The Legendary Melodies of the Modzitzer Rebbe! – The original musical notes.
"Nigunei Modzitz" – Among the most renowned melodies in the Jewish world in recent generations, and some of the most delightful and moving. These melodies have the power to penetrate deeply into the soul of every Jew, evoking feelings of yearning, longing, and a desire for the heavens above, lifting and elevating him ‘tefach tefachim’ above the earth.
Here we have manuscript musical scores that are nearly a hundred years old, for seven melodies composed by the Modzitzer Rebbe, Rabbi Shaul Yedidia of Modzitz:
*Chassidic Dance
*Kadsheinu Bemitzvoseicha
*Areshes Sefaseinu
*Hisorery, Hisorery
*Prok Yas Anach
*Simcha L’eartzecha ("Bold, Fast")
*Simcha L’eartzecha ("Soft, Moderate")
Six of the original music sheets before us were later photographed and printed in the book
L’Hasidim Mizmor by Rabbi Meir Shimon Gashori, in 1936. The melody ‘Kadsheinu Bemitzvoteicha’ was prepared along with the other melodies but was ultimately not included in the book!
[Land of Israel, before 1936].
The collection contains: [7] manuscript music sheets, final version + [9] draft sheets, handwritten music for the aforementioned songs + reduced prints of the final version, pasted on one sheet, stamped with the workshop seal "Cinematography – N. Chavkin." Various sizes.
Overall condition is good. Some of the pages contain two sections glued together (originally).
The
"Hichal Hanegina" is considered a sublime and sacred part of the renewal that Chassidism brought to the world. The Baal Shem Tov, Rabbi Yechiel Michal of Zlotchov, the author of the ‘Tanya’, Rabbi Levi Yitzchak of Berdichev, and many other giants of Hasidism composed melodies sung in prayers, gatherings, Sabbath meals, and various occasions. The Modzitzer Rebbe was known to say that "only through melody can one reach salvation."
The ancient Chassidic melodies were passed down orally and were considered a kind of "Oral Torah." Most of them were not documented in writing (i.e., musical scores) until recent generations. Ancient musical scores of Chassidic melodies are exceptionally rare.
