Braun, Joachim (b. Riga, 11. Aug. 1929).

Israeli musicologist of Latvian-Jewish origin. Family banished to Siberia in 1941 and reunited in 1955.  Braun was educated at the Latvian State Conservatory (1949-53, MA cum laude) and at the Tchaikovsky Moscow Conservatory (1953-60) where he gained the doctorate with a dissertation on violin art development (published as book The Violin Art in Latvia, 1964) studying with Lev Ginzburg (history of musical instruments and performing practices) and Dmitry Tsiganov (violin). His career began as violinist and violin teacher (among pupils Oleg Kagan) at the Riga Darzin Music School, but his interests early tern to musicology. In Riga he published on the history and methods of violin playing (Methods of Violin Playing, 1968) and the history of Baltic music, and was active as a music critic. When in 1969 he and his wife with daughter applied for an exit visa to Israel he was dismissed from teaching at the School of Music, expelled from the USSR Composer Union and forbidden to publish. In 1972 he immigrated to Israel and joined the Musicology Department of Bar-Ilan University, becoming Assistant Professor (1978), Professor of Music (1987), and later Head of Department (1992). He was made Professor Emeritus in 1997. Braun has been visiting professor at universities worldwide, including Indiana-Bloomington (1981), Hamburg U (1984), Innsbruck U (1987), Florida SU (1991), Halle U (1996) and Luzerne U (1998). He was appointed chair of the National Israel RILM Committee (1991-2005). His writings have focused on sociology and hermeneutics, archaeology and iconography of music, Baltic and Jewish music and music of ancient Israel/Palestine. His book Die Musikkultur Altisraels/Palaestinas (1998; English translation 2002) is considered to be a "classical contribution to the study of music… in a region that has uniquely influenced the Judeo-Christian world" (Carol Meyers, Notes, June 2003).       

     Braun has published eight books, more than 80 articles and some 250 reviews. Using a comprehensive interdisciplinary approach to the study of ancient musical cultures, he was the first to study Baltic pre-literate music, and to consider archaeology as the primary source for the investigation of the musical culture of ancient Israel/Palestine. He has developed a theory of semantics of music in totalitarian systems of the 20^th century, in particular in the work of Dmitri Shostakovich's and the composers of the former Baltic Soviet Republics. For his contribution to Latvian musicology he was made in 2003 Officer of the Three-Star Order.  

See LITERATURE

Padomju Latvijas Muzikas Darbinieki. Ed. O. Gravitis (Riga, 1965), pp. 74-75.

Musik in Geschichte und Gegenwart, Personenteil. Ed. L. Finscher (Kassel: Baerenreiter, 1999), iii: 774-5.

The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians. Ed. S. Sadie (London: Macmillan, 2001), iv: 261.

Studies: Music in Latvia, ed. Martin Boiko (Riga: Musica Baltica, 2002), pp. xxii-xxx and l-lvii.

www.biu.ac.il/hu/mu/braunj.html

www.odilia.ch/joachim-braun/

I. BOOKS AND SEPARATE PUBLICATIONS

1. Vijole un alts (The violin and viola; in Latvian). Riga: LVI, 1961. 62 pp., 4  pl., 13 mus. ex.

2. Vijolmakslas attisstiba Latvija (The development of violin art in Latvia; in Latvian). Riga: LVI, 1962, 360 pp., 46 pl., 2 tbl., 40 mus. ex.

3. Vijolspeles metodika (Methods of violin playing; in Latvian). Riga: Liesma, 1969.  169 pp., 125 mus. ex.

4.  Jews in Soviet Music. Research paper No. 22. The Hebrew University of Jerusalem:  The Soviet and East European Research Centre. Jerusalem, 1977. 92 pp.

5.  A Report Concerning the Authentic Performance of Beethoven's Fourth Symphony (with Bathia Churgin). Research project of the Beethoven Seminar at the Bar-Ilan University. Israel: Bar-Ilan University, 1977. 138 pp., 5 tbl., 6 graphs, 5  ill., 6 mus. ex.

6.  Jews and Jewish Elements in Soviet Music. Tel-Aviv: Israeli Music Publications, 1978. 178 pp., 3 tbl., 8 pl.

7. Selected Writings on Latvian Music: A Bibliography (with Karlis Brambats).   Muenster: Verlag Latvia, 1985. 1029 items.

