Re: eliyahu hanovi / dayenu

[Sam Weiss <SamWeiss...>]

At 07:33 PM 11/25/03, wurbs (at) rz(dot)uni-potsdam(dot)de wrote:
>On >Eliyahu ha Navi< it´s always >traditional< or >folk tune<
>With >Dayenu< it´s the same.
>(I found >Dayenu - Composed by: E. Kalendar - © 1997< [The World's Most 
>Popular Jewish Songs, Volume 2 - Sheet Music Songbook;

This particular folk melody (there are others, as well as other texts) for 
Eliyahu HaNavi is discussed in Eric Werner's <<A Voice Still Heard>>.  He 
says (in 1976) that it is "certainly 150 years old... the earliest notation 
is dated 1835."  He calls its rhythm (not its melody) "a genuine polonaise 
of the outgoing 18th century."  BTW it is also a rhythm favored by many 
Hassidic D'veykus Nigunim.  I think it is interesting to note that the 
penultimate melodic phrase of Eliyahu also occurs as a ritornello in the 
"Standard Melodic Ashkenazi Chatzi Kaddish" i.e. on the words 
"B'chayechon...etc.  Ba'agala...etc.   Tushb'chata...etc."   which is 
testimony that the tune can be called "folk" without reservation.

The tune for Dayenu, while it is included in Idelsohn's Thesaurus (without 
comment) strikes me as an irredeemable polka, plain and simple, with no 
discernible Yiddishn Ta'am.  It wonder if listmembers familiar with the 
polka genre could track down its source.
The name "E. Kalendar" listed in connection with this tune is that of the 
piano arranger of the collection, not the composer.

As far as Joel Bresler's query:
1)      What are the oldest known Jewish melodies? In which traditions?
2)      How do we know how old they are?

I strongly recommend <<A Voice Still Heard>> for definitive data regarding 
the age and provenance of Misinai Melodies and other traditional music of 
Minhag Ashkenaz.

_____________________________________________________________
Cantor Sam Weiss === Jewish Community Center of Paramus, NJ


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