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Jewish Music



I don't believe there's something like an overall definition of musical
styles. Of course there are musical elements belonging to certain genres, but
there are as many examples of music which we cannot define only through
musical elements. Some pieces can only be defined by the
composer's/performer's intention. Things we can't prove or analyze.

It always takes two to define music: the artist and the listener. In the end
there are as many possible definitions as there are artists and listeners.
Otherwise we could never classify avantgarde music as belonging to a certain
genre. If a Jewish avantgarde composer writes a Jewish piece in the sense of
Wolf's definition ("...music used by Jews to propagate Jewish life"), it takes
the audience to accept it as Jewish music. By this he will have added new
musical elements to the genre. 
(At least for this particular audience.)

Christian

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