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PUBLISHED WORKS ON
BIBLICAL CHANT |
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ENGLISH BOOK:
THE MUSIC OF THE BIBLE REVEALED
Suzanne Haïk-Vantoura
This book may be ordered directly from the publisher, BIBAL Press, or through Amazon.com, Yahoo! Books, or certain other bookstores and chains.
Limited quantities are available from King David's Harp, Inc. (see the Index page of the King David's Harp, Inc.
Web site). |
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(The following description is taken from the BIBAL Press Catalog.)
This is a translation by Dennis Weber, edited by John Wheeler and jointly published
with King David's Harp, in which a noted French musicologist argues that the accentual system preserved in the
Masoretic Text was originally a method of recording hand signals ("chironomy") by which temple musicians
were directed in the performance of music. She explains her reconstruction of these notations which has allowed
her and her students to perform haunting and beautiful music around the world using only the Hebrew text as a score.
You'll need to be a musician to follow all of her discussion, but anyone interested in the Bible and the implications
of a text that can be played on musical instruments will find the overall discussion fascinating.
"This book is thought-provoking and controversial."
Wisconsin Lutheran Quarterly
"This well-translated edition is stocked with written musical examples,
photographs of cited manuscripts, and copious documentation...In addition, the impressive array of testimonials
from experts in the field assures the uninformed reader-as well as scholars, musicians and theologians-that Haïk-Vantoura's
work deserves serious consideration."
Biblical Archaeologist 56:47
"This book is not easy reading. While there is a glossary of musical terms,
it is hard to imagine many nonmusicians with the perseverance to plow through the technical discussions...[but]
This takes nothing away from the importance of the work. The arguments seem scrupulously drawn, with due consideration
of rejected alternatives."
Interpretation 1993(July):324
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BOOKS IN FRENCH:
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LA MUSIQUE DE LA BIBLE REVELEE
(2nd edition, Dessain et Tolra, Paris, 1978)
Suzanne Haïk-Vantoura
This is the cover of the original French book (2nd edition) from which the English edition was translated. So far
as I know at this writing (November 2003), it is still in print. A search on alapage.com may turn it up. |
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LA MUSIQUE DE LA BIBLE REVELEE: DONNEES COMPLEMENTAIRES
Suzanne Haïk-Vantoura
This is the cover of the French book Données complémentaires ("Additional Facts"), which was originally published as a supplement to Haïk-Vantoura's
original French book. The data contained in this volume (plus a little more) is included in the English translation
described above. (See below for the latest ordering information available to me concerning this book and the French
edition of the original book.) |
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alapage.com
Les Iles
73802 Montmélian cedex
FRANCE |
(All major credit cards save AMEX are accepted; many currency options are available.)
La musique de la Bible révélée
(original French book) and Donées complémentaires have been offered here, but they may now be out of stock. |
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SCORES IN FRENCH AND ENGLISH:
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EDITIONS CHOUDENS
38, rue Jean Mermoz
75008 Paris
FRANCE
Tel: (33) 01 42 66 62 97
Fax: (33) 01 42 66 62 79 |
The scores that correspond to the recordings Volumes
1-3 and the original Cantique des cantiques
de Salomon were published by Editions Choudens in Paris. That organizations
remains the authorized distributor of these scores, as they own the copyright to the published arrangements. On
the left the reader will find the mailing address and the phone and fax numbers of Editions Choudens for interested
retailers. The French Web site di-arezzo.com (see below)
has also listed the scores by Editions Choudens (and a set of piano pieces produced by Haïk-Vantoura as well)
for purchase by individuals..
Unfortunately, Editions Choudens itself does not sell to individuals, but only to retailers. Moreover, at this
writing (November 2003) the scores are apparently out of print, and di-arezzo.com is reportedly out of stock of all but two of the supplementary scores. As noted elsewhere,
I have put the Editions Choudens scores online as what I hope is a temporary measure. These and samples of other
scores by Haïk-Vantoura (not published by Editions Choudens) may be accessed via my photo galleries, which
are located here.
