Maalot Hashir
A Playing Anthology
In this anthology, seventy-one different melodies of Shir Hamaalot (Psalms 126) were first collected
Dr. Uri (Uriel) Aharon
Maalot Hashir – A Playing Anthology
In this anthology, seventy-one different melodies of Shir Hamaalot (Psalms 126) were first collected. The melodies are written in notes, harmony and barcode for listening, and they are recorded so that the musical tradition is perpetuated and not lost. These melodies were practiced in the “Ashkenaz” territory in general and Frankfurt on the Main in particular, sung at the end of Friday night meals and Shabbat lunches, holidays and festivals (before the food blessing) – in different and varied melodies for every Shabbat and holiday.
The anthology points to several techniques that served those in “Ashkenaz” and in Frankfurt on the Main, who made the melodies suitable for the purpose of liturgical and para-liturgical activity. These techniques were a kind of transformation of the melodies in general, and the non-Jewish ones in particular, in order to “Judaize” them and make them appropriate to Jewish activity. Shir Hamaalot, drew melody-makers in Ashkenaz to make it the musical “herald” of a special Shabbat or of a certain festival, as a piece that the musical essence of the relevant wording of the prayers was appropriate to, and concentrated on this chapter alone in the home’s para-liturgical activity.
This book will provide great enjoyment to “Yekkes” and their descendants for generations, to musicians, to Jewish music researchers and to many Jewish families at Shabbat and holiday meals.
Example of the notes for melody A for Rosh Hashana (from the book)
Example of listening to melody A for Rosh Hashanah
Dr. Uri (Uriel) Aharon -conductor,
composer, researcher, author of two books and many articles in music, plays classical, Jewish and folk music on the flute. For forty-two years he was a senior lecture in the field of musicology on behalf of the Ministry of Education at several colleges in Israel. He was a music director and conducted hundreds of concerts for Jewish music with a number of choirs in Israel and abroad, all of them documented and on CDs. You can follow his professional activity on his personal website uriaharon.co.il uriaharon.co.il
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The book “Maalot Hashir” by Dr. Uri Aharon
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