In Jewish lore, the wise men of the Polish city of Chelm may be very wise indeed, but they sure do lack common sense. For example, when carrying logs down a mountain to build their dwellings, they encounter someone who suggests it might be easier simply to roll them down. They recognize this as a very good idea – so they carry the logs back up the mountain and proceed to roll them down.
This kind of playful irony informs the tales of Isaac Bashevis Singer, Aaron Zeitlin, and Sholem Aleichem. More to our purposes, the folkloric antics inspired composer Matthew H. Fields when he came to write his “Sages of Chelm.” The work falls into three movements: “Khutzpah,” “Tsores,” and “Simchas.” We’ll enjoy the piece on this last day of Hanukkah, beginning at 3:00 EST.
In the meantime, here’s a link to a round-up of favorite Chelm stories:
https://www.myjewishlearning.com/article/the-sages-of-chelm/
I’ll actually be in a little earlier than usual today, to host “Bach at One.” The Choir of Trinity Wall Street and Trinity Baroque Orchestra will present the Cantata BWV 8 “Liebster Gott, wenn Werd ich sterben” (“Dearest God, when will I die?”), under the direction of Julian Wachner. Then we’ll get a taste of “Pipes at One,” with Kent Tritle on the organ of Trinity’s St. Paul’s Chapel. Featured composers will include Dietrich Buxtehude, Nicolas de Grigny, Louis Marchand, Jean Langlais, Felix Mendelssohn, and of course Bach. As the titles of the programs suggest, these concerts will be broadcast back-to-back (Bach-to-Bach?), beginning at 1:00 EST.
Then, following “Sages of Chelm,” it will be business as usual at 4:00 EST, as I offer a skillful juxtaposition of birthday anniversaries and commuter entertainment, with some intimations of Christmas folded into the mix.
The “ch” in “Chelm” is pronounced like the “ch” in “Bach.” It’s not just the cold weather that will have me clearing my throat during this musical marathon run, from 1 to 7 p.m. EST, on WWFM – The Classical Network and wwfm.org.
The People of Chelm and the Cat:
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