Re: A Life Apart

[Eliezer Kaplan <zelwel...>]

>Of course, lots
> of Christian (and Jewish) traditions bar instrumental music from worship,
although I'm not aware
> that they regard singing as a different category from music.

In Judaism (most of the year) music being barred from worship is simply the
halachah of the day (i. e. Shabbat and Yom Tov). The actual 'prohibition of
music' is that which takes place during Sefirah (Pesach thru Shavuot) and
Bein Hametzarim (17 Tamuz- Tisha B'Av). Even in those times customs vary
widely, the primary goal being to lessen one's joy, which music brings. I
think that in these contexts the 'music' that's forbidden would be that
which brings joy- so the cantilllation associated with Tisha B'Av (the
darkest day of the year) slips through.
                                                                       ek


www.zelwel.com


----- Original Message -----
From: "Alex J. Lubet" <lubet001 (at) umn(dot)edu>
To: "World music from a Jewish slant" <jewish-music (at) shamash(dot)org>
Sent: Sunday, August 11, 2002 10:08 AM
Subject: Re: A Life Apart


> You're right, of course, Ari, in the parlance we usually use, but the
distinction between 'music'
> and 'singing' is not uncommon, especially in sacred traditions.  It is one
Amnon Shiloah
> discusses in Jewish Musical Tradition is made (if not characterized) by
some haredim who forbid
> 'music' but practice Torah cantillation.  It is a common distinction among
Muslims who chant the
> call to prayer and chant the Koran (which they learn in special schools
throughout the Islamic
> world, according to the appropriate maqam, more or less the equivalent of
mode), but eschew
> 'music' for religious reasons.  Even the Taliban had 'songs' which I saw
once were available at
> some ethnomusicologist's website, but couldn't bear to bring myself to
hear.  Certain Protestant
> denominations like the Old Line Regular Baptists of Kentucky make this
distinction as well and do
> not use instruments in worship although they permit 'music' in other
contexts.  Of course, lots
> of Christian (and Jewish) traditions bar instrumental music from worship,
although I'm not aware
> that they regard singing as a different category from music.
>
> An interesting variation on this theme is the Hmong perspective on music.
Traditionally, all
> their instrumental compositions were composed (or transcribed) based on
texts of their tonal
> language.  They did not regard these as music.  Music was something they
regarded as having
> picked up from American GI's.  Hmong rock and pop bands are a large part
of Hmong-American
> culture.
>
> There are also cultural regions whose languages until recently did not
have a single term
> equivalent to 'music' by which they characterized all their genres of
forthrightly sonic
> discourse.  This was the case in sub-Saharan Africa and among Native
Americans, although I'd be
> surprised if that were still the case.
>
> My apologies if this seems like an attempt to correct.  I just find this
an interesting topic.
> Defining 'music' in a universally acceptable way is probably not possible.
I've even excluded
> certain factors that would make the issue a good deal more complex.
>
> BTW, if anyone can help cantorial student Alyssa Forman with the question
in her recent posting,
> please do.  She originally contacted me and I sent her to the list.  My
impression is that
> there's some very impressive research going on at HUC (look at what  she's
doing for her
> dissertation) and we should support it.  One of their faculty, Marc
Kligman, had an article in a
> recent Ethnomusicology on maqam in Syrian Jewish Shabbat prayer that I
found fascinating.
>
> Shalom,
>
>
>
> Ari Davidow wrote:
>
> > >How much of it is music and how much of it is singing.
> >
> > Singing isn't music? I think a lot of us would have trouble with that!
> >
> > Did you mean to ask how much of the Bear Family anthology was
instrumental music vs. singing?
> >
> > ari
> >
> > Ari Davidow
> > ari (at) ivritype(dot)com
> > list owner, jewish-music (at) shamash(dot)org
> > the klezmer shack: http://www.klezmershack.com/
> >
>
> --
> Alex Lubet, Ph. D.
> Morse Alumni Distinguished Teaching Professor of Music
> Adjunct Professor of American and Jewish Studies
> Head, Division Of Composition and Music Theory
> University of Minnesota
> 2106 4th St. S
> Minneapolis, MN 55455
> 612 624-7840 612 624-8001 (fax)
>
>
>
>


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