Re: Pre WWII Jewish Music

[Sylvie Braitman <curlySylvie...>]

Hi! Shirona,

I find your question very interesting. I am not sure it is up my alley, 
academically speaking. But here are a few thoughts.
Starting with the turn of the century, the Jews experience a strong move toward 
assimilation. They don't stop being Jewish (at least most of them), but they 
become more like "the others". 
It gives them a specific position in the European (east and West ) societies. 
The inner frontier, I think that's how it is called in Germany. You are inside, 
but you are irremediately outside.  This is what makes you a vanguard artist 
(modern painting, architecture, music at turn of Century), a socialist, a 
communist, a trotzkist.
This is a very succint commentary of the phenomenon. There is much litterature 
on this very subject. 
So music , and all arts, are not specifically Jewish. But mostly Jews make this 
art that the 3rd reich will call"degenerate". It is about pushing limits, 
getting out of the academic stiff style in painting (introducing Germany to 
French expresionism, Dadaism, Bauhaus, fauvism). About discovering new horizons 
in music (Schoenberg, Eisler). An artistic revolution with many Jewish leaders.
This feels very threatening to bourgeois German society. The paradox is that 
many Jews are also bourgeois at that time. And yes, they do not like Grosz and 
Schoenberg....Many musicians like Korngold for example, Or Braunsfeld, are the 
children of Bach and Wagner, and do not intend to make a revolution. Nothing 
pushing the limits in their art. But as Jews they will also be considered 
degenerate.

Did they see it coming? I do not think so. My feeling is that they were very 
absorbed with their artistic activities, and did not look elsewhere. When they 
did, they were socialists and all things left. And felt this was going to 
rescue them. Some of them also went to Palestine.
It would be interesting to know what happened in the Yiddish speaking 
countries, and to popular music . I do not know much about that. I know that 
the Warsaw Yiddish theater was flourishing at that time. (My grandma went there 
a lot). 
I do not believe that anything in the musical expression indicated a sense of 
imminent danger. Artistic expression in general was dominated by themes from 
WWI (death, amputated bodies, burnt, ravaged landscape) and by a fascination 
for the newfound modernity (planes, urban noise, mechanized labor, etc...).    
Jews were very active there.

Do we see it coming?
Will it come? 

Sylvie Braitman
  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: Shirona 
  To: World music from a Jewish slant 
  Sent: Sunday, April 28, 2002 8:52 AM
  Subject: Pre WWII Jewish Music


  I have a question - 

  Is there a body of work that can be labeled "Pre WWII Jewish Music " (in 
Europe) - or perhaps "Jewish Music Between the Wars" ? 

  The core of my question is this: If there is such a distinguishable body of 
work, ( including Theater, Poetry, Literature - even Art ) - does this body of 
work reflect the Jewish artists' awareness, or perhaps lack of awareness , of 
their changing status in the world...?

  - Shirona

  * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * 
  Singer, Songwriter and Teacher of Jewish Music
   Visit my website at    www.shirona.com
  Listen to my music at www.mp3.com/shirona
  * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *