[Avodah] Using Non-Jewish Tunes For Mussaf of Rosh Hashanah?

[Micha Berger]

On Mon, Sep 26, 2011 at 05:11:01PM -0400, Rafi Hecht wrote:
: By the way, speaking of non-Jewish music and Kol Nidrei, ever wonder where
: the tune comes from? You guesses it - Classical music! Beethoven's "Adagio
: Quasi Un Poco Andante - Beethoven Op. 131. 14/6 C#," in fact!
: 
: I attached a Youtube clip of the original tune. You be the judge.
: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=igpkShlRJa8

Just the opening phrase. But, you underestimate the Ashkenazi melody
for Kol Nidrei. It was one of the tunes the Maharil declared miSinai,
meaning it was old even when he was born in 1365 or so. (And thus to
be considered minhag kedin.) Beethoven was born in 1770. If there was
borrowing, it went the other way.

However... the opening is a standard motif in Catholic Plainsong written
in Phrigian mode. (Phrygian: a scale that starts at D and runs through
the piano's white keys to the next D.) Which is more interesting from
the perspective of the original question.

Tir'u baTov!
-Micha

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