The Music of Obadiah the Proselyte
Author
Reprinted from the Journal of Jewish studies, vol.18 (1967), nos. 1-4
Material Type:
Books
Year:
1967
Bibliographic Items (9)
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Paradigms of Arabic Musical Modes in the Genizah Fragment Cambridge T.S. N.S. 90,4
Material Type:
Articles in Books
Year:
1982
Obadiah the Proselyte: Scribe of a Unique Twelfth-Century Hebrew Manuscript Containing Lombardic Neumes
Author
A short article that details the discovery of Obadiah the Proselyte's Hebrew musical manuscripts discovered in the Cairo Geniza, dating to the 12th c. C.E. The article also includes representations of the manuscripts themselves and a short biographical sketch of Obadiah the Normal Proselyte.
Material Type:
Articles in Journals
Year:
1965
Synagogue chants of the 12th century; the music notations of Obadiah the proselyte
Author
Appeared also in the "Journal of Synagogue Music" 3 (1970).
Material Type:
Articles in Journals
Year:
1966
Mi 'al Har Hôrev
Performer
Performer
Recording of Mi 'al Har Hôrev from Obadiah the Proselyte's Hebrew musical manuscripts found in the Cairo Genizah in 1965.
Material Type:
Recordings
Year:
2004
Baruch ha'gever
Arrangement
Two recordings of "Baruch ha'gever" from Obadiah the Proselyte's Hebrew musical manuscripts, arranged by Andre Hajdu and performed by the Jerusalem Children's Choir under conductor Yonatan Lesser.
Material Type:
Recordings
Mi 'al har hôrev
Arrangement
Recording of "Mi 'al har hôrev" from Obadiah the Proselyte's Hebrew musical manuscripts, arranged by Andre Hajdu and performed by the Jerusalem Children's Choir under conductor Yonatan Lesser.
Material Type:
Recordings
Wa-eda mah
Arrangement
Recording of "Wa-eda mah" from Obadiah the Proselyte's Hebrew musical manuscripts, arranged by Andre Hajdu and performed by the Jerusalem Children's Choir under conductor Yonatan Lesser.
Material Type:
Recordings
Hebrew Hymn Tunes: the Rise and Development of a Musical Tradition - annotated examples of music written over a Span of Eight Centuries (נעימות פיוטים, דרכיה של מסורת מוסיקלית)
Author
Fifteen chants of various times and counties transcribed and discussed by one of the most eminent scholars of Jewish music. The book contains two melodies by Obadiah the Proselyte.
Material Type:
Scores
Year:
1971
Biographies (1)
Obadiah the Proselyte
Writer and composer
Born in Oppido Lucano, Italy. At birth given the name Johannes. In 1102 converted to Judaism, and in order to further his study of Judaism traveled to Constantinople, Baghdad, and Palestine, finally settling in Egypt and becoming a member of the thriving Jewish community situated there, where he wrote his memoirs. Obadiah's writings contain the earliest surviving manuscript source of Jewish music notation of synagogue chant.
Sources: Encyclopedia Judaica, Oxford Music Online.
1170-12 century
Concepts (1)
Ades Synagogue
The Ades synagogue of the Aleppine Jewish community is located in the Nakhalat Zion neighborhood, in central Jerusalem.
Song of the Month (1)
Mi-al har horev from the manuscripts of Obadiah the Proselyte
The preparation of this song of the month was inspired by several recent inquiries regarding the musical manuscripts of Obadiah the Proselyte. The staff of the Jewish Music Research Centre hopes that the information provided in the introduction, the accompanying recordings, and the bibliography will provide a general picture regarding this interesting set of early Hebrew musical manuscripts.
- A Polka Mazurka
- Niggun of the Meggid of Mezerich From the album, "The Hasidic Niggun as Sung by the Hasidim." This dance niggun is the seventh and last in a series of niggunim sung by Bratslav Hasidim as they dance after the Shabbat evening service on Friday night. Some have attributed the niggun to R. Dov Ber, the meggid of Mezerich.
- Kol B'ru'ei (Padua, Italy) From the album, "Italian Jewish Musical Traditions from the Leo Levi Collection (1954-1961)." The poem depicts "all creatures" singing and praising the unity of God, and was recited in the Italian rite during the daily morning prayer. This melody was sung only on Rosh Hashanah (New Year) in the Italian tradition of Padua.
- Yigdal From the album, "Judeo-Carribean Currents, Music of the Mikve Israel-Emanuel Synagogue in Curaçao," performed by Gideon Zelermyer. The Yigdal is part of the ceremonial section of the liturgical order of Shabbat and the Holy Days in the Curaçao synagogue. It is one of the ending hymns of the service.
- Eres Chiquita y Bonita From the album, "Judeo-Spanish Moroccan Songs for the Life Cycle," sung by Alicia Bendayan from Tetuan. This is a song about courtship, related to the Jewish rituals that mark the events of the life cycle.
- Sweet Shalt Be My Chant From the album, "Kulmus Hanefesh," performed by Yair Harel on voice and tar, and Matti Kovler on voice and piano. A sacred hymn attributed to Rabbi Yehuda ha-Chasid, this is a Chabad tune with a near-Eastern arrangement.
- Lyr II From the album, "The Music of the Mountain Jews." Lyr is a genre found among all Turkish peoples, consisting of long, complex compositions usually comprised of three parts.
- Gilu ha-Galilim (Rejoice Galileans) From the album, "Nights in Canaan, Early Songs of the Land of Israel (1882-1946)." This is a Second Aliyah (1904-1914) song which became an integral part of the historical repertoire of Hebrew song. Both native-born and newly arrived pioneers sang this song in all circumstances.
- Saperi Tama From the album, "With Songs They Respond: The Diwan of the Jews from Central Yemen." This is a girdle poem by Se'adia ben Amram. Saperi Tama is sung to many melodies and is one of Yemenite Jewry's most common poems.