Tonality and Motivic Interrelationships in the Performance Practice of Nusach

The article presents several case studies in which the application of concepts and tools of music theory and analysis of Ashkenazi liturgical music may apply to the performance practice of this discipline. The first section explores the scalar aspects of the Ahavah Rabbah mode and its symbiosis with the minor scale, and the implications of this similarity on the practicum, especially in the use of congregational tunes. The second provides a tonal and structural analysis of the tune for Akdamut from a few angles in order to then shed light on one tonal aspect of the music of the Three Festivals (Shalosh Regalim.) The final section examines the use of one specific motif in various liturgical occasions and compares the different tonal contexts and location on the scale in each liturgical case.