Papers by Anat Rubinstein
6. The Cosmopolitan Soundscape of Odesa
Academic Studies Press eBooks, Dec 30, 2023
Cosmopolitan Spaces in Odesa: A Case Study of an Urban Context. Lecke, Mirja, and Efraim Sicher, eds., 2023
From its earliest days, Odessa gained renown for its prolific musical culture, in which all of it... more From its earliest days, Odessa gained renown for its prolific musical culture, in which all of its citizens participated. This paper will shed light on the major music genres prevalent in Odessa from the late 19th century to the early Soviet era, emphasizing the connections and cosmopolitan nature of music-making, the interplay between genres, and the involvement of Jewish musicians in the city's music scene. It will explore the opera house, synagogues, street and tavern music, as well as highlight prominent musical figures who emerged from the city and achieved global recognition.
A substantial portion of our discussion will be dedicated to the crucial role played by opera and classical music in shaping Odessa's musical landscape. The city's theater, constructed in 1810, served as a cultural hub, housing both opera and classical music performances. It stood as the heart of Odessa's cultural life, with its modern opera productions rivaling those of Europe's most esteemed opera houses. Leading Russian composers and conductors, such as Tchaikovsky, graced its stage with their music. Among its notable residents were some of the world's greatest Jewish violinists, including Mischa Elman and David Oistrakh, who would later captivate concert halls worldwide during the first half of the twentieth century.
Another noteworthy aspect of the city's auditory tapestry was the rich tradition of synagogue music cultivated in Odessa's numerous synagogues. Two synagogues, in particular, stood out: The Great Synagogue and the Brodsky Synagogue. These two places of worship engaged in a perpetual rivalry to showcase the talents of their cantors and the excellence of their choirs, tirelessly refining their renditions of liturgical music.
Outdoor music performances were exceedingly common in Odessa and played a pivotal role in defining its unique character. The city's temperate climate facilitated concerts in lush, meticulously maintained gardens and along the scenic seashore promenade, providing entertainment for passersby. Virtually every respectable café boasted a balcony from which patrons could delight in musical performances.
The confluence of folklore from various immigrant groups and the wit and humor of the city's inhabitants contributed to the creation of a distinct cultural and musical language. This language predominantly echoed the Yiddish phrase "di Odesser gas," encapsulating Odessa's street culture, which permeated popular culture, language, and song. Many Odessan songs are infused with nostalgia, affectionately addressing the city as "Odessa Mama." These songs vividly portray the city's vibrant lifestyle and beauty, the hedonism and lawlessness of its residents, and the allure of quick riches. The Odessan klezmer music was a unique and captivating phenomenon, with accounts and tales describing the spirited and impassioned performances by Jewish klezmorim who earned their livelihoods by entertaining in taverns and clubs.
Another musical genre associated with the permissive atmosphere and revelry that characterized the city's nightlife was the tango. In the 1920s, this genre swept across Europe with fervor, and Odessa was no exception, as the city's Jewish community developed a deep fondness for it.
Odessa's jazz scene, while a late bloomer compared to other genres, was a testament to the city's ability to assimilate new musical styles into its distinctive cultural milieu. In the 1920s, Russian jazz underwent a stylistic transformation under the influence of the new Soviet regime, which sought to align it with Soviet principles by tempering its wild, individualistic, and anarchic elements. This musical style, known as theatro-Jazz or Jazz Comedy, found its master in the legendary Leonid Utyosov.
Your paper effectively captures the diverse and vibrant musical heritage of Odessa, illustrating its role as a cultural crossroads and its capacity to nurture a rich tapestry of musical genres and talents. The influence of Jewish musicians and cultural elements is particularly prominent in shaping the city's musical identity.
Shofar: An Interdisciplinary Journal of Jewish Studies, 2022
European Jews' exposure to modernity in the nineteenth century led to major changes in the struct... more European Jews' exposure to modernity in the nineteenth century led to major changes in the structure of the community's organization and the balancing of the foci of power, in its patterns of behavior and religious practices, as well as in its aesthetic sensibilities. Cantor Pinkhas Minkowsky (1859–1924) held a prominent position in the attempts to redefine the soundscape of the synagogue during these tumultuous times in the annals of Eastern Europe's Jewish community. Minkowsky's overall work and thought are the products of a formative moment in the highly charged and complicated encounter between Jewishness and modernity in Odessa of the late nineteenth century and early twentieth centuries. His work and thought are an expression of his dealing with the discomfort and ambivalence that the encounter with modernity presented. Minkowky's thought concentrated on the roots of the national idea and the search for primordial authenticity, which constitute one of the most patent manifestations of modern nationalism. His musical works shed light on his musical acumen and expertise, but most importantly, they illuminate the dialectics between old and new, "emotion" and "order," and innovation and conservatism. Based on Philip Bohlmanʻs model, Minkowsky's role as "mediator" or "ambassador" in the encounter between tradition and modernity, as well as his role as a "music expert," rather than a "religious expert," are discussed.
