Re: Bracha Zefira

[Joel Bresler <jbresler...>]

Thanks, Judah.

I'm pretty familiar with their resources  -  I gave them one of the Zefirah 
cassettes listed below...While indeed stupendous, there are lots of places 
stronger in Jewish 78s (though I haven't looked at Israeli holdings, 
specifically). These Zefirah recordings would have been on 78, or at the 
very least, those from 1937-1950 or so would have been.

Thanks for the help and interest! She was a real halutzah (did I get the 
gender right?) in many ways.

B'shalom,

Joel

At 06:35 AM 5/23/00 -0400, you wrote:
>Joel,
>
>     Always a great place to check for this kind of information is Harvard
>University's on line library system (HOLLIS) at either
>telnet://hollis.harvard.edu or http://hplus.harvard.edu.  There should be no
>restrictions for searching.  Harvard has hands down the largest collection
>of Israeli recorded music in the world (all Israeli institutions included),
>and the Judaica people do their best to make sure everything's included in
>the catalog.  Especially because Harvard's relatively close to you, it might
>serve as a useful resource (though I'm not entirely sure what restrictions
>they may have on listening).
>
>The Harvard Judaica Division began to collect in the late 1970s, so they
>don't seem to have any Bracha Zephira originals.  However, the collection
>lists two albums (on cassette), one tape of a 1962 interview with her on Kol
>Yisrael, and some sort of published songbook.  Bibliographic information is
>listed below.
>
>Be well.
>Judah.
>
>%START:
>%HOLLIS#: HU ACZ3518
>%FORMAT: sco
>%YEAR: 1978
>%AUTHOR: Zephira, Bracha.
>%TITLE: Kolot rabim: atsilutah-shel-hishtayakhut mehayevet: osef lehanim
>mi-shel
>edot ha-mizrah be-Yisrael u-lehanim mi-shel falahim u-Vaduim be-Yisrael im
>divre
>hesber.
>%EDITION:
>%PUB. INFO: Tel Aviv: Masadah, c1978.
>%PUBLISHED IN:
>%DESCRIPTION: 279 p. of music: photos.,; 29 cm.
>%SUMMARY:
>%SERIES:
>%FREQUENCY:
>%NOTES:
>%NUMBERS:
>%SUBJECTS:
>%AUTHORS: Zephira, Bracha.
>%LOCATION: Widener:  Harvard Depository Mus 499.7.3421  Consult Circ. Desk
>for
>HWN2NZ.
>%END:
>
>%START:
>%HOLLIS#: HU BLO2281
>%FORMAT: rec
>%YEAR: 1990
>%AUTHOR: Zephira, Bracha.
>%TITLE: Meaz ve-ad olam [sound recording]: Brakhah tsefirah ve-nahum nerdi.
>%EDITION:
>%PUB. INFO: [Tel Aviv]: Kolot, [1990?]
>%PUBLISHED IN:
>%DESCRIPTION: 1 sound cassette: 1 7/8 ips, stereo.
>%SUMMARY:
>%SERIES:
>%FREQUENCY:
>%NOTES:
>%NUMBERS:
>%SUBJECTS: Songs, Hebrew--Israel. \ Audiocassettes.
>%AUTHORS: Zephira, Bracha. \ Nerdi Nahum
>%LOCATION: Widener:  Harvard Depository JC 2167  Consult Judaica Div.
>%END:
>
>%START:
>%HOLLIS#: HU BEZ6333
>%FORMAT: rec
>%YEAR: 1995
>%AUTHOR:
>%TITLE: Pegishah im Berakhah Tsefirah [sound recording ]
>%EDITION:
>%PUB. INFO: Yerushalayim: Kol Yisrael, 1995.
>%PUBLISHED IN:
>%DESCRIPTION: 1 sound cassette: 1 7/8 ips, stereo.
>%SUMMARY:
>%SERIES: Az ve-atah; melel 1529
>%FREQUENCY:
>%NOTES: Recording of radio program broadcast in 1962.
>%NUMBERS:
>%SUBJECTS: Songs, Hebrew--Israel. \ Music--Israel--History and criticism.
>%AUTHORS: Zephira, Bracha. \ Kol Yisrael.
>%LOCATION: Widener:  Harvard Depository JCKY 823  Consult Judaica Div.
>%END:
>
>%START:
>%HOLLIS#: HU BLN9287
>%FORMAT: rec
>%YEAR: 1988
>%AUTHOR: Zephira, Bracha.
>%TITLE: Shire ha-zahav shel Berakhah Tsefirah [sound recording]: me-shire
>edot
>israel = Songs of ethnic comunities in israel.
>%EDITION:
>%PUB. INFO: Tel Aviv: Kolot, 1988.
>%PUBLISHED IN:
>%DESCRIPTION: 1 sound cassette: 1 7/8 ips, stereo.
>%SUMMARY:
>%SERIES:
>%FREQUENCY:
>%NOTES:
>%NUMBERS:
>%SUBJECTS: Songs, Hebrew--Israel. \ Audiocassettes.
>%AUTHORS: Zephira, Bracha.
>%LOCATION: Widener:  Harvard Depository JC 2155  Consult Judaica Div.
>%END:
>
>
>----------
> >From: Joel Bresler <jbresler (at) ma(dot)ultranet(dot)com>
> >To: World music from a Jewish slant <jewish-music (at) shamash(dot)org>
> >Subject: Re: Bracha Zefira
> >Date: Mon, May 22, 2000, 10:30 PM
> >
>
> > Hi, Noa. This is great. Comments interspersed.
> >
