Re: Sephardic Songbook

[Joshua Horowitz <horowitz...>]

Thanks for the kind words about the Sephardic Songbook Allen.
Regarding the layout solution of half measures which continue on the next
line: The publisher wanted to give the text precedence when faced with the
problem of splitting up the music line or the text line. I disagreed at
first, but eventually saw the logic in this. If you are a singer, it is
more difficult to locate the beginning of the text lines when you have
several verses and the beginnings of the lines appear in the middle of the
music line somehwere. As an instrumental musician, I also want to see
measures kept intact, but as a singer, you want to be able to locate the
verse beginnings easily, especially when there are many strophes, which is
often the case in the ballads. The problems of orthography and layout
presentation were thought out quite thoroughly in this edition, and the work
with Peters Edition was the highest level I have yet experienced. That¹s why
the release took so long (3 years). The enormous amount of details which
need to be dealt with easily escape the reader's attention (and should!)
when the finished product is presented in a simple fashion.

You may also notice the solutions to unusual forms, such as the Passover
counting song, Quen Spiese y entendiense, whereby each verse increases in
length - no easy problem to solve when you want to be clear in presentation
and use as few explanatory notes as possible.  There are also forms which
have assymetrically constructed strophes, making an intelligible solution
quite difficult to come by (see for instance Bre Sarica) I hope that the
result pleases those who use the book and invite comments and suggestions.

Thanks again for your warm comments...Josh

>From: "allen watsky" <awatsky (at) nj(dot)rr(dot)com>
>To: World music from a Jewish slant <jewish-music (at) shamash(dot)org>
>Subject: Fw: Sephardic Songbook
>Date: Sat, Jan 12, 2002, 12:27 PM
>

>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: allen watsky <mailto:awatsky (at) nj(dot)rr(dot)com>
> To: Joshua Horowitz <mailto:horowitz (at) budowitz(dot)com>
> Sent: Saturday, January 12, 2002 2:46 PM
> Subject: Sephardic Songbook
>
> Josh, Got the book, hope you have my check, if not you will get it  Monday or
so.
>     Edition Peters editions are always elegant, well laid out, good paper
> stock etc. I'm sort of a paper fetishist, I need no encouragement to pick
> up another book or edition of music. This one stands out, very well
> presented. I have other Peters items.
>     The contents of the book, are really great. I actually love this music.
> I read through  about 20 or so pages of it last night. by the time I had
> sight read to about page 13 page 2 of Canto de boda II, I was electrified.
> This material is a gift to the musical community.
>      The only slight problem for me is that they have a number of spots
> where half measures are continued on the next line. I always find that
> mildly annoying. Its no big deal. I am going to use this music. I
> especially enjoy the compound meters. Very refreshing. It would be
> fascinating to hear the field recordings, is that possible ?
>      Have I been too effusive ? Naaaaaaah... This is great stuff.
> Congratulations.... AW

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