Alfred Sendrey
Philosophical Library, New York, January 1, 1969
This book examines music from the biblical period and the early Talmudic period. Particularly well-researched, it explores the origins, forms, and ethics of Hebrew music. It draws on recent archaeological discoveries and contemporary biblical scholarship, addressing not only sacred music but also the vast field of ancient secular music, which, until now, has been only poorly understood. The clarity with which the author, Alfred Sendrey, interprets the musical heritage shared by Judaism and Christianity is of particular interest to the Christian world in this era of ecumenical dialogue.
Alfred Sendrey (1884-1976) was a professor of musicology at the Jewish University of Los Angeles and was widely known in the field of musicology for his seminal Bibliography of Jewish Music, published by Columbia University Press (1951). This work remains the primary reference book for research on Jewish music and is used worldwide.
Alfred Sendrey was an American conductor and composer of Hungarian origin. A student of Koessler at the Budapest Academy (1901–5), he worked in Germany, the United States, and Austria as an opera conductor (including with the Leipzig Symphony Orchestra, 1924–32), then settled in Paris (1933–40) and finally in the United States, where he completed his studies on Jewish music. He died on March 3, 1976, in Los Angeles.
Table of contents:
Section I. The Music of the Earlier and of the Neighboring Civilizations
Section II. The Bible and other Sources of Jewish Music
Section III. Systematic Survey of Biblical References to Music
Section IV. The Book of Psalms
Section V. Singing in Ancient Israel
Section VI. The Musical Instruments
Section VII. The Orchestra
Section VIII. The dance
Section IX. Music Instruction
Section X. The Supernatural Power of Music
Section XI. Women in the Music of Ancient israel
Section XII. Music Organization
