On Jewish Music

"On Jewish Music", partly a retrospective, is a collection of articles on the history of Jewish music and covers aspects of Jewish musical culture from the earliest days of musical activities in ancient Israel/Palestine through the centuries of the Diaspora to modern Israel. Especially stressed is the ethnic aspect of archaeological evidence from ancient Israel. Discussed are the place of iconography in renaissance Hebrew manuscripts, the art of klezmer music, musical life in the former Soviet Union, and the sociological aspects of musical life in modern Israel. The discussion is accompanied by illustrations of archaeological artifacts, Hebrew manuscript illuminations and music examples. The volume is accessible to interested readers and scholars alike.

Contents: Biblical Terminology of Music Instruments - The Near Eastern Context - Music History of Ancient Israel/Palestine - Ethnicity - Jews in Soviet Music - The Large Forms of Klezmer Music - Christian and Jewish Religious Elements in Music - The Musical Landscape in Israel/Palestine.