Anyone ever played Kol Nidrei

[lloccmttocs]

My teacher gave me a list of a few songs to check out like Valse Miniature, Dittersdolf, elegy in A minor by Faure, and then he showed me a piece I'd never heard of ever called Kol Nidrei. The rhythms are very odd with a 14-tuplet and some other strange things. But it is one of my favorite pieces to hear now and I think I'm going to pick it over the Kous and Dittersdolf. Has anyone ever played it? it's originally for cello and has something to do with Jewish tradition.

[bassman1489]

I will actually be performing this piece on Friday at a temple service. It is based on a Jewish prayer that is so important that an entire service is devoted to it. Some synagogues hire a solo cellist to play the piece at the beginning of the service: my temple hired me!

The 14-tuplet you speak of isn't meant to be taken literally. It is basically just a gesture to get up to the high note. It can (and probably should) be taken slightly out of time so as not to get too bogged down in all the individual notes. However, that is just my personal interpretation on it.

It is a lovely piece of music when played well, and is also quite challenging. If you decide to work on it, have fun!

[lloccmttocs]

Originally Posted by bassman1489

I will actually be performing this piece on Friday at a temple service. It is based on a Jewish prayer that is so important that an entire service is devoted to it. Some synagogues hire a solo cellist to play the piece at the beginning of the service: my temple hired me!

The 14-tuplet you speak of isn't meant to be taken literally. It is basically just a gesture to get up to the high note. It can (and probably should) be taken slightly out of time so as not to get too bogged down in all the individual notes. However, that is just my personal interpretation on it.

It is a lovely piece of music when played well, and is also quite challenging. If you decide to work on it, have fun!

What does the piece mean? It feels like a sad piece to me, like the loss of a loved one or some other feeling. But When I looked up what it meant I only got a wikipedia saying that it was clensing of all the sins. any hints about what the moral or theme of the story is?

[reedo35]

From Wiki:
Kol Nidre (Hebrew: כל נדרי) is a Jewish prayer recited in the synagogue at the beginning of the evening service on Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement. It is written in Aramaic, not Hebrew. Its name is taken from the opening words, meaning "All vows". It is a prayer of regret, thus the melancholy tone of the the music.

Kol Nidre sometimes does not only refer to the actual prayer, but sometimes to the entire Yom Kippur evening service.
You can find much more information here: http://www.angelfire.com/mt/talmud/kolnidre.html

[bribass]

Originally Posted by bassman1489

I will actually be performing this piece on Friday at a temple service. It is based on a Jewish prayer that is so important that an entire service is devoted to it. Some synagogues hire a solo cellist to play the piece at the beginning of the service: my temple hired me!

The 14-tuplet you speak of isn't meant to be taken literally. It is basically just a gesture to get up to the high note. It can (and probably should) be taken slightly out of time so as not to get too bogged down in all the individual notes. However, that is just my personal interpretation on it.

It is a lovely piece of music when played well, and is also quite challenging. If you decide to work on it, have fun!

Bassman, that's great. What Synagogue will you be performing it in? I'm in your neck of the woods.

Brian Glassman

[lloccmttocs]

Is there a lot to learn from this piece? or do you think I would be better off learning one of the other ones? Or are there any other pieces I should consider. I always loved Bottessini's Elegy but I don't know.

[bassman1489]

You can learn a lot from any piece of music, depending on how you practice it.

Brian, I'll be playing it at Temple Sha'arey Shalom in Springfield.

[drurb]

You can especially learn a great deal from listening to Casals perform Kol Nidrei. Breathtaking!
Here is an interesting history of the piece.

[mjt0229]

This piece captivated me ever since I heard my teacher perform it when I was a very young bassist. I don't have a Jewish heritage (and neither did he, I don't think), but something about the melody just always haunted me.

I've been working on it on and off ever since, and though I can play a lot of it nicely, I don't think I'll ever be happy with how I play it.

I definitely think it's worth a look, though.

[millertx]

My teacher just performed it in July as part of her doctoral recital. It was a beautiful piece of music.

[drurb]

Originally Posted by mjt0229

I don't have a Jewish heritage (and neither did he, I don't think), but something about the melody just always haunted me.

If you check out my link above, you'll see that the composer, Max Bruch, did not have a Jewish heritage either. Interesting. It is an even more haunting melody when performed by a good cantor in a synagogue. This coming Friday evening, they'll be doing that all over the world.

[bejoyous]

If you can get the recording by Gary Karr, it'll rip your heart out. He's accompanied by Harmon Lewis on organ.

[drurb]

Originally Posted by bejoyous

If you can get the recording by Gary Karr, it'll rip your heart out. He's accompanied by Harmon Lewis on organ.

Thanks. It would be interesting to compare it to the Casals version.

[mjt0229]

Originally Posted by drurb

If you check out my link above, you'll see that the composer, Max Bruch, did not have a Jewish heritage either. Interesting. It is an even more haunting melody when performed by a good cantor in a synagogue. This coming Friday evening, they'll be doing that all over the world.

That is interesting. It's a shame I don't have the piece in good enough shape to play it for my Jewish friends on Friday... The first page is still pretty rough, and I have hardly looked at the second page at all.

[Cfederle]

This is a really great piece also if you want something for a concerto competition and they allow one movement pieces.