MA Thesis - The Hebrew University, Jerusalem, Israel, 2012
Music transcription has been part of music practice for centuries. In the mid 1800's, however, it... more Music transcription has been part of music practice for centuries. In the mid 1800's, however, it took a turn toward a different aesthetic and functional level: from craft to art. The works of Johann Sebastian Bach have always been a desirable object for transcriptions of any kind ever since this artistic trend was formed. Bach's music has inspired composers to seek their own inner voice and individuality within his music by writing transcriptions, thus providing new interpretation and refreshing insights to his music, rooted in their own musical language and contemporaneous aesthetics.
The purpose of this paper is to track compositional and aesthetic trends within the art of transcription from the late 19th century to the Postmodern era, using the famous Toccata and Fugue in D Minor BWV 565 by Johann Sebastian Bach as a case study. The analysis includes several transcriptions for piano, orchestra and other various instruments to which the Toccata and Fugue has been transcribed. The methodology used to establish the analysis is based on Grigory Kogan's method of comparison of transcriptions in parallel view. This paper also discusses the history of the art of transcriptions, as well as philosophical, theoretical, moral, and aesthetic issues which the practice of transcription provokes.
Music in Israel מוסיקה בישראל, 2014
ט״ו בשבט בצל זיכרון ושכול: 
'שמש אוקטובר' מאת מרק קופיטמן ו'הבן יקיר לי אפרים' מאת חיים... more ט״ו בשבט בצל זיכרון ושכול: 
'שמש אוקטובר' מאת מרק קופיטמן ו'הבן יקיר לי אפרים' מאת חיים פרמונט
Two very different musical pieces, October Sun by Mark Kopytman (1974, to a poem by Yehuda Amichai), and the chamber opera My Dear Son of Mine (premier, June 2000) by Haim Permont (libretto: Thalma Alyagon-Rose), revolve around the same issue of bereavement as a personal and collective trauma. Significantly, both composers cite the same naïve and cheerful children’s song "The Almond Tree Is Blooming", traditionally sung by children during Tu Bishvat – the Festival of Trees, as an indication of place and time of the described events. However, through the compositional methods based on conscious estrangement of the song, the tragic context of both compositions is quite obvious. Kopytman created an aleatorical loop using fragments of the song interspersed as a background to the vocal part. Permont and Alyagon-Rose, on the other hand, posed the festival of trees in the center of the plot: the fallen son was born on Tu Bishvat, the bereaved mother celebrates her dead son's birthday while singing a distorted version of the song. In addition, the various manifestations of the Jewish High Holidays, including the Shofar (The Ram's Horn), the hints to Biblical Akeda (Sacrificing Issac) and the heavy shadow cast by the Yom Kippur War (The 1973 War, The War of Attonement Day) are also heard in these compositions and constitute additional symbolical strata. The juxtaposition of different event symbols opens additional perspectives which mutually intensify the implicit significance of each one of them. I intend to look into the common elements, that connect these events via the above mentioned compositions, in order to find out what underlies this intertextuality. Likewise, I suggest a model that will demonstrate the way concrete national traumas are transformed into ideological and social beliefs, which, in their turn, find musical expression.
בחינת השימוש בשיר הילדים ״השקדיה פורחת״ בשתי היצירות הללו העוסקות בהתמודדות עם השכול. בשתי היצירות מובאת ״השקדיה הפורחת״ בטכניקות הלחנה שונות, היוצר נדבך סמנטי נוסף ומהווה פרשנות מוסיקלית אישית של כל מלחין לזיכרון ושכול.