8. Shostakovitch`s Jewish Songs ‘From Jewish Folk Poetry’, Op.79: IntroductoryEssay with original Yiddish Folk Text Underlay. Tel Aviv: World Council for Yiddish and Jewish Culture and Ministry of Culture, 1989. 162 pp., 1 tbl., 4  mus. ex. (in English, Russian, Hebrew and Yiddish).

9. Die Musikkultur Alt-Israel/Palästinas: Studien zu archaeologischen, schriftlichen und vergleichenden Quellen (=Orbis Biblicus et Orientalis 164). Fribourg University Press/Goettingen: Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht, 1999. 388 pp., 280 ill., 2 tbl.

  Reviews:

 “…pour reconstituer une histoire de la musique proche-orientale extraordinairement vivante et assez révolutionnaire. …Quelle belle histoire B. nous donne là!”

Françoise Smyth-Florentin, Etudes theologiques et religieuses 75/2 (2000).

“…Braun legt ein vorzügliches Nachschlagwerk vor, das nun wiederum zu einer Quelle für die weitere Forschung werden und vermutlich lange Standard sein wird. Musica praeludium vitae aeternae.”

Walter Hilbrands, Jahrbuch für Evangelische Theologie 15 (2000).

“This book is an essential resoure for archaeologists, biblical scolars, historians, musicologists, and anyone desiring a thorough treatment of music in theNear East – particularly Israel/Plestine – and should be required reading for those interested in the burgeoning field or archaeomusicology.”

Theodor W. Burgh,  Near Eastern Archaeology 64/1-2 (2001).

“I would not be surprised if Braun’s study of musical instruments from the land and the time of the Bible will prove to be a new handbook for years to come.”

C.H.J. de Geus, Bibliotheca Orientalis lviii/5-6 (2001).

“…this is the most comprehensive treatment of its subject that is likely to appear for a very long time.”

J.W. Rogerson, Journal for the Study of theOld Testament 89 (2001)

“Das breite Wissen des Musikwissenschaftlers findet hier seinen Niederschlag in einer ideenrichen und ausserdordentlich stimulierenden Arbeit, die den neuen arhäologischen Forschungsstand aufgreift und als Ergebnis transdisciplinärer Betätigung gewertet werden kann”

Ricardo Eichmann, Die Welt des Orients xxxii (2002).

"Braun... versteht es, dem Leser anhand seiner umfassender Materialsammlung den Wandel der Vorstellung einer herkömmlichen 'Musi der Bibel' in einer neuen 'Musik Altisraels-Palästinas' überezeugend vor Augen zu führen".

                                            Regina Randhofer, in: Musikforschung, 55/3 (2002).

"On the basis of carefully established methods and definitions, and using archaeology as a primary point of reference, Braun re-writes substantially key features of musical history in this geographical area from the Stone Age to the late Roman period…. This book provides the most solid foundation so far provided for future work in the complicated area of ancient musical culture."

                                            Ivor H. Jones, in: Journal of Theological Studies, 51/1 (2002).

10. Musiques Juives Russes: Chostakovitch, Slonimski, Prokofiev. Le Chant du Monde, CD RUS 288166. Livret en francais/English/Deutsch. 2000 Saison Russe.

11. Music in Ancient Israel/Palestine: Archaeological, Written and Comparative Sources. Grand Rapids, Mich., Cambridge, UK: Eerdmans Publications (=The Bible in Its World, Gen. Editor David N. Freedman), 2002. 410 pp., 250 ill., 4 maps, 2 tbl.

       Reviews:

"Joachim Braun's Music in Ancient Israel/Palestine…is an eloquent example of the power of archaeology to illuminate the culture of antiquity. Indeed, it is a remarkable combination of musicological erudition, mastery of the pertinent archaeological evidence and skilled interpretation of iconographic and literary evidence."

                                     Daniel J. Harrington, in: America (March 17, 2003).              

“This fascinating, innovative, comprehensive, well organizes book is an excellent addition to the writings on music in antiquity and on music in biblical and early Jewish traditions“.

                                     David B. Levy, Association of Jewish Libraries Newsletter

                                     (February/March, 2003).

"…The sweeping overview and musicological astuteness of the present edition are sure to make it a classical contribution to the study of music, one of the most significant aspects of human culture, in a region that has uniquely influenced the Judeo-Christian world."        

