Re: Esterka/Esterke

[Robert Cohen <rlcm17...>]

The Aaron Zeitlin _Esterke_ play (that's why I spelled it that way, from 
memory, and why Alex's spelling of the source legend is equallycorrect) is, 
precisely, the source of "Dona Dona"! (music by Shalom Secunda)--so that 
clears that up.  This _is_ fascinating; I had no idea of what the play was 
actually about!  Thanks, Alex!


>From: "Alex J. Lubet" <lubet001 (at) maroon(dot)tc(dot)umn(dot)edu>
>Reply-To: "Alex J. Lubet" <lubet001 (at) maroon(dot)tc(dot)umn(dot)edu>
>To: World music from a Jewish slant <jewish-music (at) shamash(dot)org>
>Subject: Re: Classical Recordings: Jewish Significance? Loewe's Esther
>Date: Sun, 1 Aug 1999 13:58:20 -0500
>
>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 ---------------------+
> > >