I have also made the Editions Choudens scores available on CD-ROM as individual
.jpg pages. Those who are interested in seeing the scores on a "fair
use" basis in this format are encouraged to contact
me by e-mail. |
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alapage.com
Les Iles
73802 Montmélian cedex
FRANCE |
(All major credit cards save AMEX are accepted; many currency options are available.)
Les 150 Psaumes has been offered here,
but at this writing it is apparently out of stock. |
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di-arezzo.com
"A World of Classical Music" |
(French, Spanish and English page versions are available; many currency options are available;
payment by MasterCard or Visa is possible.)
Most of the Editions Choudens scores were offered here, but are reportedly out of stock. |
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INSTITUTION ROI DAVID
(Melody-only scores in French or in French-English) |
Les 150 psaumes, Quatre
Meghilot and Message biblique intégrale were all published by this, Haïk-Vantoura's foundation. Go to this page on the King David's Harp, Inc. Web site for the most up-to-date information on availability and ordering. |
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HEBREW-ENGLISH BIBLES:
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The Letteris Edition
of the Hebrew Bible (originally published in 1866 by the British and Foreign Bible Society)
is the base text of Suzanne Haïk-Vantoura's transcriptions. Of all printed editions extant, it has by far
the most accurate accentuation (especially in Psalms). Anyone who wishes to study Haïk-Vantoura's work on
his or her own, and wishes to use the original Hebrew text that lies behind that work, must refer to the Letteris
Edition.
The American Bible
Society carries the Letteris Edition in a Hebrew-KJV parallel format (ISBN
#0564000396, Item #104065, $59.99 each). One may order it (see photo on left) via e-mail, by going online, by calling 1-888-239-3976
or by faxing 1-866-570-2077. International readers may query the home or local offices of the United Bible Societies for
availability in their areas.
The American Bible Society has this to say about the Letteris-KJV edition in its printed catalog (p. 3): "The
Letteris text with King James Version
text in parallel columns; a reprint of the 1866 edition. British and Foreign Bible Society, London, 1982. Note:
This Hebrew text is essentially the text from which the KJV Old Testament was translated." [By this the Society means that the Letteris Edition is
a revision of the Second Rabbinic Bible of Jacob ben Hayyim,
which was used by the KJV translators; see below.]
The
Bible For Today Catalog carries the above Hebrew-English version of the
Letteris Edition, listing it as a "ben Hayyim"
text (price at original query: $50.00 plus S&H). Jay Green's The Interlinear
Bible, published by Hendrickson Publishing Co., also uses the Letteris Edition
as its base text.
Christianbook.com also carries
the Hebrew-English Letteris Edition, calling it "The Holy Scriptures of the Old Testament, Hebrew and English"
(price at original query: $44.95 + S&H). It mentions the following "technical note" about this edition:
"The LETTERIS TEXT is a Hebrew text based on the Tiberian ben Asher Massoretic text. It was printed by M.
Letteris in Vienna in 1852. It has the Massoretic [sic]
text known as the Second Rabbinic Bible (Venice, 1516), which was based on the text of Ben Chayyim [sic] (1524) and the Complutensian Polyglot." However,
the accentuation of the Letteris Edition
differs significantly in many places (especially in Psalms) from that of the Second Rabbinic Bible, of any edition
based on it (such as the Ginsburg Edition), or of the many other early and recent editions that are more or less
conformable to each other in their accentuation (the modern editions including the BHS, Snaith, Qoren, etc.).
In fact, the Letteris Edition (especially with regards to it accentuation) is a revision (not merely a reprinting)
of the main text of the Second Rabbinic Bible. I am not yet certain what Meir Letteris used as the basis of his
revisions, but it may have been the critical notes of one Nozri, a Masoretic scholar, who sought to "repair
the breach" caused by the variations among the extant Masoretic manuscripts of his day. Further research is
needed in this area.
Meanwhile, a student of Haïk-Vantoura's work must be careful as to what edition of the Hebrew Bible he
or she obtains. Other editions are indeed useful
for purposes of textual criticism, but
they do not have the same liturgical value
(i.e., usefulness for public worship or private study).
As the saying goes: "Accept
no substitutes!" |
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Updated March 01, 2010 |
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