A Fusion of Traditions

Danish Jewry is the oldest minority in Denmark, with a history reaching back 400 years. The music still used in the Copenhagen Synagogue was an offshoot of nineteenth-century developments in the synagogues of Vienna and Berlin that accompanied the general reform of religious life. These modern harmonized musical arrangements were imported to Denmark, where they have been undisturbed by the holocaust.

This book explores the debates and compromises that led to the current form of Jewish liturgical music in Denmark. Based on unique 1967 recordings, interviews, and published and unpublished historical material, it presents a history of the cantors and the choir and an analysis of the tradition that evolved, with transcriptions and a CD.

An unknown chapter from the history of Jewish music and a document of rare value for scholars interested in integration processes as reflected in music and religious life.

Gives a fine insight into the cantorate, the connections between Vienna and Copenhagen, cooperation between Jews and Christians, and the relationship between Jewish traditions and the surrounding culture.

Dr. Martin Schwarz Lausten, Professor of Theology, University of Copenhagen.