Letter from Ensel, G. S. to Morais, Sabato. Springfield, IL; Jan 1879
- Title
- Letter from Ensel, G. S. to Morais, Sabato. Springfield, IL; Jan 1879
- Date Created
- 31 January 1879
- Format
- 4 pages on 2 sheets
- Language(s)
- English
- Source
- Katz Center for Advanced Judaic Studies
- Sabato Morais Collection, Box 2, Folder 7
- Has Format
- https://colenda.library.upenn.edu/items/ark:/81431/p3rf5m11k/manifest.json
- Link to Colenda
- https://colenda.library.upenn.edu/catalog/81431-p3rf5m11k
- Provenance
- Transfer of Custody from the Hebrew Education Society, 10 March 1913.
- Is Format Of
- https://raw.githubusercontent.com/judaicadh/morais/main/TEI/SMBx2FF7_9.xml
- content
-
G. S. Ensel & Co.
Fine Boots and Shoes,
111 West Side Square.
Springfield, Ill. January 31 1879.
Revd. S. Morais
Philadelphia Pa.
My dear Sir! The postal card, which you were kind enough to send me the other day, has caused me more pleasure, than you are perhaps aware of, for it has been a token of your great kindness and the interest, you take in my endeavor to collect the "Songs of Israel." Would that all the Rabbis of our country might feel the same pious regard for the preservation of the sacred times of our ancestors, there, and only then could we hope, that our musical service would rid itself from much, that is unjewish and foreign to its character. I do not belong to that class of Israelites, who would rigidly exclude from the Synagogue all kinds of modern music, for the simple reason, that not all our so called Jewish Melodies are worth preserving, but I am entirely opposed to the cultivation of such pieces, whose texts are so ultimately
interwoven with popular texts that of the Christian denominations, that you cannot well seperate one from the other. Take for example the beautiful and truly edifying Church Melody, known as "old Hundred."
Musically there can be not the least objection to introduce the tune into our Temples. but, whenever you hear its popular strains, it suggests to the mind the text, which is a glorification of the Trinity, hence—not even the Melody is recommendable in our Synagogues.
Take another composition, which enjoys a worldwide reputation for grandeur of conception, the "Kyrie" of Mozart's 12th mass. You hear that very often in Jewish places of worship, of course with a mild and water text, that is, with words, which suit everybody and—nobody.
Grant as this class of melodies be, we need not adopt them for our religious, musical service, since a concientious compiler could find among the stores of ancient traditional musical a great many, which, adapted to modern English texts, would give the Jewish Worship its own characteristic, which it once possessed.
G. S. Ensel & Co.
Fine Boots and Shoes,
111 West Side Square.
Springfield, Ill. 1878.
I have always wondered, why none of the compilers of "S[?]oth Israel" from Sulzer down to the latest, have never introduced the Sefardic ancient tunes. I know but very few of them, but the little I do know, is so much better, than the Polish Chasoneth of the old German Synagogue, that I am sometimes apt to compare their unknown composer with a Spanish Grander and a ____ "Pollak." The "Ashkenath" Liturgy could very well afford to adopt some of them, even if the original sefardic texts do not suit the texts of our—alas—too many new Prayer and Hymn Books.
I do not remember, whether I informed you in my first letter, that I had received from Paris the score of 30 [crossed-out] hebrew compositions by your countryman Salomo di Rossi, a celebrated composer of the latter part of the 16th century. These long lost hebrew pieces were found 2 or 8 years ago by Cavaliere Marco Mortara of
Manua and re-published by Naumburg of Paris.
They are of great beauty, but I doubt, whether they will ever become popular among modern Israelites, on account of their often quaint mediaeval harmony, which is like that of Rossi's contemporary Palestine—and also on a/c of their being written in the style of the 16th century for 4, 5.6.7.8 voices, our which would make their execution immensly difficult, unless somebody would arrange them for quartette, an undertaking, involving great cost and with a very indifferent public to buy them. I beg your pardon for intruding into your valuable time, but your kind remembrance of my object in view has encouraged me to say a few words about our Jewish Music as it is, and as it ought to be. I have very little hope (speranza) that the near future will bring improvements; for as long as we have indifferent Rabbis and uneducated Chasonim, we may very properly""and certainly not sacrilegiously—apply the words of your great countryman to the musical worship of modern Israel= Lasciate ogni speranza Voi di' entrate. My sincerest regards to you and thanks for your interest,
Yours truly
G S Ensel. - Identifier
- p3rf5m11k
- identifier
- SMBx2FF7_9
Part of Letter from Ensel, G. S. to Morais, Sabato. Springfield, IL; Jan 1879
Ensel, G. S. and Morais, Sabato, “Letter from Ensel, G. S. to Morais, Sabato. Springfield, IL; Jan 1879”, Sabato Morais Digital Repository, accessed October 18, 2024, https://judaicadhpenn.org/legacyprojects/s/morais/item/86058