avoid it.
     
Eliott Kahn