Re: early music in Israel

[eliott kahn <elkahn...>]

The Rothmuller book is an excellent one, even if a little dated. He was
involved with "national Jewish music" during the 30's as a composer. I
believe he was from Yugoslavia and one of the people involved with Edition
Omanut, a Jewish music publisher there. Rothmuller was also supposed to be
quite a fine singer and--after emigrating to the U.S.-- taught at the Univ.
of Indiana for many years.

I reviewed the 2nd edition of the Gradenwitz book (1997) for the Music
Library Association.  It's a good all--round book, a little light in
scholarship, but nevertheless, quite a good world-survey of disapora Jewish
music. (To me, anyway. One will find not much mention of oral traditions in
it.) The first ed. is from 1945 or so, and woefully lacking in current
research--obviously.

BTW Keep that Rothmuller. It's out of print.

Eliott Kahn
Music Archivist
Library of the Jewish Theological Seminary
New York, NY


At 12:15 PM 9/30/99 -0400, you wrote:
>I recently purchased two books at a local used book dealer in Nyack NY.
>I have no idea of there significance or reputation for authenticity or 
>accuracy.
>Any opinions either way would be appreciated.
>1."The Music of the Jews" by Aron Marko Rothmuller 
>Beechhurst Press 1954
>2. "The Music of Israel-Its Rise and Growth Through 5000 Years"
>by Peter Gradenwitz  W. W. Norton & Co.
>
>Bob Fogel
>


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