                                     Carol Meyers, in: Notes, 59/4: 877-879 (June 2003)

"…he (Braun) certainly meets his goal of providing the most inclusive study to date of ancient Israelite/Palestine music history. He also provides a foundation for further explorations of gender-related and ethnographic musical traditions".

                                      Kathlen W. Peters, in: Review of Biblical Literature (July 2003).       

"…this is a work of considerable accomplishment, impressive in its depth, range, and detail, which mean it will remain the leading study in its field for years to come".       

                                Andrew Davies, in: Review of Biblical Literature, second review

                                (December 2003).

"…the book offers clear insight as to how an interdisciplinary approach can lead to new approaches and further questions. This is exactly what music archaeology and music iconography aims to achieve".

                                      Martin van Shaik, in: Music in Art 28/1-2 (2004).

"To access the book, one should first recognize the author's immense learning. Braun not only assembles evidence obscure even to specialists, but he also evaluates it intelligently and persuasively. As reference tool, this work will stand up for many years".   

                                Mark W. Hamilton, in: Restoration Quarterly, 46/2 (2004).

12. Studies: Music in Latvia (in Latvian, English and German). Riga: Musica baltica, 2002. 354+lxvii pp., 47 ill.

                      Reviews:  

13. On Jewish Music: Past and Present. Frankfurt/Main-Bern-New York-Vienna: Peter Lang, 2006. 408 pp., 55 ill.

     II. SELECTED ARTICLES IN BOOKS AND JOURNALS

Cesti hudebnici v Lotyssku (Czech musicians in Latvia; in Czech), in: Praha- Moskva, 6 (June, 1959), pp. 365-9.

Latvijas Valsts Konservatorijas vijolu klases (The violin classes of the Latvian State Conservatory; in Latvian), in: Karogs, 11 (Nov., 1959), pp. 124-31.

No latviešu instrumentalas muzikas vestures (From the history of Latvian instrumental music; in Latvian), in: Latviešu muzika, II. Ed. Silvija Stumbre.  Riga: LVI, 1962, pp. 115-31.

Instrumentalas atskanotajmakslas attistiba Padomju Latvija (The development of instrumental performance in Soviet Latvia; in Latvian), in: Latviešu muzika, IV. Ed. Arvid Darkevitc and Ludvig Karklinsh. Riga: Liesma, 1965, pp. 51-73.

Richards Vagners Riga: 1837-1839 (Richard Wagner in Riga: 1837-1839; in Latvian), in: Latviesu muzika, V. Ed. Arvid Darkevitc and Ludvig Karklinsh.  Riga: Liesma, 1966, pp. 287-312, 5 ill.

Zreyushchii talant: muzika Paula Dambisa (A maturing talent: the music of Paul  Dambis; in Russian), in: Sovetskaya muzika, 3 (March, 1970), pp. 38-41.

Vitola vestules Ljadovam un Glazunovam: publikacija un kommentarijs (Letters by Vitols to Lyadov and Glazunov: publication and commentary; in Latvian),  in: Karogs 6 (June, 1968),  pp. 125-33.

Rizhskije godi (The years in Riga; in Russian), in: Ispolnitel’skoe iskustvo  zarubezhnikh stran: Bruno Walter (Musical performance in foreign countries: Bruno Walter), IV. Ed. G. Edelshtein. Moscow: Muzika, 1969, Pp. 299--329.

Die Anfänge des Instrumentenspiels in Lettland. in: Musik des Ostens, 6,  Ed.  Fritz Feldmann. Kassel: Bärenreiter Verlag,1971, pp. 88-126, 4 ill., 2 mus. ex.

Evald Berzinsky (in Russian), in: Muzikal’noye ispolnitl’stvo (Musical  perforamnce), 7. Ed. George Edelman. Moscow: Muzika, 1972, pp. 142-59.

Beethoven's Fourth Symphony: A Comparative Analysis of Recorded  Performances, in: Israel Studies in Musicology, I. Ed. Eliyahu Shleifer.  Jerusalem: Israel Musicological Society, 1978, pp. 54-76. 4 tbl., 6 graphs.

The Sound of Beethoven's Orchestra, in: Orbis musicae, 6. Ed. Judith Cohen. Tel- Aviv University, 1978, pp. 59-90, 1 tbl., 4 ill., 2 mus. ex.