Thesis Chapters by Anat Rubinstein
European Jews' exposure to modernity in the 19 th century led to major changes in the structure o... more European Jews' exposure to modernity in the 19 th century led to major changes in the structure of the community's organizational and the balancing of the foci of power, in its patterns of behavior and religious practices, as well as in its aesthetic sensibilities. These transformations included also changes in the synagogue and in the liturgy during the first half of the 19 th century. In the wake of the Reform Movement in Western Europe such processes reached a high point. The aesthetization of liturgical music in Germany's principalities and in the Austro-Hungarian Empire consequently positioned the nature and role of synagogue music at the center of the deliberations of the leaders of the Eastern European Haskalah regarding religious rituals. The growing influence and expansion of the Haskalah in Eastern Europe during the second half of the 19 th century faced Jews in the Russian Empire with momentous questions concerning their identity, nationality, and the role and status of religious tradition in view of the new vogues the spread to all aspects of Jewish life. Cantor Pinkhas Minkowsky (1859-1924), the subject of this dissertation, held a prominent position in the attempts to redefine the soundscape of the synagogue during these tumultuous times in the annals of Eastern Europe's Jewish community. Pinkhas Minkowsky served as cantor and composer in the synagogue of the former residents of Brody in the city of Odessa for approximately thirty years (1892-1922). He was one of the promoters of the Haskalah in the realm of synagogue musicand implemented those new ideas in his musical works and in his performance style. A review of his philosophy and work as they evolved in the modern cultural milieu of Odessa at the turn of the 20 th century offers a glimpse into the world views of the representatives and promoters of the Haskalah in the Russian Empire and how they coped with the challenges of the modern era. This dissertation focuses on how Minkowsky crafted his musical concepts in the Brody Synagogue , an organization whose patrons, influenced by the synagogues of large cities such as Berlin and Vienna, tried to create a progressive religious institution in the spirit of the Haskalah. Such a search led to the appointmen" of a knowledgeable prayer leader and a choir of m'shorerim [singers]." At the same time that it promoted innovations, the leaders of this congregation also sought to preserve aspects of the musical repertoire of the Eastern European tradition on which they were brought up and with which they were familiar from their parents' homes. Apart from being a cantor and composer, Minkowsky was also a member of a group of He-brew-language authors active in Odessa. His circle of acquaintances included Hayim Nahman Bialik, Shaul Tchernichovsky, Sholem Aleichem (Solomon Naumovich Rabinovich), Mendele Mocher Sforim (Sholem Yankev Abramovich), Ahad Ha'am (Asher Zvi Hirsch Ginsberg), and others, with whom he maintained a close friendship and in whose various cultural enterprises he took part. Min-kowsky was a unique figure in the world of Jewish music of his times, a prolific composer, and one of the main pillars of the movement that sought to advance musical transformations in the synagogue. His influence on the Eastern European cantorial community was significant. In addition, he was a theoretician and researcher of Jewish music, a philosopher, and a publicist. Dozens of his articles
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Papers by Anat Rubinstein
A substantial portion of our discussion will be dedicated to the crucial role played by opera and classical music in shaping Odessa's musical landscape. The city's theater, constructed in 1810, served as a cultural hub, housing both opera and classical music performances. It stood as the heart of Odessa's cultural life, with its modern opera productions rivaling those of Europe's most esteemed opera houses. Leading Russian composers and conductors, such as Tchaikovsky, graced its stage with their music. Among its notable residents were some of the world's greatest Jewish violinists, including Mischa Elman and David Oistrakh, who would later captivate concert halls worldwide during the first half of the twentieth century.
Another noteworthy aspect of the city's auditory tapestry was the rich tradition of synagogue music cultivated in Odessa's numerous synagogues. Two synagogues, in particular, stood out: The Great Synagogue and the Brodsky Synagogue. These two places of worship engaged in a perpetual rivalry to showcase the talents of their cantors and the excellence of their choirs, tirelessly refining their renditions of liturgical music.
Outdoor music performances were exceedingly common in Odessa and played a pivotal role in defining its unique character. The city's temperate climate facilitated concerts in lush, meticulously maintained gardens and along the scenic seashore promenade, providing entertainment for passersby. Virtually every respectable café boasted a balcony from which patrons could delight in musical performances.
The confluence of folklore from various immigrant groups and the wit and humor of the city's inhabitants contributed to the creation of a distinct cultural and musical language. This language predominantly echoed the Yiddish phrase "di Odesser gas," encapsulating Odessa's street culture, which permeated popular culture, language, and song. Many Odessan songs are infused with nostalgia, affectionately addressing the city as "Odessa Mama." These songs vividly portray the city's vibrant lifestyle and beauty, the hedonism and lawlessness of its residents, and the allure of quick riches. The Odessan klezmer music was a unique and captivating phenomenon, with accounts and tales describing the spirited and impassioned performances by Jewish klezmorim who earned their livelihoods by entertaining in taverns and clubs.
