Nigunim – Schätze der chassidischen „Soul Music“ Impulse, Konstellationen und Übergänge

In the organizer's words:

The hasidic nign (Yiddish, derived from nigun in Herbrew) is a very special kind of melody that can be sung or played. In Hasidic Judaism, it is absolutely central to the spiritual life of the individual and the community. Hasidic Judaism emerged in the early 18th century in what is now western Ukraine as a spiritual revival movement that broke away from traditional Judaism by emphasizing piety, joy and spiritual ecstasy rather than scholarship. For Hasidic Jews, the singing of nigunim (plural of nign) is an important means of achieving these spiritual states. Singing nigunim is not about putting on a show, but about sharing an experience with others.

For this reason, there are many different types of nigunim, including Dveykes Nigunim, deeply introspective melodies aimed at communion with God, Tish Nigunim, livelier, rhythmic melodies sung at congregational gatherings led by a Rebbe (spiritual leader), Tants Nigunim, incredibly energetic melodies that encourage dancing, and many others. Many nigunim can be sung either with or without words. In fact, singing without words is considered more meaningful and spiritually powerful than singing with words.

This makes it easy to sing nigunim no matter what language you speak. And it is not at all necessary to be Jewish or even religious to feel their power. Each nign is like a stone that has been lying in a riverbed for centuries: polished by all the currents that flow over it, it perfectly reflects its surroundings and history. Since nigunim are traditionally learned by ear, simply by singing along with the community, they are very catchy and easy to learn. Today there are literally thousands of them, from different times, places and communities. But each Nign has its own meaning, even if it is impossible to put that meaning into words.

In this workshop I will share with you some of the most beautiful and powerful nigunim that I have learned in more than 40 years. The workshop is open to instrumentalists and singers. If you have difficulty playing a nign on your instrument, you can sing it instead. We will work both by ear and with sheet music.

Leader

Alan Bern

Languages

de/en

Contact us

Content-related questions by e-mail to:
Alan Bern

Organizational questions by e-mail to
exploratorium berlin

Registration

By form until April 11

Price information:

Course fee 120/100 € (normal price/reduced price)