Re: sephardic etc

[Joshua Horowitz <horowitz...>]

Thanks for your valuable comments, Judith.

Since it seems that the layout of the Judeo-Spanish Songbook Aron
Saltiel and I are publishing with Peters Edition will take longer than
expected (they begin layout work at the earliest in the summer), I just
wanted to enclose the part of my introduction which is relevant to the
western vs. eastern style distinctions...Josh

Basic Performance Practice
Although most of the songs as they are found here are melodically part
of the makam family (referred to in Judeo-Spanish as a la Turca), some
of them have a clearly traceable western (a la Franca) origin (see the
rumba, Por los calsados ya me afiní  for instance). But we found that
the use of elements of the makam is strictly a matter of choice by the
performer. Thus, one whose cultural sphere has included close contact
with makam style might tend to perform a song of Western origin with
gestures typical to makam (see the melisma in bars 13-14 of En ente la
tuya caza moro) and vice versa, one brought up with a more intensive
contact to the Western chromatic system may adjust makam melodies to the
tonal system. And of course, those performers familiar with aspects of
both systems might most likely be able to differentiate sharply between
what is a la Turca and a la Franca. In short, musical style and content
often reflects the attitude and approach of the performer as much as it
does the origin of the song itself. Classical makam features and makam
features found in folk music differ as well. Perhaps only in the
performances by Moshe Halaua does a classical art music attitude toward
the makam enter into play here, though unfortunately the scope and
nature of this book are not suited to their complete inclusion. Those
songs which are fairly clearly a la Franca are the following: En el café
de amaneser; Enfrente la tuya caza moro; Hablo con coraje; Por los
calsados ya me afiní. There are also borderline cases, among them El
quipri se duzdeó, whereby the second part (at bar 9) modulates into
foreign tonal territory, unusual for both Turkish as well as western
folk songs. 

************************************************
> Hi, thanks, Carol, for your accurate comments on vocal style. I
> certainly was not suggesting for a single instant that Sephardic (or as
> you say "Yiddish but let me not get started" or for that matter
> medieval-but-let-me-not-get-started!!) songs should be sung "in an
> operatic or airy voice with Westernized scales"!!! Perish the thought!!!
> Just that they weren't sung - and Joel is right in identifying the
> Renaissance Band I was referring to - in either one of a number of
> Balkan village styles (as Carol correctly says, there is not just one)
> or in Kaufman or Koutev-like arrangements.
> To answer Lucy - it depends. By and large I'd say the vocal production
> is very clear and forward, louder for wedding songs and less so for
> ballads. Ballads are/were sung solo and unaccompanied, usually with
> considerable ornamentation; few women still sing in maqam,
> unfortunately. Wedding songs are more typically sung as a group, with
> percussion. It's not impossible, but certainly not easy, to find women
> who still sing these repertoires in the former Ottoman areas: to a large
> extent they've given way to love songs and topical songs many (not all)
> of which do have their origins in Western rather than Turkish or Greek
> music. Also, many women have actually re-learned songs from recordings
> by Yehoram Gaon and others and their singing style reflects this.
> Take care, Judith

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