A radio program from the European Institute of Jewish Music, hosted by Hervé Roten
MUSIQUES JUIVES D’HIER ET D’AUJOURD’HUI – TUESDAY SEPTEMBER 8, 2015, JUDAÏQUES FM (94.8), 21H05. Radio program in French
Yom Kippur, translated in English by « Day of Atonement », is one of the holiest and most important days of the Jewish year. This solemn celebration closes Yamim Noraim period, the 10 days between the Jewish new year celebration Rosh Hashanah and the end of Yom Kippour. According to the Jewish tradition, it is during that period that God writes down in the book of life all men according to his merit and will to improve himself. Between Rosh Hashanah and Kippur, the time is like suspended…
Yom Kippur is a serious and austere celebration : one pray and fast all day long, but it’s also a celebration of delivery as it allows to really start the Jewish year: with the sound of the shofar which marks the end of the celebration, time gets back to normal.
The liturgy of Yom Kippur – as the one of Rosh Hashanah – is particularly imposing. One can hear unique prayers and great solemn tunes. Besides, Kippur is the only celebration which compiles five services instead of three : Kol Nidre, Arvit, Shaharit (including Musaf), Minha and Neila.
The Musaf service is, like during Rosh Hashanah, enriched with prayers and religious poems. Because of its lenght, of the richness of its texts, Musaf is the central prayer of the Kippur celebration. It is also very rich musically as it includes beautiful melodies, like for exemple the Untane Tokef sang by the hazan before Kedushah.
The cantor Jacques Arnold will guide us all along this musical journey.
The broadcast will be, as always, largely illustrated with many audio examples which will allow to hear the greatest voices of cantorial art.
Officer of the Ordre of Arts and letters, PhD in musicology at Paris University Sorbonne, prize-winning graduate from the Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique et de Danse de Paris, Hervé Roten is the director of the European Institute of Jewish Music since its creation in 2006.
Ethnomusicologist, he quickly developed an interest in the safeguard and digitization of archives, subjects he taught for several years in Reims and Marne-La-Vallée universities.
Author of many articles, books and recordings related to Jewish music, producer of radio programs, Hervé Roten is recognized today as one of the best specialists of Jewish music in the world.
