Yiddish New York 2024

Name: Lecture: Ashkenazi Songs Before Yiddish
Start: 2024-12-26T09:30:00-0500
End: 2024-12-26T10:45:00-0500

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Thursday December 26, 2024 9:30am - 10:45am EST

503 - Hebrew Union College

What did the music of medieval Ashkenaz sound like? On many levels, it will always remain a mystery. Indeed, although some form of Jewish-German was certainly spoken there, only two surviving sources of Yiddish writing from before 1400 have survived: a two-line fragment from 1272 and a more complete collection from 1382. Rather than writing in their spoken language, Ashkenazi authors chose Hebrew, writing prolifically, including numerous poems meant to be sung, at least upon occasion. This poetry, in both its form and content, also present a fascinating glimpse into the Jewish-Christian cultural exchange of the time, as well showing the extent of assimilation. Unfortunately, not a single piece has survived with notated music. We will never know the exact melodies to which they were sung, however, with some detective work: by borrowing the melodies used by their Gentile neighbors, or, in some cases, from the rich Jewish oral tradition, a kind of “best guess” solution can be reached, bringing the soundscape of our distant ancestors back to life once more, no matter how imperfectly.

Speakers

Avery Gosfield

Was born in Philadelphia into a music-loving family that produced a composer (Annie Gosfield), a virtuoso steel guitarist (Lucky Oceans), as well as one outlier, political artist Josh Gosfield. Active as a performer, teacher and researcher, she directs the early music group Lucidarium... Read More →

Thursday December 26, 2024 9:30am - 10:45am EST
503 - Hebrew Union College 1 West 4th Street, New York, NY 10012

Lecture (Hybrid)

Yiddish New York 2024

Avery Gosfield

Attendees (2)

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