Musical Iconography in Byzantine Manuscripts from Jerusalem and Mount Sinai:  A Preliminary Report, in: Tatzlil, 18. Ed. Moshe Gorali. Haifa: Haifa Music  Museum and AMLI  Library, 1978, pp. 90-5, 6 pl.

Ha'autobiografia shel Moshe Beregovski (The autobiography of Moshe  Beregovsky; in Hebrew), in: Tatzlil, 19. Ed. Moshe Gorali. Haifa: Haifa Music  Museum and AMLI Library, 1979,  pp. 159-161, 1 fasc.

Musical Instruments in Byzantine Illuminated Manuscripts, in: Early Music, 8/3,  1980, pp. 312-328, 8 plates.

The Jews and the Jewish Idiom in Soviet Music, in: Bericht über den  internationalen musikwissenschaftlchen Kongress Berlin 1974. Ed. H. Kuhn  and P. Nitsche. Kassel: Bärenreiter Verlag, 1980, pp. 407-10.

Der Doppelsinn der juedischen Elemente in Dmitry Schostakovitschs Musik, in:  Garmisch 80: Summaries of Papers at Second World Congress for Soviet and East European Studies, September-October 1980, Garmisch-Partenkirchen,  Bundesrepublik Deutschland, p. 92.

Zur Hermeneutik der sowjetisch-baltischen Musik: Ein Versuch der Deutung von  Sinn und Stil, in: Zeitschrift fuer Ostforschung, Marburg: Herder-Institute, 1,  1982,  pp. 76-93.

Ein Gerichtsverfahren in Sachen des Königsberger Kaufmanns Schirach Sternberg  wider Musikdirektor Richard Wagner, in: Musik des Ostens, 8. Ed. Hubert  Unverricht. Kassel: Bärenreiter Verlag, 1982,  pp. 113-127. 1 facsimile.

Baltic Music in ‘Musik des Ostens,’ in: ibid.,  pp. 76-81.

Two Unique Baltic Music Collections, in: ibid., pp. 85-88.

Towards a Study of Israeli Musical Culture: The Case of Kiryat Ono (with T.  Bensky and U. Sharvit), in: Asian Music, XVII/2, 1986, pp. 186-209, 7 tabl.

The Double-meaning of Jewish Elements in Dmitri Shostakovich‘s Music, in: Le Musique et le Rite Sacre et Profane: vol. II, ed. Marc Honegger and Paul Prevost, Strasbourg: Universites de Strasbourg, pp. 737-757.

Moysey Beregovski: Zum Schicksal eines sowjetischen Ethnomusikologen, in: Jahrbuch für Volksliedforschung, 33, 1988, pp. 70-80.

Das juedische im Werk von Dmitri Schostakovitsch (Referat beim 2, Weltkongress fuer Sowjet-  und Osteuropastudien, Garmisch 1980, altualisierte Version), in: Studien zur Musik des XX. Jahrhunderts in Ost- und Ostmitteleuropa, Hrsg. D. Gojowy (=Osteuropaforschung,  Bd. 29), Berlin, 1990, S. 103-125.

Zur nabatäischen und safaitischen Musikkultur in hellenistischer und römischer  Zeit, in: Festschrift für Walter Suppan. Ed. B.Habla, Graz: Institut fuer  Musikwissenschaft. Tutzing, 1993, pp. 167-184, 4 ill.

Archaeo-musicology and some of its problems: Considerations on the state of the art in Israel, in: La  pluridisciplinarite en archeologie musicale. Ed. C. Homo-Lechner. Paris,  1994, 2 Tables, 3 ill. pp.139-148.

Die Musikikonographie des Dionysoskultes im römischen Palästina, in: Imago  musicae, VIII,  Firenze, 1995, pp. 109-134, 14 ill.

Jewish Art Music in the Soviet Union: 1917-1950, in: Verfemte Musik (s. V/4), pp. 125-134.

The Lute and Organ in Ancient Israeli and Jewish Iconography, in: Festschrift Christoph-Hellmut Mahling, Ed. A. Beer, K. Pfarr and W. Ruf, vol. 1 (=Mainzer Studien zur Musikwissenschaft, 37). Tutzing, 1997, pp. 163-188, 12 ill.

On the Origins of the Harp: the Earliest Depiction of the Triangular Frame Harp, in: HARPA, 30, Spring 1999, pp. 6-11.

