Re: Ancient Jewish/Christian Music--and recording of Ovadiah

[Robert Cohen <rlcm17...>]

My initial posting re Ovadiah's (notated or composed) piece of ancient 
Jewish music was, of course, referring to him (I didn't want to get pedantic 
but am glad others did, and then some!), and I'm grateful to Judith (I think 
it was) and Judah for correcting my memory of his dates and providing 
additional information--I usually don't have sources available when I write 
to the list.

BUT:  I don't have the scholarly credentials to match others' on this--am 
merely a humble student--but that being said, I don't think that Judah's 
reference (on 21 March) to "the failure of Werner's main thesis--that there 
was a definite and traceable connection between Christian and Jewish chant 
in the middle ages" is such an open-and-shut matter as he, and others, make 
it out to be.  Werner, first of all, was, so far as I know, elaborating on a 
thesis put forward, as I've alluded to, by (Avraham Zvi) Idelsohn; and 
Idelsohn's interpretation was, so far as I know, also seconded by the great 
Jewish music historian Alfred Sendrey.  Idelsohn, Werner, Sendrey--that's 
quite a Murderer's Row to have in your (or this thesis's) corner.  My 
teacher Sherwood Goffin also informs me that Peter Wagner, an eminent 
non-Jewish historian of Gregorian chant, also upheld Idelsohn. And, fwiw, 
Rabbi Joel Goor of the Metropolitan Synagogue did a master's thesis on the 
musical interdependence between church and synagogue which I believe takes a 
similar position.

How definite a connection?  How traceable?  Who can say?  But there is, I 
think, a significant body of scholarly opinion that upholds some, *at 
least,* kernel of truth to Idelsohn's/Werner's thesis.

I do agree, btw, w/ Judith that the Camerata recording of Ovadiah's 
Elegy/Eulogy is rather gratuitously saddled with medieval instrumentation, 
however pleasing or not in its own right.  There was, however, an earlier 
recording, in the manner of a solo chant w/ just an organ accompaniment 
(composed, and maybe played, by Werner himself--I'll find out)--on an album 
issued by Hebrew Union College over half a century ago called ISRAEL SINGS.  
Feels (to me), at least, like a much *more* "authentic" rendition, anyway; 
the organ is, no doubt, inappropriate but the chant is really what's put 
out, so to speak.

I've learned from this thread and been provoked to further research--I 
appreciate others' contributions and thank them for them

--Robert Cohen
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