Re: Dreydl Attribution

[Lori Cahan-Simon <l_cahan...>]

Thanks for your efforts.  I'm determined to get to the bottom of this.  If
anyone else can help with info, let me know.  Does anyone have any of the
sources Judy lists below?
Lorele

Judy Pinnolis wrote:

> Lori:
> For whatever it's worth in terms of your search, ASCAP attributes the song
> to Goldfarb, according to the database online...
>
> On a 1960s recording from FAM-1007 Famous Records in the Library of
> Congress, M. Gelbart is named as "musical arranger" but ... can't tell from
> the online catalog who wrote the song.
>
> On a 1920's 78rpm recording from Argentina, "Ben Aharon" is listed as
> lyrics, "popular" as the music composer.
>
> Well, so you might want to try looking in collections prior to that 1940's
> period. (Possibly someone else also claimed the song, or possibly it was
> already around?) Or, possibly you can find an earlier edition than mid-40's.
> Look in published score collections from the 20s and 30s and see what you
> find. Does the tune appear outside the US? Does it appear in earlier
> collections anywhere? I guess Abbi might know all the Yiddish song books out
> there at this point or most of them. Also: Look in the "pre-1956 imprints"
> of the Library of Congress for additional titles of song collections.
>
> Does anyone have these handy to look into?
> Binder, Abraham Wolf, 1895-1966.
> Chanukkah songster : containing a complete children's musical service and
> other hymns in English and Hebrew / by A. W.   Binder ...
> New York : Bloch publishing company, c1922.
>
> Shiron le-Hanukah = Hanukkah Songster.
> New York : Jewish Education Committee, 1947.
> 20 p. ; 23 cm.
>
> Good luck,
> Judy
>
> Lori Cahan-Simon wrote:
> >
> >
> >
> > Judy Pinnolis wrote:
> >
> > > Lori:
> > > No idea about the dreydl song, have never looked into it.... but I would
> > >
> > > really caution you about the issue of 'blaming/accusing' someone for
> > > "plagarism" with these types of songs. It is widely known that there
> > > were
> > > many, many errors in early books/pamphlets/publications on the issue of
> > > attribution of Jewish melodies. One or the other of the authors you are
> > > talking about (who they are, I don't know)... may even have been
> > > attributed
> > > without his or her knowledge.
> >
> > I doubt it because Michl Gelbart, who is attributed as composer for the
> > Yiddish version of the song, compiled the very book that I have him listed
> > as composer in.  In the songbook, Yontevdike teg, compiled by Chane Mloted
> > and Malke Gottlieb, not only is the composition attributed to Gelbart, but
> > the Yiddish lyrics to Ben Aaron, which is a pseudonym for Gelbart,
> > according to the entry for him in the Leksikon fun der nayer yidisher
> > literatur.  And, Samuel E. Goldfarb, the reputed composer of the English
> > version and a respected composer, is attributed by his family, as well as
> > in publications, as the composer of the exact same melody.
> >
> > So, how do you explain this?  I don't know.  It seems like more than
> > mistaken attribution to me.  If I can get the dates of the first
> > appearance of these two songs, it would help.  Of the people who have
> > responded to me, it seems that their memory of the English version begins
> > around 1945, and the undated Gelbart book perhaps from 1946.
> >
> > Best,
> > Lorele
>

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