Music, History, and Culture in Sephardi Jewish Prayer Chanting

Essica Marks

doi:10.3390/rel12090700

Abstract

This article presents the study of a Jewish liturgical genre that is performed in main sections of Jewish prayer services. This liturgical genre is called “prayer chanting”. The term refers to the musical performance by the cantor of the prose texts in Jewish prayer services. The genre of prayer chanting characterizes most Jewish liturgical traditions, and its central characteristic is a close attachment of the musical structure to the structure of the text. The article will examine musical, cultural, and historical characteristics of prayer chanting of two Sephardi Jewish traditions and will explain how this liturgical genre reflects historical and cultural features related to these liturgical traditions. The study presented here is based on field work that includes recordings of prayer and interviews of well-known cantors of the two traditions as well as observations in synagogue of the two liturgical traditions.

Highlights

Since the beginning of the Jewish diaspora two thousand years ago, after the fall of the Second Temple, the Jewish faith that originated in the Middle East has reached various corners of the world
The article examines musical, cultural, and historical characteristics of prayer chanting of two Jewish liturgical traditions and explains how this liturgical genre reflects historical and cultural features related to these liturgical traditions
Our study found that the combination of influences on the Spanish–Portuguese liturgical mOuusirc—stuJedwyifsohu-Ondttothmaatnth, JeecwoimshbNinoarttiohn-Aoffriicnafnlu, eanncdeEsuornotpheeanSpmaunsisich—–Pcorertautegduleistuerlgitiucar-l gmicuaslimc tuhsaitc—haJsewmiosrhe-OEuttroompeaann, JmewuissihcaNl torratihts-AthfarincaNno, artnhdAEfurircoapneaonr Mmiudsdicle—Ecarsetaetrendolintuesr.gical Tmhuesfiicrstthmatuhsiacsalmeolerme eEnutrtohpaetasnhomwusstihcealEturaroitpsetahnaninNfluoernthceAisfrtihceanmoordaMliitdydolfeSEpaasntiesrhn– oPnoerstu. guese prayer chanting

Summary

Introduction

Since the beginning of the Jewish diaspora two thousand years ago, after the fall of the Second Temple, the Jewish faith that originated in the Middle East has reached various corners of the world. This article presents two traditions of “Jewish music” that are performed and researched today but are almost entirely a product of life in the diaspora. What is known today as “Jewish music” is the result of complex historical processes This music is mainly a tradition that was transmitted orally and the lack of documentation of the music of the Jewish communities, even in the recent past, is a methodological problem in Jewish music research. I present a study of a Jewish liturgical genre that is performed in main sections of Jewish prayer services. This liturgical genre is called here “prayer chanting”. The article examines musical, cultural, and historical characteristics of prayer chanting of two Jewish liturgical traditions and explains how this liturgical genre reflects historical and cultural features related to these liturgical traditions

Jewish Liturgy

Jewish Prayer Chanting

Sephardi Jews

Prayer Chanting of the Jerusalem–Sephardi Tradition

Conclusions