Re: Classical Recordings: Jewish Significance? Loewe's Esther

[Alex J. Lubet <lubet001...>]

Responding to the message of <002a01bedbca$e7008400$f910f7a5 (at) bob>
from jewish-music (at) shamash(dot)org:

I don't have any more information to contribute to this thread, but it occurs to
me that Loewe was more or less a contemporary of Sir Waler Scott, whose Ivanhoe 
also has a romantic Jewish heroine paired with a Gentile of noble birth, albeit 
quite differently.  Was this a major theme in the literature of the period?  
Does anyone else think that these pieces could be seen as progenitors of the 
line of orientalist works that includes Madam Butterfly, South Pacific, the King
and I (with a male Asian protagonist), and Miss Saigon?  Were Jewish women a 
popular 'other' in this period.

I get the impression, by the way, that in Poland itself, the Esterka legend is 
read as a metaphor for the two nations--Poles and Jews--who co-existed in Poland
for a millennium.  (That's something I heard while I was teaching there, not my 
take on Polish history.)  

My source for the legend was 'The Jews of Poland in Tale and Legend' by Ewa 
Basiura, published by Storyteller (Krakow:  1997; ISBN 83-907702-1-0).  I bought
it in Krakow and don't know if it's available here, but I might be able to find 
a Polish source for anyone who's interested.  I don't really like it much, as 
it's typical of the cutesy, folkloric view taken by all the ersatz 'Jewish' 
culture I witnessed in Poland.  It does have some useful information, which 
follows.

It turns out the oldest record of Esterka (which I spelled correctly, in Polish)
is from the 15th century "History of Poland" by Jan Dlugosz, now deemed 
unreliable, particularly with regard to Esterka's alleged maternity of two sons.
The legend is depicted in the Polish novel "Kr?l chlop?w" (1881; The Peasant 
King) and the 1932 Yiddish drama "Esterke" by Aaron Zeitlin.

Thanks to all who have contributed to this fascinating thread.

 

      
> 
> Here's some more information on Loewe's Esther:
> 
> Esther, Op. 52
> Composer                            Carl Loewe (1796 - 1869)
> Artist(s)                                 Ziesak, Ruth , Soprano
>                                                Garben, Cord , Piano
> 
>  4.  Esther Op.52: I. How Early The
>                     Narrow Little Gate Creaks - Ruth
>                     Ziesak/Cord Garben
> 5.  Esther Op.52: II. The King On
>                     His Golden Throne - Ruth
>                     Ziesak/Cord Garben
> 6.  Esther Op.52: III. Now On
>                     Foreign Ground Increase
> 7.  Esther Op.52: IV. Play,
>                     Maidens, Under Your Willow
> 8.  Esther Op.52: V. How You Dwell
>                     In The Kingdom's Cities
> 
> CDNOW has RealAudio for #s 4 & 5.
> 
> Bob
> -----Original Message-----
> From: IKochinska (at) aol(dot)com <IKochinska (at) aol(dot)com>
> To: World music from a Jewish slant <jewish-music (at) shamash(dot)org>
> Date: Saturday, July 31, 1999 2:04 PM
> Subject: Re: Classical Recordings: Jewish Significance?
> 
> 
> >Do you have a first name for the composer Lowe?? Cause there was a
> Lowe who
> >was definitely Jewish & did settings of folkloric music, etc., in
> Yiddish?
> >Ilana (Kochinska)
> >
> >----------------------
> jewish-music (at) shamash(dot)org ---------------------+
> >