Jewish music crafts and guilds

[Robert Cohen <rlcm17...>]

For those interested:  I (briefly) checked out the book (Reyzl?) mentioned, 
A HISTORY OF JEWISH CRAFTS AND GUILDS (Mark Wischnitzer). Results:

There are just a few pages on musicians.  Au speaks of a band in Lwow, in 
the 1620s, that "had an arrangement w/ the local *Christian* musicians' 
guild (1629) permitting it to play at Catholic weddings and banquets, upon 
paying ten zloty to the guild and two zloty to the municipal treasury" 
(emphasis added).  Au notes a source who believes that the Church frowned on 
guild musicians [i.e., I assume, Christians] playing at weddings.

"In the 16th century, persons not belonging to the Christian musicians' 
guild were forbidden to perform.  Jews were not admitted to the guild."  In 
towns owned by the nobility, Jews sometimes enjoyed a protected status, 
allowing them to play for Gentiles--though sometimes not at baptisms [what a 
loss!--rlc] and (Christian) weddings.

BUT:

"The Jewish musicians in Prague had a well-organized guild"--formed in the 
17th century as a result of "clashes w/ Christian musicians, who protested 
against Jewish bands playing at Catholic baptisms and weddings, and at 
parties given by Christians on Sundays and holidays." Au reports that the 
Christian musicians' guild objected (to the Archbishop of Prague, in either 
1641 or 1642--Au is inconsistent) to the Jews' being allowed to play at such 
occasions, "but the prelate decided in favor of the Jewish musicians."

Hope this helps, which is why I looked it up--certainly not my area of 
expertise at all.

--Robert Cohen
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