HASSIDIC SINGING

The Phonoarchive of Jewish Folklore at the Vernadsky National Library of Ukraine:
As the route of expeditions ran along the greatest concentration of Hassidism, the collectors' archive resulted in an enormous compilation of Hasidic melodies. The melodies are frequently accompanied by specific notes written down or recorded, and include entries by Bratslav Hasids, Ruzhin Hasids, Trisker, Volyn Hassids, from Abraham Itzhak Berdichevsky, from Joseph from Talne, from Chernobyl rabby etc.

Thus it is possible to consider, that in aggregate these tunes are of interest as the present encyclopedia of Hassidic singing. In addition, a characteristic attribute of this part of the collection is a large volume of materials, which represents not domestic, but Jewish synagogical singing.

Many religious tunes - fragments of the synagogue liturgy and paraliturgical chants, performed on special occasions outside synagogue (for example, on Saturday, during the holidays of Pesakh, Sukkot, Rosh Ha-Shana (New Year), Yom-Kipur (Day of Expiation), 9-Aba-Day, the destruction of the Temple in Jerusalem, etc.) - quite often have the form of completed musical compositions. They were recorded by the researchers directly from the voices of the khasans6 - Jewish cantors (Itskhok Berman from Olika, Simkha Kobrenik from Zaslav etc.).

Abraham Itshak Berdichevsky is a descendant of Levi Itzhak (1740-1810) is a Hassidic tsadik and rabbi, one of the most outstanding representatives of Hassidism of the end of the 18th, beginning of the 19th centuries. The leader of the Volyn Hassids, up to the end of life held a post of rabbi in Berdichev.

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