Mendele: Yiddish literature and language ______________________________________________________ Contents of Vol. 6.175 December 30, 1996 1) Prokofiev's Jewish connection (Chana Mlotek) 2) Yehoash Bible translation (Arn Abramson) 3) Grine verem (Moyshe Taube) 4) Interrogative intonation (Joachim Neugroschel) 1)---------------------------------------------------- Date: Sun, 29 Dec 1996 21:04:31 -0500 From: chaniyos@aol.com Subject: Prokofiev's Jewish connection Dan Leeson, in Vol 6. l7l, questions my source for Bellison's connection with Prokofiev. My information is based on Nakhmen Meisil's "Yidishe tematik un yidishe melodyes bay barimte muziker," Yiddisher Kultur Farband, NY, l952. Meisil writes: "Der bavuster muziker, der klarnetist Shimen Belison (Geb. l88l-), oyf mayn onfreg, hot mir in zayn briv funem 19tn detsember, l95l, ot vos mitgeteylt vegn opshtam fun der shafung: Ven der "Zimra"-ansambl, unter der onfirung fun Sh. Belison hot gegebn zayn ershtn kontsert, November l9l9, in nyu-yorker "Karnegi-hol", mit a program fun durkhoys yidisher muzik, hot Sergey Prokofyev zikh gefunen in zal. Er iz dan geven oyf zayn ershtn bazukh in amerike. Dos shpiln funem ansambl hot gemakht a shtarkn ayndruk oyf im. Nokhn kontsert iz Prokofyev aroyf oyf der bine un oysgedrikt far Sh. Belison zayn greytkeyt ontsushraybn epes yidishes farn ansambl. Er badarf nor krign a gute yidishe teme. Morgn in der fri, azeyger 9, iz Prokofyev gekumen tsu Sh. Belison (127te gas un 7te evenyu) un oyfn ort oysgeklibn tsvey melodyes. In a tsen teg arum hot Prokofyev gebrakht Sh. Belisonen a fartike partiture, un der "Zimra"-ansambl hot zi genumen greytn tsu shpiln. Di ershte oyffirung fun der kompozitsye fun dem "Zimra"ansambl iz forgekumen in gikhn bay a fayner gelegnheyt. Di "Bohemiens", a klub fun artistn un muziker, hobn gegebn lekoved Sergey Prokofyev dem 2tn februar 1920 a fayerung, un der "Zimra"-ansambl hot tsum ershtn mol geshpilt di zakh. Prokofyev hot lekhatkhile ongerufn zayn kompozitsye "A sketsh oyf tsvey yidishe temes". Der "Zimra"-ansambl hot popularizirt es oyf zayne kontsertn in di shtatn un in kanade. Ven Prokofyev iz tsum tsveytn mol gekumen keyn amerike, hot er di kompozitsye gemakht oykh far an orkester. Er hot geendert dem nomen un es ongerufn "Overtur tsu tsvey yidishe temes". Chana Mlotek 2)---------------------------------------------------- Date: Sun, 29 Dec 1996 21:07:12 -0400 From: abramson@uconnvm.uconn.edu Subject: Yehoash Bible translation Al Grand [6.170] has responded to Lisa Tomlinson's request for information of the translation of the Tanakh into Yiddish by Yehoash. In the meantime, I had told her of an earlier edition than his, although I have only Vol. 1 of it. In 1941 the newspaper Der Morgen Jhurnal put out an edition of it. The copyright is assigned to Yehoash Farlag Gezelshat. Vol. 1 goes from Bereyshis through Melokhim beys. Al's description fits miy copy, so it may have been printed from the same plates. In that case, I suggest that he look at the back of the book. He should find a section of rabbinical commentaries in Hebrew. Arn Abramson 3)---------------------------------------------------- Date: Mon, 30 Dec 96 10:52:00 PST From: taube@hum.huji.ac.il Subject: Grine verem The phrase in which this expression was cited [by Mechl Asheri (6.171)], es kumt on mit grine verem, reminds me of the expression familiar to many of us, es kumt on mit grine gal. Anyone cares to carry it further?? Moyshe Taube 4)---------------------------------------------------- Date: Sun, 29 Dec 1996 15:08:23 -0500 (EST) From: achim1@cris.com Subject: Interrogative intonation Re Arn Abramson's point (6.172) about interrogative intonation in English and Yiddish, I'm not totally convinced that it's the same in (American) English as in German. I should admit right off that I haven't worked with informants and that I'm probably more heavily influenced than I realize by New York intonations (although I do say "a TEN-dollar-BIll" rather than New Yorkish "a ten-DOLLar-bill). My feeling is, however, that when the voice goes down at the end of an English question, the feeling is a bit harsher and more peremptory than in German or when the voice rises in English. If a store salesman asks "May I help you" with a downward pitch, I feel like a shoplifter. But if his pitch rises, I feel more welcome. If an American asks me "Do you speak Russian" with a downward pitch, I feel as if I'm being interviewed for a job. If his voice goes up at the end of sentence, then he's simply asking a friendly question. In German, however, the voice goes down either way, whether it's a policeman or the head of my local fan club: "Sprechen Sie denn russisch?" As for Yiddish, I really shouldn't generalize. But I do have the impression that there's a lot more singsong and a more emphatic rising inflection in "Galician" Yiddish than in standard Yiddish. Ultimately, however, there is such a wide gammut of nuances in the inflections of all three languages, that it might take a whole textbook to sort them out. My point was that when discussing any linguistic element, such as syntax, one has to see it connection with the lexicon and the intonation (as well as myriad other elements such as gestures and facial expressions, etc.). Joachim Neugroschel ______________________________________________________ End of Mendele Vol. 6.175