{"id":49255,"date":"2018-12-05T12:02:17","date_gmt":"2018-12-05T11:02:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.iemj.org\/polka-hanouka\/"},"modified":"2025-10-07T17:48:36","modified_gmt":"2025-10-07T15:48:36","slug":"polka-hanouka","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.iemj.org\/en\/polka-hanouka\/","title":{"rendered":"Polka Hanouka"},"content":{"rendered":"

by Laure Schnapper<\/strong><\/p>\n

Isaac Strauss, a famous composer during the Second Empire, was born on June 2, 1806 into a Jewish family in Strasbourg. Among his works, consisting of numerous dances, is an astonishing polka entitled Hanukkah.<\/p>\n


\"rachel_dans_le_cid_role_de_chimene_reduit60.jpg\"This music score, entitled <\/span>Hanouka<\/em>, was composed by\u00a0<\/span>Isaac Strauss<\/a>\u00a0around 1851.<\/span>
It is dedicated to Mademoiselle Rachel (1821-1858), a famous actress of the 19th century, who brought back to fashion classical tragedy, as opposed to romantic drama. Mademoiselle Rachel – her real name was\u00a0\u00c9lisabeth-Rachel F\u00e9lix<\/a>\u00a0– created a new model of actress and woman, among whom would later inspire Sarah Bernhardt (1844-1923) was later on inspired by.<\/p>\n

Published in Paris, this sheet music of 7 pages was intended for a small ensemble (piano, cornet, violin and doublebass). It is a polka – a quite rapid double-metre dance music, in fashion during the 19th century – in which the main theme would feature the melody of the emblematic prayer of Chanukah :\u00a0Maoz tsur<\/a>.<\/p>\n

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Hanouka – Isaac Strauss<\/a><\/div>\n