Another musical genre associated with the permissive atmosphere and revelry that characterized the city's nightlife was the tango. In the 1920s, this genre swept across Europe with fervor, and Odessa was no exception, as the city's Jewish community developed a deep fondness for it.
Odessa's jazz scene, while a late bloomer compared to other genres, was a testament to the city's ability to assimilate new musical styles into its distinctive cultural milieu. In the 1920s, Russian jazz underwent a stylistic transformation under the influence of the new Soviet regime, which sought to align it with Soviet principles by tempering its wild, individualistic, and anarchic elements. This musical style, known as theatro-Jazz or Jazz Comedy, found its master in the legendary Leonid Utyosov.
Your paper effectively captures the diverse and vibrant musical heritage of Odessa, illustrating its role as a cultural crossroads and its capacity to nurture a rich tapestry of musical genres and talents. The influence of Jewish musicians and cultural elements is particularly prominent in shaping the city's musical identity.
The purpose of this paper is to track compositional and aesthetic trends within the art of transcription from the late 19th century to the Postmodern era, using the famous Toccata and Fugue in D Minor BWV 565 by Johann Sebastian Bach as a case study. The analysis includes several transcriptions for piano, orchestra and other various instruments to which the Toccata and Fugue has been transcribed. The methodology used to establish the analysis is based on Grigory Kogan's method of comparison of transcriptions in parallel view. This paper also discusses the history of the art of transcriptions, as well as philosophical, theoretical, moral, and aesthetic issues which the practice of transcription provokes.
'שמש אוקטובר' מאת מרק קופיטמן ו'הבן יקיר לי אפרים' מאת חיים פרמונט
Two very different musical pieces, October Sun by Mark Kopytman (1974, to a poem by Yehuda Amichai), and the chamber opera My Dear Son of Mine (premier, June 2000) by Haim Permont (libretto: Thalma Alyagon-Rose), revolve around the same issue of bereavement as a personal and collective trauma. Significantly, both composers cite the same naïve and cheerful children’s song "The Almond Tree Is Blooming", traditionally sung by children during Tu Bishvat – the Festival of Trees, as an indication of place and time of the described events. However, through the compositional methods based on conscious estrangement of the song, the tragic context of both compositions is quite obvious. Kopytman created an aleatorical loop using fragments of the song interspersed as a background to the vocal part. Permont and Alyagon-Rose, on the other hand, posed the festival of trees in the center of the plot: the fallen son was born on Tu Bishvat, the bereaved mother celebrates her dead son's birthday while singing a distorted version of the song. In addition, the various manifestations of the Jewish High Holidays, including the Shofar (The Ram's Horn), the hints to Biblical Akeda (Sacrificing Issac) and the heavy shadow cast by the Yom Kippur War (The 1973 War, The War of Attonement Day) are also heard in these compositions and constitute additional symbolical strata. The juxtaposition of different event symbols opens additional perspectives which mutually intensify the implicit significance of each one of them. I intend to look into the common elements, that connect these events via the above mentioned compositions, in order to find out what underlies this intertextuality. Likewise, I suggest a model that will demonstrate the way concrete national traumas are transformed into ideological and social beliefs, which, in their turn, find musical expression.
בחינת השימוש בשיר הילדים ״השקדיה פורחת״ בשתי היצירות הללו העוסקות בהתמודדות עם השכול. בשתי היצירות מובאת ״השקדיה הפורחת״ בטכניקות הלחנה שונות, היוצר נדבך סמנטי נוסף ומהווה פרשנות מוסיקלית אישית של כל מלחין לזיכרון ושכול.
Thesis Chapters by Anat Rubinstein
A substantial portion of our discussion will be dedicated to the crucial role played by opera and classical music in shaping Odessa's musical landscape. The city's theater, constructed in 1810, served as a cultural hub, housing both opera and classical music performances. It stood as the heart of Odessa's cultural life, with its modern opera productions rivaling those of Europe's most esteemed opera houses. Leading Russian composers and conductors, such as Tchaikovsky, graced its stage with their music. Among its notable residents were some of the world's greatest Jewish violinists, including Mischa Elman and David Oistrakh, who would later captivate concert halls worldwide during the first half of the twentieth century.
Another noteworthy aspect of the city's auditory tapestry was the rich tradition of synagogue music cultivated in Odessa's numerous synagogues. Two synagogues, in particular, stood out: The Great Synagogue and the Brodsky Synagogue. These two places of worship engaged in a perpetual rivalry to showcase the talents of their cantors and the excellence of their choirs, tirelessly refining their renditions of liturgical music.
