Mendele: Yiddish literature and language ______________________________________________________ Contents of Vol. 4.136 October 12, 1994 1) Yidishe publikatzies in yisroyl (Leybl Botvinik) 2) Gleaning to Ravel and more (Ruben Frankenstein) 3) Congressman Sawyer's Reply (Zellig Bach) 1)---------------------------------------------------- Date: Wed, 12 Oct 94 12:48:45 IST From: leybl@telecomm.tadiran.co.il Subject: yidishe publikatzies in yisroyl an Oft Gefregte Frage (OGF) - Frequently Asked Question (FAQ): yidishe publikatzies in yisroyl: periodishe tzaytshriftn, zshurnaln, un almanakhn: ------------------------------------------------- 1. "naye vegn", hemshekh dor ohavei yidish (nay:- es zaynen biz itzt aroys tzvey numern. es geyt aroys efsher eyn mol a yor, dervayle) dos iz a literarishe almanakh fun yunge yidishe shraybers, batzirt mit ilustratzies un tzeykhenungen fun molers. der ershter numer iz shoyn nit benimtze (= shoyn nit tzu gefinen). eyntzelne kopies fun der tzveyter numer zaynen nokh faran. Rehov Kalisher 48, P.O.Box 65279. Tel Aviv. Israel, 61652. 2. "di goldene keyt", redaktor: avrom sutzkever, Weitzman 30, Tel Aviv, Israel, 62091. 3. "yidish velt", veltrat far yidish, Kaplan 17, Tela Aviv, Israel. 4. "yerushalaymer almanakh", redaktor: yoysef kerler, Shderot Eshkol, 12/6, Jerusalem. Israel, 97764. 5. "lebns fragn", redaktor: yitzkhok luden, Rehov Kalisher 48, Tel Aviv. Israel, 61165. 6. "folk un tzion", redaktor: moyshe kalkhheym, Hahistadrut - Makhlakah Lehasbarah, Kaplan 17, P.O.B. 7053, Tel Aviv, 61070 Israel 7. "fraye shtime", redaktor: yoysef luden, Ben Yehuda 203, Tel Aviv 63502, Israel. 8. "der veg", Maze [mem-zayin-alef-"-hey] 61, P.O.B. 26205, Tel Aviv, 65789, Israel tzaytungen: ---------- 1. "letzte nayes", redaktor: yitzkhok brat. [eyn mol a vokh] Chelnov 49, Tel Aviv. 66048. Israel. 2. "naye tzaytung", redaktor: yoysef magen, [eyn mol a vokh] shvil hamifal 6, Tel Aviv. 66535, Israel. 3. "yisroyl shtime", redaktor: dovid shtokfish, [eyn mol a khoydesh] A. Ben-Avi 4, P.O.B. 1777, Tel Aviv 61016, Israel. leybl botvinik 2)---------------------------------------------------- Date: Wed, 12 Oct 1994 12:47:13 +0100 (MEZ) From: frankens@mibm.ruf.uni-freiburg.de Subject: Gleaning to Ravel and more Harold Orbach mentions Madelaine Grey, the magnificent voice inter- preting Ravel`s "Chansons hebraiques". I was lucky to know her per- sonally through my father, who had a close contact to her, being an international music-critic (in Israel). Born 1897 she was of course too young to sing the premiere of the songs. Ravel dedicated the songs to another singer Alvina Alvi. Yet it was Madelaine Grey whose most convincing and authentic interpretation of the songs with Ravel playing the piano-part, made them so popular. She was jewish and vi- sited Israel to give master-classes for young singers in the sixties. She died 1979. Other wonderful recordings of the songs are, that of Pierre Bernac (with Francis Poulenc playing the piano) and Gerard Souzay. Of the newer interpretations I like Frederica von Stade. The astonishing empathy with which Ravel succeeded to set the songs (he was not jewish at all) must have put the original songs in the shadow. How else can you explain that they are seldom being sung. In my collection I have just the cantor of Zuerich - Bernhard San singing "Meyerke" with a much too pompous orchestra setting under Noam Sherif and Belina from Paris, singing "Fregt di velt an alte kashe" in a manner as if she misunderstood it to be just a fragment, though it is as complete and perfect as the "unfinished" symphony by Schubert. By the way there is an error in the translation Harold Orbach cited from the cover. It must be: "You can also answer". Another awkwardness is the singularity of Ravel`s setting of yiddish songs. The only parallel I know is Shostakowich having written the Songs "of Jewish Folk-Poetry" op. 79 - 11 songs! But in cotrast to Ravel he neither kept the melody of the original nor the language. He just composed melodies to translations of yiddish songs, he found somewhere. I cannot even identify most of the original songs except: Nr. 4 "Oy Avrom, ikh ken on dir nit sayn" and Nr. 7: "Oyfn boydem shloft der dakh". Has someone found more? Of course there are numerous settings to biblical and lyturgical texts one of my favourites being the "Kiddush" by Kurt Weill, written in reverence to his father, the formerly synagogue-cantor. Perhaps this is the place to call composers for doing more in this field in Ravel`s tradition (or like Bartok did for many folklores). Ruben Frankenstein 3)---------------------------------------------------- Date: Tue, 11 Oct 94 17:27:22 EDT From: Zellig@aol.com Subject: Congressman Sawyer's Reply In Mendele Volume 4.110,4 Zellig Bach published an open letter to Congressman Thomas C. Sawyer, Chairman of the Subcommittee that oversees the Census Bureau, with reference to the Yiddish translation of the Bureau's questionnaire for the year 2000. This is [part of] his reply: Thank you for your thoughtful letter and article about the Census Bureau's inadequate Yiddish translation of its questionnaire for the 1990 census. Your concern is an important one. If the Census Bureau's materials are not understandable, and possibly offensive, then they will not have the desired effect of encouraging participation in the census. I see from your article that you've already written to the Census Bureau. I will remind the Bureau of the offer it made to request your involvement and that of other professionals in its translation work. The Census Bureau seems to be placing a higher emphasis on cooperating with national and local community organizations in preparing for the census. That approach also should help the Bureau to develop culturally- and linguistically-sensitive materials. Zellig Bach ______________________________________________________ End of Mendele Vol. 4.136 Mendele has 2 rules: 1. Provide a meaningful Subject: line 2. Sign your article (full name please) A Table of Contents is now available via anonymous ftp, along with weekly updates. Anonymous ftp archives available on: ftp.mendele.trincoll.edu in the directory pub/mendele/files Archives available via gopher on: gopher.cic.net Send articles to: mendele@yalevm.ycc.yale.edu Other business: nmiller@mail.trincoll.edu