Abstract
ABSTRACT In Ashkenazic synagogue custom, the term nusach ha-tefillah (“formula,” “version,” or “style” of prayer) is applied to both the order of the liturgy and the modal chants used to present the liturgy. A number of compendiums, guidebooks and analyses have detailed musical aspects and variations of nusach ha-tefillah. Less clear is when, where, or why the term expanded from its original textual meaning to the musical sense. Although some propose that this expansion occurred in the mid-nineteenth century, the term does not appear widely in printed sources until the mid-twentieth century, coinciding with the professionalization of the cantorate in the United States. Today, nusach ha-tefillah is the signature term of the American cantorate and is synonymous with musical authority and authenticity. This paper traces the development of the term from text to chant, and the motivations for this semantic expansion.
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