In this landmark of musical scholarship, the leading 20th-century authority on Jewish music describes and analyzes its elements and characteristics, and chronicles its development from the earliest appearance of Semitic song 2000 years ago to the early 20th century. Liberally illustrating every type of music discussed, the book examines the music as a tonal expression of Judaism, Jewish life and the spiritual aspects of Jewish culture.
Customer Reviews:
Avg. Customer Rating: 5.0 / 5.0
Brilliant but it has aged:
THIS REVIEW CONCERNS THE 1967 EDITION An extremely rich book on the subject but published in 1967, one year before the discovery of the Babylonian tablet about the tuning of the harp in ancient Babylon. The book collects all we knew, and still know even if we know more today, about it, about what ancient or Hebraic biblical music could be and what it became in synagogal times. Many scores are given to illustrate the various modes. It is very learned on what the oriental unrhythmical mode is and how the... more info
A must for anyone interested in Jewish musical development:
Mr. Idelsohn takes the reader on a musical trek of discovery. One of the greatest casualties of centuries of oppression against the Jewish people was their musical expression - as a unique art form arose, the community would be destroyed and dispersed leaving behind only an echo which was picked up by survivors. Jewish music today is a hybrid with a strong foundation from Temple times. The author explains the connection and proves the point that even though Jewish music was influenced by non-Jewish music,... more info
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