From Composers to Performing Artists, from Mahler and Mendelssohn to Rubenstein and Heifetz | The Jewish Affinity for the Violin
When you peruse the history of western classical music, it’s impossible to overlook the tremendous involvement and influence that Jewish people have had. Consider Vladimir Horowitz and Arthur Rubenstein, two of the greatest artists who’ve ever performed on the piano. Jascha Heifetz and Yehudi Menuhin are often cited among history’s most cherished violinists. Felix Mendelssohn, Gustav Mahler and Arthur Schoenberg composed some of the most well-loved classical works of all time. Why is it that so many of history’s storied classical composers and artists have been Jewish? Are there unique aspect of Jewish life, culture and faith that have contributed to this?
The Factors that Have Contributed to the Role of Jewish People in Classical Music
Many factors have combined to bring Jewish artists and composers into prominence in Western classical music:
- The importance of education within Jewish culture and the Jewish faith—Jewish law requires that parents make education a priority. That typically starts with the teaching of the Torah and instruction in Jewish philosophy and theology. The Talmud also mandates that parents teach their children a trade. The Talmud also states that children should begin school at age six and should not forsake education for other pursuits. Most scholars trace the beginnings of formal Jewish education to the first century CE, as set forth by the Joshua ben Gamla, a Jewish high priest.
- Music is also considered an essential component of prayer and religious ceremony in the Jewish faith, often considered one of the most profound ways to experience God. The Torah frequently mentions singing and the playing of music in the Temple. Jewish mystics have always viewed music as a pathway to a higher spiritual state. Music has also historically been a way to bind people within the Jewish community.
- Historically, Jewish people were prohibited from working in certain professions, but music was not one of them. For that reason, a career as a musician or composer offered a way to improve one’s financial and social status.
- Historically, Jewish communities tended to concentrate in larger cities in Europe, such as Vienna, Berlin and Moscow. Those cities all offered well-established music conservatories, where Jewish musicians could have access to high-level instruction and performance.
The Jewish Affinity for the Violin
The violin has long played a central role in Jewish culture. While it is most traditionally associated with Jewish culture, it is believed to have been introduced to Europe by gypsies of Arabic origin. In the melting pots in Eastern Europe during and after the Middle Ages, Jewish people lived in proximity with gypsy musicians and were introduced to the violin.
In the 18th and 19th centuries, because of the continuing career restrictions imposed on Jewish people, music offered a way out of poverty. At the time, most classical music included stringed instruments, and most solo classical work was written for piano or violin. A violin offered two advantages—it was less expensive and it was far more portable than a piano.
It may come as no surprise to learn that, during the time the violin was developed into a classical instrument, musicians as a class in Europe were not held in much esteem…otherwise, the trade would most likely have been unavailable to Jewish people. In fact, many historians believe that musicians in the 16th, 17th and early 18th centuries were regarded socially as the same as slaves or prostitutes. This would further explain the Jewish dominance in music, as most non-Jewish people considered playing music to be beneath them. Some scholars also suggest that the violin offered many advantages over the traditional Jewish instrument of the time, the shofar (a wind instrument typically made from a ram’s horn): it was easier to manufacture, it was easier to play and it made less noise.
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