> > Best,
> >
> > Joel
> >
> > At 03:50 PM 5/22/00 -0700, you wrote:
> >>Joel
> >>
> >>IMI in Israel have all the recordings of Bracha Zefira, but, I believe
> >>they have for years now stoped producing the CDs or tapes.
> >
> > I'm unaware of any CD and would love to know more.
> >
> >>If they still have the originals, I may be able to convince them to make
> >>one off copies for me. I will try. They list three recordings -  one with
> >>Orchestra and small ensembles, performing Partos, Lavry, Boskovich and Ben
> >>Haim.
> >
> > If this is the re-release cassette, "Shirei HaZahav Shel Bracha Zefira", I
> > would dearly like to know when the originals were released, and any
> > available discographic information.
> >
> >>Second with Nahum Nardi on piano performing Israeli songs,
> >
> > Same request for this, which I take to be "Meaz v'ad olam, Bracha Zefirah
> > v'Nahum Nardi, hashirim shel hagedolim b'zemer ha'ivri, 1937-1950.
> >
> >>and the third recording songs by her performing with an ensemble. Her
> >>songs (which were only melodies) were arrnaged on this recording by
> >>Lakner, Maayani, Avni, Paul Ben Haim, and Haim Alexander. It looks like
> >>she is not singing on it but H. Ben Haim, soprano is the singer.
> >
> > Also unfamiliar to me, and I would like to know more.
> >
> >>Incidentally, as a soprano myself, I have performed two years ago in
> >>London with an Israeli Dancer, Nima Jacoby (the grand daughter of the
> >>composer Jacoby) a programme dedicated to Bracha Zefira. Nima visited
> >>Bracha Zefira?s archive, which contains all the music she collected
> >>herself, and we performed (me singing, Nima dancing) music from that
> >>archive. The Library contains hundreds and hundreds of songs written and
> >>arranged for her, by all the Israeli composers at the time, who all
> >>admired her voice and personality, together with some of her own songs.
> >>There was also a book published about her life I believe, with music, and
> >>a documentary which is available on Video (for sale??? I will need to find
> >>out) produced by the Israeli TV ­ very interesting indeed.
> >>
> >>I found her most fascinating and will try to find out if the recordings
> >>are available.
> >>
> >>I will let you know soon.
> >>
> >>Yours
> >>
> >>Noa
> >
> >
> > yes, she is a fascinating person!!
> >
> > J
> >
> >>>From: Joel Bresler <jbresler (at) ma(dot)ultranet(dot)com>
> >>>Reply-To: jewish-music (at) shamash(dot)org
> >>>To: World music from a Jewish slant <jewish-music (at) shamash(dot)org>
> >>>Subject: Bracha Zefira
> >>>Date: Mon, 22 May 2000 06:13:22 -0400
> >>>
> >>>Chevra:
> >>>
> >>>Is anyone familiar with the Ladino recordings of Bracha Zefirah? Born of
> >>>Yemeni parents, raised by several "eastern" families; steeped in their
> >>>music, while also learning traditional Sephardic songs from Yitzhak Navon.
> >>>Accompanied first on piano by Nahum Nardi, in 1930s, her repertory was
> >>>later re-set by Paul Ben-Haim, Marc Lavry and Oedoen Partos, among others,
> >>>in a Western Art song idiom.
> >>>
> >>>I have a cassette of Israeli CBS recordings, but it's obviously from much
> >>>earlier masters and I'd love to know when the original recordings were 
> made
> >>>and distributed.
> >>>
> >>>Thanks,
> >>>
> >>>Joel
> >>>
> >>>
> >>>Joel Bresler
> >>>250 E. Emerson Rd.
> >>>Lexington, MA 02420 USA
> >>>
> >>>Home:           781-862-2432
> >>>Home Office:    781-862-4104
> >>>FAX:            781-862-0498
> >>>Email:          jbresler (at) ma(dot)ultranet(dot)com
> >>
> >>________________________________________________________________________
> >>Get Your Private, Free E-mail from MSN Hotmail at http://www.hotmail.com
> >>
> >
> >
> >
> > Joel Bresler
> > 250 E. Emerson Rd.
> > Lexington, MA 02420 USA
> >
> > Home:           781-862-2432
> > Home Office:    781-862-4104
> > FAX:            781-862-0498
> > Email:          jbresler (at) ma(dot)ultranet(dot)com
> >
> > ---------------------- jewish-music (at) shamash(dot)org 
> > ---------------------+
> >