Overview
The Oberlin Conservatory Library holds rare early examples of Hebrew liturgical chant in print. The earliest, from 1524, appears in a Hebrew grammar by Sebastian Münster, with musical notation running right to left with Hebrew text underlay. A similar treatment, from the 1820s, is found in psalm settings by Benedetto Marcello, who included Hebrew incipits labeled intonazione degli ebrei tedeschi (‘intonation of the German Jews’) to reflect Ashkenazi tradition. These two early works are complemented by several dozen later works covering diverse Hebrew chant traditions held in the library.