Re: What Is Jewish Music?

[robert wiener <wiener...>]

Eliott,

Glad that you got to work a bit late to write that post.  I'm sure
that none of us will blow the whistle on you.

Did Alan Menken play "Pink Fish"?  It may be the most Jewish of his
music.

Bob
-----Original Message-----
From: elkahn (at) JTSA(dot)EDU <elkahn (at) JTSA(dot)EDU>
To: World music from a Jewish slant <jewish-music (at) shamash(dot)org>
Date: Monday, June 28, 1999 10:30 AM
Subject: Re: What Is Jewish Music?


>It's Monday morning and I have to get to work, but I wanted to weigh
in on
>this stimulating discussion.
>
>Herbert Fromm defined "Jewish music" as "music made by Jews for
Jewish
>purposes." I find this an excellent definition but, perhaps,
sometimes it
>can be stretched--just a bit.
>
>RE: the over-representation of Jews in the Broadway musical: it's an
>important item that's long overdue for discussion. THe growth and
>flowering of
>Tin Pan Alley, the BWY and Hollywood musical from the 1920's through
the
>1960's corresponded with the coming of age of so many extraordinarily
>gifted songwriters who were either Jewish immigrants (Irving Berlin,
>Jule Styne), the sons of Jewish immigrants (George Gershwin, Harold
Arlen)
>or the grandsons of Jewish immigrants (Jerome Kern, Richard Rodgers).
>
>If you look at the music of all the above songwriters, I believe
you'll
>find more Eastern European and Russian Jewish musical influences
(scales,
>rhythmns) in the composers closer to the immigration experience. THe
>reasons are obvious; they heard this music in their homes, synagogues
and
>communities. (In I. Berlin it's inescapable.)
>
>But is this "Jewish music?" It's not really an important question, as
long
>as their expression was an authentic one. Wolf said himself that
>(especially during the twenties) there was a lot of anti-semitism, so
how
>can we condemn people who are trying to "fit in" in their host
society by
>subverting their obvious ethnic identities? If it's the difference
between
>working or not (My mother was fired from a Western Union job during
the
>thirties, after they found out she was Jewish), I wouldn't be too
quick to
>criticize anyone trying to figure out a way to work or become
>successful--even if it meant "not advertising."
>
>So was their expression an authentic one? I mean, were they just
cowering
>folks trying not to be identified as Jews and creating bland works
for
>"the bitch goddess Success." (See *marketing research, *"The Prince
of
>Egypt," *Barry Manilow, et al.)
>
>Well, the record speaks for itself: the shows and songs created by
these
>Jewish immigrants and their offspring may be, perhaps, one of the
Jewish
>peoples' greatest contributions to twentieth century culture. (Many
may
>argue this point; go right ahead. But it strikes me that if Jazz is
the
>African-American's great musical contribution and Country Music the
>Celtic-American's greatest contribution, that twentieth-century
musical
>theatre and Hollywood musicals (the Arthur Freed unit, the RKO
>Astaire-Rodgers musicals) would certainly be the American Jews'
greatest
>contribution to twentieth century culture.)
>
>BUT IS IT JEWISH MUSIC? I don't know. But there really is a genuine
>lyricism and emotionalism in these songs that really gets me "in the
>kishkes." Perhaps these are some of the greatest gifts we as a people
have
>to offer. Emotionalism, volubility, a genuine love of culture, and a
>genuine passion for justice and "rachmones."
>
>Perhaps this music was so very successful with non-Jews as well
because
>that is something unique that we have to offer, and that they would
love
>to learn or take part in.
>
>Finally, I've heard Alan Menken present his music live (at a BMI
Workshop)
>and the music, his playing and singing all betray the above qualities
I've
>discussed. He's really a fabulous songwriter and a super musician;
Don't
>let the dancing tea cups fool you.
>
>Entschuld, nun muss Ich arbeiten.
>
>Eliott Kahn
>
>
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>