Re: What Is Jewish Music?

[Owen Davidson <owend...>]

robert wiener wrote:

> Alex and Wolf have given us some intriguing insights that lead me to
> wonder whether, if in fact, Jews have an affinity for some
> professions, such as diamonds and music, whether this affinity is
> necessarily reflected in their work.   (Alex, I like the cutting
> diamonds/records reference.)

The affinity for music would seem to be universal.  And for recording
music.  I was intrigued to learn, in perusing the excellent series of
Turkish music compilations out on the Traditional Crossroads label, that
many of those old 78 rpm records were recorded in the studios of Hermann
and Julius Blumenthal, in Istanbul.  The brothers Blumenthal not only ran
a studio and sold records; they took an active part in encouraging the
recording careers of their artists, to all of our benefit.

Also, moving further East, I learned at a performance of the Ilyas Malayev
ensemble that the role of court musician in the central Asian cities
amounted to something of a Jewish "caste" profession.


Owen Davidson
Amherst  Mass
The Wholesale Klezmer Band

There is the Nettle that stings with soft down; and there
The indignant Thistle: whose bitterness is bred in his milk:
Who feeds on contempt of his neighbour: there all the idle Weeds
That creep around the obscure places, shew their various limbs.
Naked in all their beauty dancing round the Wine-presses.

Wm. Blake


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