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THE MUSIC OF THE BIBLE REVEALED
The deciphering of an ancient musical notation
by Suzanne Haïk-Vantoura
The mysterious signs for cantillating the Holy Scriptures figured already in the 9th century manuscripts. However,
the teachers and commentators of the Middle Ages placed their origin back at the time of the Hebrews, which meant
these signs were the basis for the ancient practice of reading the Scriptures at the Temple in Jerusalem. Furhtermore,
according to the tradition, they decleard that each sign possessed an individual, invariable musical meaning.
Despite these affirmations the function of these enigmatic signs was later restricted to conjoining and disjoining
the words in the verses. Several centuries later the Synagogue adapted melodic formulae to these signs, reduced
thus to simple punctuation. However, because these formulae differ from one community to the next and are variously
and arbitrarily put together, they do not constitute real "music".
Taking the problem at its roots, Suzanne HAÏK-VANTOURA, a composer, gave herself the task of searching if
any exclusive musical value could be attributed to every one of these some twenty signs. On the basis of the verbal
syntax, she elaborated hypothesdes and made long and thorough experiments ...The whole Bible is provided with
these signs. She finally succeeded in decoding this notation of lost meaning. Thus (in 1976) did she restore out
from oblivion a number of songs of a high spirituality, which intimately match the meaning of the words and in
addition reveal themselves of antique workmanship.
Does this music date back to biblical times? The study, the comparison of the numerous realizations, the thorough
investigation in the historical context already led to this opinion.
But another conviction is by now appearing well-founded. That is that the authors of the biblical texts were at
the same time the creators of the melodies which sustain them. They were poet-composers ...That is not at all
surprising, when one has a good knowledge of history. Conventional punctuation signs did not appear earlier than
three centuries or so B.C. Before that time, the melodies themselves were bringing precision to the syntax (let
us remember Homer!). In addition, one can notice it today, they give life to the verbal text and magnify its expression.
In fact, in its restored cantillation the Book of Esther is exquisitely gracious and vivacious. The Ecclesiastes
is meditative. The Lamentations are poignant. The Song of Songs -- of Solomon -- bears a unique charm. It is a
love song full of impetus, which assimilates human love to God's love for his people and to the love of the beloved
people for its Creator. It has been performed as a worldwide creation during the Festival d'Art sacré de
la Ville de Paris, of 1986.
Verbal text and melody make a whole. It is a combination of melody and words: the "melos".
The melodies of the 150 Psalms, wholly restored, testify to the styles and the different personalities of the psalmists.
Unquestionably, besides David's particular style, his songs are more intimate, more sensible and grandiose also
and, as one would say, the most beautiful ones.
A lost art, a great art remained secret to date! ...And a music bound to the Bible, the most read of all books.
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