Fw: Merkin Heritage Series (was Foundation Support.../was schmaltz...)

[robert wiener <wiener...>]

On the chance that it might be of more general interest, I am
forwarding to the list my private response to a private question on a
prior post.  I would appreciate any filling in of gaps in my memory or
comments on my comments.

>The "not very Jewish" description of Merkin's Heritage series in its
>last (?) season was indeed mine.  And I wish that I had all the
>precise facts to support that description.  Maybe another list member
can fill in the details.
>
>As I recall, the three (?) concerts of the series were classical
music
>works that had been played in the 1930s in Berlin by an organization
>of Jewish musicians.  The composers and pieces selected by that
>organization were not, at least to me, identifiably Jewish.  They
were
>works by Beethoven and Schubert and their ilk.  Good music for
>Germans, but not even the works by those composers that might have
had any musical or programmatic connection with Jewish music in
Judaism, other than the facts that Jews played it in Germany between
the wars.
>
>I can assure you that had you or anyone else on the list seen the
>programs without knowing that they were part of a Jewish Heritage
>series, that would have been your last guess as to what their common
theme was.
>
>Perhaps the works were seen as quintessentially German and perhaps
that is why they were played there and then and why Leon Botstein
selected them to be played here and now.  (Apparently he did the
programming.)  And I must state that I went to none of the concerts or
to the pre-concert talk(s?) given by Botstein.

But I cannot imagine being convinced that Jewish musical heritage was
being advanced by using this precious opportunity in a major NYC
concert venue in this manner.  This was the series that
included Cantor Alberto Mizrahi and Western Wind's Passover Story in
previous seasons.
>
>Before I canceled my double subscription (which I had for several
>years as a single guy), I phoned Merkin and expressed my concerns to
the concert program director (I forget her name and title) who said
>that she might contact me for programming advice.  She did not.
>The series ended soon thereafter (perhaps the following season).  And
I did not find the word "Jewish" or "Heritage" anywhere on this past
season's Merkin Concert Hall "home page" (although some Jewish
composers names are included).
>http://www.elainekaufmancenter.org/merkin.html.
>
>All in all, a sad state of affairs for Jewish music in NYC (again, my
>opinion).
>
>Bob
>
>

>>Hi, Bob:  What "not very Jewish" (to you, obviously) music did the
>Heritage concerts feature?  >>
>>


>>>From: "robert wiener" <wiener (at) mindspring(dot)com>
>>>Reply-To: jewish-music (at) shamash(dot)org
>>>To: World music from a Jewish slant <jewish-music (at) shamash(dot)org>
>>>CC: <JeffSchan (at) aol(dot)com>
>>>Subject: Re: Foundation Support for Edge Jewish Music (was
>schmaltz...)
>>>Date: Wed, 21 Jul 1999 10:18:37 -0400
>>>
>>>Jeffrey's post is disappointing to read even to this non-composer.
>>>Much of the greatest music was supported financially by
commissions.
>>>Classical composers such as Bach and Beethoven found inspiration
for
>>>their work from patrons.  In this century, I believe that both the
>>>Bloch and Milhaud Sacred Services were written in response to
>>>financial support.  And I have little doubt that a list of such
>works
>>>would be impressive.
>>>
>>>This reminds me of (Jeffrey's?) earlier post on the limited
>promotion
>>>of Jewish music by nominally Jewish concert venues.  Even here in
>New
>>>York, where it would seem that such events would be the most
>>>commercially viable, the 92nd Street Y seems to have done little
>>>(aside from a Passover concert) and Merkin Hall has, I believe,
>>>abandoned its Heritage Series (which I had abandoned as a 2 ticket
>>>subscriber due to its lack of what I consider Jewish music).  This
>has
>>>happened even while major concert halls have been filled for Debbie
>>>Friedman, the Itzhak Perlman klezmer tour, and a
>>>Jewish/African-American Jazz festival concert a few years ago.
>>>
>>>Surely Jews can do better to support the vitality of Jewish music.
>>>Hiring klezmer musicians to play for simchas is a start, but to
>>>encourage the composers, financial support must be
>institutionalized.
>>>I have found often in my own life that the noblest, most sincere
>>>aspirations can be squelched due to lack of encouragement.  And
>money,
>>>here, speaks louder than words.  Sometimes I wish that I had
>followed
>>>an early aspiration of mine.  When asked what I wanted to be when I
>>>grew up, I would say "A philanthropist."  I hope that the "Susan
>Rose
>>>Recording Fund for Contemporary Jewish Music" begins a trend.
>>>
>>>And I hope that composers such as Jeffrey continue their work.  I'm
>>>sure that they have our encouragement.  At least we can attend
their
>>>concerts and purchase their recordings.
>>>
>>>Bob
>>>-----Original Message-----
>>>From: JeffSchan (at) aol(dot)com <JeffSchan (at) aol(dot)com>
>>>To: World music from a Jewish slant <jewish-music (at) shamash(dot)org>
>>>Date: Wednesday, July 21, 1999 7:00 AM
>>>Subject: Foundation Support for Edge Jewish Music (was schmaltz...)
>>>
>>>
>>> >Gideon wrote:
>>> >
>>> ><<Has anyone on the list had success approaching the foundation
>world
>>>to
>>> >support Jewish music generally or "edge" Jewish music in
>>>particular?>>
>>> >
>>> >Absolutely none, and unfortunately I have spent a good deal of
>time
>>>trying.
>>> >In trying to raise funds for my CD "No More In Thrall" and my
>cantata
>>>"The
>>> >Past Is Present", both dealing with the Holocaust and both having
>>>budgets in
>>> >5 figures, I did not receive a single penny from any Jewish
>sources.
>>>I was
>>> >able to get a personal referral to someone at the National
>Foundation
>>>for
>>> >Jewish Culture, and that person was kind enough to try to think
of
>>>Jewish
>>> >sources of funding.  The only ones he came up with were places
>that
>>>had
>>> >already turned me down.  He quite frankly admitted that there is
>no
>>>real
>>> >support among Jewish foundations for the performing arts.  I
think
>>>this is
>>> >pretty ridiculous, and perhaps if more of us tried to approach
>these
>>>places,
>>> >maybe they would get the idea that there is a need for money in
>this
>>>area.
>>> >
>>> >In a pleasant change of pace, the National Foundation for Jewish
>>>Culture has
>>> >just established the "Susan Rose Recording Fund for Contemporary
>>>Jewish
>>> >Music".  Unfortunately they are giving out only 1 grant in its
>first
>>>year.
>>> >It seems to be oriented towards "classical" music:  "The Fund
will
>>>not
>>> >support the recording of folk and other 'popular' genres nor
music
>>>intended
>>> >specifically or primarily for liturgical contexts."  Anyone
>>>interested should
>>> >contact Ms. Rebecca Metzger: Rmetzger (at) jewishculture(dot)org
>>> >
>>> >Jeffrey Schanzer
>>> >
>>> >----------------------
>>>jewish-music (at) shamash(dot)org ---------------------+
>>> >