Shalom Aleichem (Jewish music thread)

[Az]

Ofra Haza sings in hebrew, sir Og.



Man, I never knew there are that many people in faraway places listening to Israeli pop, but the internets are amazing. I've met shiri maimon fans from Poland.


Time to plug in some Israeli music :
כנסיית השכל or Knessiyat Hasechel in english transcription is a rock band that includes mid-eastern motives

[Barnabas]

Originally posted by Boris Godunov
Mahler, best Jewish music ever written. Although, Hindemith is pretty cool. Meyerbeer isn't so hot, though.

I second Boris Godunov, Mahler is the greatest jewish musician.


Try the fifth symphony

[Sir Og]

Az what does "Frecha" and "Chai" mean in English (or Russian )? These are song titles of Ofra Haza's songs.

[Az]

"Frecha" is something like a "bimbo" in english. "chai" if it's pronounced as "hai" ( and it is, חי ) means "live", or " alive".

[Nostromo]

Mahler, best Jewish music ever written. Although, Hindemith is pretty cool. Meyerbeer isn't so hot, though.

Even though Mahler was Jewish, his music doesn't strike me as particularly Jewish: its more germanic than anything else.

[Sir Og]

"chai" is pronounced as "hai" in the song that I am talking about.
Thanks Az.

[Dinner]

Originally posted by laurentius
נינט טייב ורן דנקר - השיר שלך - מתוך מלכת היופי

"nint tib and RAN dnkr, your song, from within the queen of the beauty"

I think the free online translator needs work.

[Eli]

A pretty good translation actually.

[laurentius]

okay maybe that last one wasent exactly "east european klezmer"

[Spiffor]

Just checked the Kracow's Klezmer band, it's amazing!

[Nostromo]

Just checked the Kracow's Klezmer band, it's amazing!

Indeed, I think I'll get De Profundis. Btw, they're on Zorn's label, Tzadik.

[laurentius]

Glad you people like them. De Profundis is indeed one of their greatest.

[Boris Godunov]

Originally posted by nostromo
Even though Mahler was Jewish, his music doesn't strike me as particularly Jewish: its more germanic than anything else.

Mahler was criticized for using "Jewish" melodies in his music (ex. Symphony No. 1 funeral march). Regardless, he was a German (or Austrian, rather) Jew, so yeah, his music is very "Germanic). I don't see how that makes his music any less Jewish, though, since it's music written by a Jew.

[Nostromo]

Mahler was criticized for using "Jewish" melodies in his music

I think its a question of tradition. Even though Malher sprinkled some "Jewish" melodies here and there, he wasn't making music in the Jewish tradition, or in a Jewish tradition, but in a tradition of European classical music. So if you're a Jewish musician, you're not necessarily making Jewish music, IMO. Furthermore, you don't have to be Jewish to make Jewish music. For example, a WASP from New Jersey could be in a Klezmer band.

[Boris Godunov]

So if a Japanese person writes a symphony, it isn't Japanese music any more, it's European? Sorry, I don't buy that line of reasoning.

Mahler was certainly a product of his culture, which was European. But there was a huge European Jew population and it was culturally intertwined with Europe at the time. If you want to call it "European Jewish Music," I guess that's a good compromise, but I still say it is Jewish music as much as a French jazz ensemble is playing French music, despite jazz being from American culture, not French.