The Sephardic Songbook

51Judeo-Spanish Songs Collected and edited by Aron Saltiel
with Transcriptions and an Introduction by Joshua Horowitz

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The transcriptions in this collection are based directly upon versions sung by usually one, but sometimes more than one informant. The songs have been gathered from the Ottoman Judeo-Spanish vocal tradition and were originally performed without instrumental accompaniment. In spite of the obvious contradictions and notational shortcomings which became apparent to us in preparing this book and which we discuss in its introduction, we have been able to present a songbook which conveys as closely as possible the performance, style and melodies of 51 Sephardic songs with their complete texts in Ladino, English and German. We have been careful to leave out any suggestions which would obscure the original impression of the song and thereby make it impossible for the reader to separate our interpretation of it from that of our informants. Although it would have been possible to arrange the songs with harmonies for accompaniment, this could not have been done without compromising the fluid modal character of most of the songs. There is a detailed discussion in the introduction and addendum on the construction of the songs and their relationship to the makam system, melody, rhythm and ornamentation, as well as linguistic, cultural and biographical information of the informants and
editors.

  




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The cost of the Sephardic Songbook is:

within US Book rate (8 days): $32.00

within US first class (3 days): $34.00

Outside the U.S, (5-10 days): $42.00

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