The Earliest Depiction of a Harp (Megiddo, late 4^th mill. BC), in: Orient-Archäologie, vol. 6: Musikarchäologie. Ed. E. Hickmann and R. Eichmann, Rahden/Wetf., 2000,  pp. 5-10, 5 ill.

Some Remarks on the Music History of Ancient Israel/Palestine: Written or Archaeological Evidence, in: Orient-Archäologie, Bd. 7: Musikarchäologie II. Ed. E. Hickmann, I. Laufs and R. Eichmann, Rahden/Wetf., 2000, pp. 135-140.

The Musical Ladscape in Israel/Palestine: 3,000 Years Ago and Today, in: K. Eberle, W. Ruf et al.,  Musikkonzepte – Konzepte der Musikwissenscahft: Beicht ueber den Internationalen Kongress der Gesellschaft fuer Muskforschung (Halle, Saale), 1998. 2. Band, 2000, pp. 52-61. 2 ill.

III. ENTRIES IN ENCYCLOPEDIAS

  1. 16 articles and entries, in Latvijas Maza Enciklopedija  (the Latvian small  Encyclopedia; in Latvian). Vol. I-III. Riga: Academy of Sciences of the  Latvian SSR, 1967-70.

  2. 11 entries, in  Padomju Latvijas muzikas darbinieki  (The Musicians of Soviet  Latvia; in Latvian). Ed. Olgerts Gravitis. Riga: Liesma, 1965.

  3. 27 entries, in Kratkaya yevreyskaya enciklopediya (The Shorter Encyclopedia Judaica, in Russian). Vol. I-IX. Jerusalem: The Society for Research and Jewish Communities, 1976-1990.

  4. Latvia - Music, Lithuania - Music, Riga, Vilnius, etc., altogether 22 articles and entries, in: The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians, Vol. 1-20. Ed.  Stanley Sadie. London: Macmillan, 1980

  5. Biblische Musikinstrumente,  in: Musik in Geschichte und  Gegenwart (=MGG2),  Zweite  Ausgabe. Ed. Ludwig Finscher. Bärenreiter: Kassel-Weimar, 1994,  Vol. 1, clmn. 1503-1537, 11 ill, 2 tbl., 1 m.  ex.

  6. Jüdische Musik, I. Einleitung; II. Altisrael; III.1. Mittelalter; VI. 1. and.2. 20.  Jh., in: MGG2, 1996. Vol. 4, clmn. 1511-1527, and 1557-1561, 6 ill.

  7. Musical Instruments, in: The Oxford Encyclopedia of the Near Eastern Archaeology. Ed. E. Meyers. New York-Oxford, 1997. Vol. 4, pp. 70-79, 3 ill.

  8. Biblical Instrumnts, in: The New Grove Dictionary, Ed. Stanley Sadie, London: Macmillan, 2001, vol. 3, pp. 524-535, 10 ill.

  9. Jewish Music II: Ancient Israel/Palestine, in: idem., vol. 13, pp. 29-37, 12 ill.

10. 18 entries on Baltic music (partly with A. Klotins and V. Lippus), in: idem.

11. Music, Musical Instruments, in: Eerdmans Dictionary of the Bible, Grand Rapids, Mich./Cambridge, U.K.. 2000, pp. 927-930.

12. Music Instruments, in: The New Interpreter's Dictionary of the Bible (in print).

IV. REVIEWS AND VARIA

250 reviews and articles in newspapers and magazines, in Latvian and Russian (1957-1971).

V. EDITIONS

1. Music for Violin and Piano by Latvian Composers (with V. Sturesteps). Riga: Liesma, 1966.

2. Kratkaya Yevreyskaya Enciklopediya (The Shorter Encyclopedia Judaica, in Russian). Scientific consult on music. Vol.1-8. Jerusalem: The Society on Research of Jewish Communities and The Hebrew University Jerusalem, 1976-1996. 

3. Journal of Baltic Studies, Special Issue: Baltic Musicology. Guest-Editor. Vol. XIV/1, 1983.

4. Verfemte Musik (with V. Karbusicky and T. Hoffman). Congress-Report on Colloquium “Verfemte Musik,” Dresdener Zentrum für zeitgenossische Musik and Bar-Ilan University (Dresden, Jauary, 1993). Frankfurt/ Main: Verlag Peter Lang, 1995, 2/1997.

5. Socio-Musical Sciences: Congress Report HISM-88 (with U. Sharvit). Ramat-Gan: Bar-Ilan  University Press, 1998.