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Jewish Musical Traditions

Amnon Shiloah 		Jewish Musical Traditions is the first English-language volume to consider oral music of Jewish communities in a sociocultural context. Amnon Shiloah, the world's leading authority on the Arab and Jewish musical traditions, tells a musical story voiced the world over by men and women in synagogues and homes, mirroring the life of an ancient people exiled from its land.
The author considers the musical heritage as only one element in the value system informing an individual's world outlook and perception of the destiny of the Jewish people. Hence, he discusses the manner in which this musical heritage meshes with the complex web of Jewish history by way of central themes such as the relation of music to religion, music, and the world of the Kabbalah, and music in communal life. Shiloah considers technical and theoretical approaches, as well as art music, folk music, and performance practices of poets, vocalists, instrumentalists, and dancers.		 "A masterful study of Jewish music, rich and fascinating in its complexity . . . [Shiloah] draws upon hundreds of sources, spanning the centuries to explain what constitutes Jewish music and the socio-cultural context in which it evolved."—Association of Jewish Libraries Newsletter
 
Raphael Patai Series in Jewish Folklore and Anthropology

$21.95s paper / ISBN 0-8143-2235-2

274 pages
31 musical examples

1992