Re: Italian connections...

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

There is Rossi, but not being familiar with his entire body of work, I 
don't know whether he composed any Jewish music for solo voice.
Lorele

Francesco Spagnolo wrote:

> Mario Castelnuovo-Tedesco ties with Italian Jewish music still need to 
> be explored. As far as I can understand (although there is a book out 
> that covers most of his work -- I have to check in our archive), he 
> set for organ music a few Italian synagogue pieces (organ was widely 
> used in Italy until WW2), as a hommage to his family's heritage, which 
> was Tuscan, hence a mixture of Italian and Ashkenazi minhagim. I am 
> not sure that his vocal pieces have anything to do with Italian Jewish 
> music, though.
>
>
> Betty Olivero is indeed an Israeli composer, who has lived in Italy 
> for several years. She is now back in Israel.
>
>
> Alberto Hemsi, born in Turkey, did have an Italian connection. In 
> fact, he was an Italian citizen (as were many Sephardic Jews), and 
> received a degree from the Milano Music Conservatory, and even fought 
> in the Italian army during WW1. In his memoirs (check the introduction 
> to the "Cancionero Sephardi", edited by E. Seroussi and published by 
> the Hebrew University), he recalls studying music history in Milan, 
> were the teacher denied any autonomy to Jewish music. In his later 
> years, he suggested that such a denial prompted him to research 
> traditional Sephardic music.
>
>
> As far as traditional Italian Jewish music is concerned, the CD I've 
> edited, "Italian Jewish Musical Traditions. From the Leo Levi 
> Recordings (1954-1961)" -- which is about to be released by the Hebrew 
> University, as I will soon announce to the list in a separate message 
> -- offers a selection of 42 samples of Italian chazanut and folk songs 
> of various origins.
>
>
> Concerning the role of Jewish composers in 20th century Italy -- and 
> their disappearance after the Anti-Semitic Laws were approved by 
> Fascism in 1938 -- Yuval Italia has recently formed a study group, 
> with the aim of gathering information, collecting musical materials 
> and reconstructing a quite relevant part of the past century's musical 
> history.
>
>
> Francesco
>
>
>
>> You might look at the music of Betty Olivera.  She is a contemporary 
>> composer born in Israel and living in Italy.  A lot of her music is 
>> based on Sephardic motifs.
>
>>  
>
>> yoel
>>
>>     -----Original Message-----
>>     From: owner-jewish-music (at) shamash(dot)org
>>     [mailto:owner-jewish-music (at) shamash(dot)org] On Behalf Of
>>     IKochinska (at) aol(dot)com
>>     Sent: Tuesday, February 05, 2002 7:44 AM
>>     To: World music from a Jewish slant
>>     Subject: Castelnuovo-Tedesco's Jewish songs
>>
>>     Dear List,
>>     I have a little programming emergency - a concert I was just
>>     asked to do with only a month to go, and with a very specific
>>     focus (Italian-Jewish).  I want to do some songs of
>>     Castelnuovo-Tedesco (henceforth "C", so this doesn't take me all
>>     night!), but apparently a lot of his compositions are unpublished
>>     & with limited time, any pointers would be a big help.  I'm only
>>     interested in his explicitly Jewish songs.   I have his
>>     "V'erastich" and a group of 3 Sephardic Songs - but I know he
>>     wrote a lot more.  If anyone has a specific suggestion,
>>     especially pieces for soprano, but also any pieces you think are
>>     really good - I would really appreciate it!  
>>     The other composer I'm interested in, if anyone has specific
>>     recommendations, is Alberto Hemsi.
>>     Thanks,
>>     Ilana
>>
>
> -- 
>
>
> - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
>
> YUVAL ITALIA      Centro Studi Musica Ebraica
> the  Italian Center for the Study of Jewish Music
>
> via della Guastalla,19            20122 Milano Italy
>
> tel/fax +39 02 55014977    yuval (at) powerlink(dot)it                 
>
>            http://www.powerlink.it/yuval
> - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
>

-- 
Lori's new CD, Songs My Bubbe Should Have Taught Me; Vol.1: Passover, is 
available! All Yiddish, all Passover! Great music, fun songs, famous musicians! 
Only $15 & postage. Email me for more info.