Bernstein's Kaddish Symphony

genesis and purpose

Authors

  • Eli-Eri Moura Universidade Federal Da Paraíba

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.35699/2317-6377.2002.57613

Keywords:

Leonard Bernstein, Kaddish symphony, intention and music, music and faith, text and music, musical catharsis, judaism

Abstract

This paper presents some possible interpretations concerning the conception of Leonard Bernstein's Third Symphony Kaddish and the composer's intentions in writing the piece. The views are based on aspects of the composer's background and the piece's context and content. Bernstein's words about his own music are also taken as reference. The discussion brings about specific issues concerning the processes of creation and musical catharsis, and the relationships between faith and music, text and music.

Author Biography

  • Eli-Eri Moura , Universidade Federal Da Paraíba

    is a professor in the Department of Music at UFPB, where he is currently implementing a composition program at various levels. He is the creator and founding member of the Musical Composition Laboratory - COMPOMUS (UFPB). He holds a Master's degree in Composition from McGill University, Canada, and is currently writing his doctoral thesis for the same university. He has participated as a composer in the most important festivals in Brazil and abroad, including the World Music Days of the International Society for Contemporary Music, 2002 edition (Hong Kong), as the only Brazilian representative. In addition to composing concert music for various chamber groups, choirs, and orchestras, he is dedicated to creating soundtracks for theater (with several national awards), video documentaries, and films.

References

BERNSTEIN, Leonard. Original Program Note on The Age of Anxiety, from Boston Symphony Orchestra Notes, April 8, 1949.

______. The Infinite Variety of Music. New York: Simon and Schuster, 1966.

______. Interview. In Record Liner notes. By Phillip Ramey. CBS MG 32793. 1974.

______. Interview. Conversations with Conductors. By Robert Chesterman. London: Robson Books, 1976.

______. Press conference. Quoted in CD Liner Notes by Jack Gottlieb. DG 415 964-2. 1977.

BURTON, Humphrey. Leonard Bernstein. New York: Doubleday, 1994.

BURTON, William W. (Ed). Conversations about Bernstein. New York: Oxford University Press, 1995.

DRESNER, Samuel H. Levi Yitzhak of Berditchev. New York: Shapolsky Publishers, 1986.

GOTTLIEB, Jack. Record Liner notes. CBS KL 6005. 1963.

______. The Choral Music of Leonard Bernstein. American Choral Review 10 (1968): 156-174.

GRADENWITZ, Peter. Leonard Bernstein: the Infinite Variety of a Musician. New York: St. Martin's Press, 1987.

HINDERKS, Hermann E. Goethe's Faust and the Crisis of the Modern Man. Belfast: M. Boyd, 1957.

LUBAN, M. The Kaddish: Man's Reply to the Problem of Evil. Studies in Torah Judaism. Ed. Leon D. Stitskin. New York: Yeshiva University Press, 1969.

MATTHAEI, Louise E. Studies in Greek Tragedy. London: Cambridge University Press, 1918.

PEYSER, Joan. Bernstein - A Biography. New York: Beech Tree Books, 1987.

POLLACK, Howard. Harvard Composers. Metuchen: The Scarecrow Press, 1992.

Published

2002-01-01

Issue

No. 05 e 06 (2002): General Topics

Section

Articles

License

Copyright (c) 2002 Per Musi

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

Licença Creative Commons
Except where otherwise noted, contents on this site are licensed under a  Creative Commons - Atribuição 4.0 Internacional.

How to Cite

“Bernstein’s Kaddish Symphony: Genesis and Purpose”. 2002. Per Musi, no. 05 e 06 (January): 141-50. https://doi.org/10.35699/2317-6377.2002.57613.

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