Outdoor music performances were exceedingly common in Odessa and played a pivotal role in defining its unique character. The city's temperate climate facilitated concerts in lush, meticulously maintained gardens and along the scenic seashore promenade, providing entertainment for passersby. Virtually every respectable café boasted a balcony from which patrons could delight in musical performances.
The confluence of folklore from various immigrant groups and the wit and humor of the city's inhabitants contributed to the creation of a distinct cultural and musical language. This language predominantly echoed the Yiddish phrase "di Odesser gas," encapsulating Odessa's street culture, which permeated popular culture, language, and song. Many Odessan songs are infused with nostalgia, affectionately addressing the city as "Odessa Mama." These songs vividly portray the city's vibrant lifestyle and beauty, the hedonism and lawlessness of its residents, and the allure of quick riches. The Odessan klezmer music was a unique and captivating phenomenon, with accounts and tales describing the spirited and impassioned performances by Jewish klezmorim who earned their livelihoods by entertaining in taverns and clubs.
Another musical genre associated with the permissive atmosphere and revelry that characterized the city's nightlife was the tango. In the 1920s, this genre swept across Europe with fervor, and Odessa was no exception, as the city's Jewish community developed a deep fondness for it.
Odessa's jazz scene, while a late bloomer compared to other genres, was a testament to the city's ability to assimilate new musical styles into its distinctive cultural milieu. In the 1920s, Russian jazz underwent a stylistic transformation under the influence of the new Soviet regime, which sought to align it with Soviet principles by tempering its wild, individualistic, and anarchic elements. This musical style, known as theatro-Jazz or Jazz Comedy, found its master in the legendary Leonid Utyosov.
Your paper effectively captures the diverse and vibrant musical heritage of Odessa, illustrating its role as a cultural crossroads and its capacity to nurture a rich tapestry of musical genres and talents. The influence of Jewish musicians and cultural elements is particularly prominent in shaping the city's musical identity.
The purpose of this paper is to track compositional and aesthetic trends within the art of transcription from the late 19th century to the Postmodern era, using the famous Toccata and Fugue in D Minor BWV 565 by Johann Sebastian Bach as a case study. The analysis includes several transcriptions for piano, orchestra and other various instruments to which the Toccata and Fugue has been transcribed. The methodology used to establish the analysis is based on Grigory Kogan's method of comparison of transcriptions in parallel view. This paper also discusses the history of the art of transcriptions, as well as philosophical, theoretical, moral, and aesthetic issues which the practice of transcription provokes.
'שמש אוקטובר' מאת מרק קופיטמן ו'הבן יקיר לי אפרים' מאת חיים פרמונט
Two very different musical pieces, October Sun by Mark Kopytman (1974, to a poem by Yehuda Amichai), and the chamber opera My Dear Son of Mine (premier, June 2000) by Haim Permont (libretto: Thalma Alyagon-Rose), revolve around the same issue of bereavement as a personal and collective trauma. Significantly, both composers cite the same naïve and cheerful children’s song "The Almond Tree Is Blooming", traditionally sung by children during Tu Bishvat – the Festival of Trees, as an indication of place and time of the described events. However, through the compositional methods based on conscious estrangement of the song, the tragic context of both compositions is quite obvious. Kopytman created an aleatorical loop using fragments of the song interspersed as a background to the vocal part. Permont and Alyagon-Rose, on the other hand, posed the festival of trees in the center of the plot: the fallen son was born on Tu Bishvat, the bereaved mother celebrates her dead son's birthday while singing a distorted version of the song. In addition, the various manifestations of the Jewish High Holidays, including the Shofar (The Ram's Horn), the hints to Biblical Akeda (Sacrificing Issac) and the heavy shadow cast by the Yom Kippur War (The 1973 War, The War of Attonement Day) are also heard in these compositions and constitute additional symbolical strata. The juxtaposition of different event symbols opens additional perspectives which mutually intensify the implicit significance of each one of them. I intend to look into the common elements, that connect these events via the above mentioned compositions, in order to find out what underlies this intertextuality. Likewise, I suggest a model that will demonstrate the way concrete national traumas are transformed into ideological and social beliefs, which, in their turn, find musical expression.
בחינת השימוש בשיר הילדים ״השקדיה פורחת״ בשתי היצירות הללו העוסקות בהתמודדות עם השכול. בשתי היצירות מובאת ״השקדיה הפורחת״ בטכניקות הלחנה שונות, היוצר נדבך סמנטי נוסף ומהווה פרשנות מוסיקלית אישית של כל מלחין לזיכרון ושכול.