Re: Jewish music connection w/ old jingle?

[Paul M. Gifford <PGIFFORD...>]

Owen Davidson <owend (at) tp(dot)net> wrote:
> 
> The mode in question (Sherry has taught me to call it "Ha Shem Molokh," which 
> I
> do, to everyone's confusion) has a distinctly Romanian quality.  Beside the
> basic scale, which is a mixolydian mode, its distinguishing feature is the use
> of the flatted third and fifth degrees, only when the melodic line is turning
> to ascend again: sort of stepping stones.  You hear this stepping-stone effect
> explicitly, repetitively, insistently and eternally iterated in Romanian
> cybalom patterns.  Greeks and Turks use the same mode, and call it "Rast."
> When the Greeks play it, it sounds quintessentially Greek.  Just think of
> "Never on Sunday," or "Zorba's Dance."  When the Turks play it, it sounds...
> well, everything the Turks play sounds Turkish!  So, maybe one of the
> well-traveled folk on the list can answer me this:  Rast, Shmast!  What do the
> Romanians call that mode?  Or do they just call it Music?
> 
Not sure if you mean this one, but a lot of old Romanian (or 
eastern Wallachian) Gypsy tunes are in this one, often:

Bb C# D E F G Ab

They don't know Turkish terminology for modes, but, from what I've 
read, about 1860 they did. I'd be curious if the above relates to 
a Turkish makam. I don't think this is used in 'muzica populara,' or
peasants' songs, but only in 'muzica lautareasca,' or Gypsy music. 
There's one traditional "wedding song," for listening at lautari 
weddings, in this mode, but in Eb.  It would be interesting to know 
if this relates to cantorial modes too.  The tunes I'm thinking of 
also descend in this mode.

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