[JLM] Re: Verdi and the Sefardim

[Francesco Spagnolo <yuval.italia...>]

 From my understanding of the "Verdi" issue -- I also remember a 
discussion in the Jewish Music some years back Mailing List about the 
Ladino song "Adio querida"... -- the question is not necessarily that 
and how Verdi could have been inspired by Jewish themes (even if the 
possibility is theoretically there, and cannot be ruled out, I still 
know of anything that could prove it), but that his music was 
widespread in the Jewish communities of the 19th century.

In Italy, Verdi was known amongst Jews especially because of Nabucco, 
and the identification of the exile of the Hebrews with the national 
aspiration of the Italians (known as Risorgimento) that that opera 
fostered. The fact that his music became popular among Jews beyond 
Italy can be explained by the strong connections that the Italian 
communities had with the rest of the Jewish world, especially in the 
Sephardic sphere.

The role of (Italian) opera in synagogue music is a fascinating 
topic, and it deserves in my opinion a special consideration, both in 
terms of the repertoire (e.g. actual operatic tunes which made their 
way into the synagogue, or synagogal music composed in operatic 
style) and of the performance style (cantor singing in operatic 
manners).

Francesco Spagnolo


PS: I've expanded a little on this topic (in relationship to Italy) 
in an e-mail that was later posted on Ari Dawidov's website: 
http://www.klezmershack.com/articles/spagnolo/spagnolo.italian-short.html


>---------- Forwarded message ----------
>Date: Mon, 11 Aug 2003 09:49:16 +1000
>From: "Bernshaw, David" <David(dot)Bernshaw (at) petermac(dot)org>
>To: I. Oppenheim <i(dot)oppenheim (at) xs4all(dot)nl>
>Subject: RE: [JLM] Verdi and the Sefardim
>
>Dear Irwin, There is a theme Verdi employs for tenor
>early on in Don Carlos which , at least in the first
>bar, is identical to the northern european melody used
>for maoz tzur. While it may be coincidental, the
>content of this opera relates to the resistance of the
>Flemish to the power of catholic dominated Spanish
>empire and in Nabucco, Verdi does relate the battle of
>the Italian people against the political oppression, to
>the oppression of the jews in Babylon most effectively.
>So perhaps one can speculate that Verdi is using a
>familiar tune associated with religious and political
>resistance in another sphere as a code for early
>Italian national resistance of which he was a most
>significant supporter. With best wishes, David Bernshaw
>(Melbourne)
>
>-----Original Message-----
>From: I. Oppenheim [mailto:i(dot)oppenheim (at) xs4all(dot)nl]
>Sent: Sunday, 3 August 2003 7:58 AM
>To: jewishshulmusic (at) yahoogroups(dot)com; jewish-music (at) shamash(dot)org
>Subject: [JLM] Verdi and the Sefardim
>
>
>Below I have attached a picture with a transcription of
>the theme of the Agnus Dei from Verdi's Requiem next to
>a transcription of a Halleil theme for Pesach, used by
>the Portuguese Jews in Amsterdam.
>
>Both themes are strikingly similar. Do you know whether
>one of the themes was based on the other, or if both
>themes have a source in common?
>
>Do you know whether this tune is only used by the
>Sefardim in Amsterdam, or also by Sefardim in other
>places?

-- 


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