MUS 560 Mizrahi Piyyut: Songs of Middle Eastern Jews
This course explores the rich musical and spiritual heritage of Jews from the Middle East through immersive singing and exploration of the text and context of inspired and inspiring liturgical poems. We learn melodies from a variety of traditions, including from North Africa, Syria, Iraq, and the Sepharadi Jerusalem tradition. The course introduces the concept of Maqam, the framework of scales, melodic phrases, ornamentations, and aesthetic conventions that constitute the rich musics of the Arab world, including the sacred musics of Jews from Arab lands.