Exemplification and the Limits of “Correctness”: The Implicit Methodology of Idelsohn’s "Thesaurus"

To repeat once more that Idelsohn occupies the position of a great pioneer in the systematic study of Jewish music would constitute a statement about which history has already given its verdict. Indeed, in the perspective of time his honored place remains unchallenged and it is fair to assume that this state of affairs will continue. It is likewise no indulgence to state that Idelsohn's work has hardly an equal in musicological and ethnomusicological studies insofar as magnitude, scope and intent are concerned. Diligence and intelligence, scholarship, and erudition combined with vision and hope to produce a monumental corpus. No apprehensions with regard to detail of one sort or another can destroy the impact of the work of a man committed, as Idelsohn was, to the unveiling of his ancestral musical roots. It is, therefore, out of respect and reverence that the following pages emerge, and the attempted enlarged vistas exploit and enjoy the shoulders of a giant.