Preserving Jewish Musical Preserving Jewish Musical Memory: Memory:

Digitization at the National Digitization at the National Sound ArchivesSound Archives

Dr. Gila FlamDr. Gila FlamMusic Department,Music Department,

Jewish National and University Jewish National and University LibraryLibrary

Jerusalem, IsraelJerusalem, Israel

Music example: Music example: Chassidic NiggunChassidic Niggun

The National Sound ArchivesThe National Sound Archives

The National Sound Archives was The National Sound Archives was established as part of the Music established as part of the Music Department at the JNUL in 1965Department at the JNUL in 1965

Its aim is to collect and preserve oral Its aim is to collect and preserve oral Jewish musical traditions as sources Jewish musical traditions as sources for further research and future for further research and future performanceperformance

The National Sound ArchivesThe National Sound Archives

The NSA also holds spoken word, The NSA also holds spoken word, languages, and non-Jewish musiclanguages, and non-Jewish music

Its collection is about 10,000 hours of Its collection is about 10,000 hours of ethnographic recordings ethnographic recordings 10,000 10,000 hours of hours of popular and broadcasting materialpopular and broadcasting material

Types of Sound ArchivesTypes of Sound Archives

Archives who celebrated their 100 yearsArchives who celebrated their 100 years:: Phonogrammarchiv, ViennaPhonogrammarchiv, Vienna The British Library, Sound ArchiveThe British Library, Sound Archive The Berlin Phonogramm-ArchivThe Berlin Phonogramm-Archiv

There are Sound Archives of different natureThere are Sound Archives of different nature: : Research archives (Vienna), (Berlin), Depository Archives Research archives (Vienna), (Berlin), Depository Archives

(France(France)) Broadcasting Archives (BBC, Deutsches RundfunkarchivBroadcasting Archives (BBC, Deutsches Rundfunkarchiv), ), Educational and research archives (Universities) and moreEducational and research archives (Universities) and more The oldest recordings at NSA are from the later 1920’sThe oldest recordings at NSA are from the later 1920’s

The NSA is an hybrid sound archive The NSA is an hybrid sound archive

Digitization at the NSA-JNULDigitization at the NSA-JNUL

Systematic transferSystematic transfer First stage -transfer of 1,000 hours from PCM First stage -transfer of 1,000 hours from PCM

cassettes to Digital formatcassettes to Digital format Second – 1,000 hours from various formats Second – 1,000 hours from various formats

covered with acetate –endangered material (from covered with acetate –endangered material (from Gerson-Kiwi and Jacob Michael collectionsGerson-Kiwi and Jacob Michael collections))

Broadcasting material (from Kol Israel) and Broadcasting material (from Kol Israel) and private donated collectionsprivate donated collections

Scanning of accompanying documentsScanning of accompanying documents

The digitization is a tool to enrich the collection The digitization is a tool to enrich the collection from outside sourcesfrom outside sources

Documents ScanningDocuments Scanning

Selection CriteriaSelection Criteria

• Not commercial or Not commercial or popularpopular

• Physical and Physical and technicaltechnical

• Content and Content and research in research in progressprogress

Characteristics of Audio Characteristics of Audio DigitizationDigitization

Great dependence on industry and technologyGreat dependence on industry and technology The digitization is rescue and revival of the The digitization is rescue and revival of the

sourcessources ( (Not just a backupNot just a backup)) The digitization enables new performanceThe digitization enables new performance

Music exampleMusic exampleMiryamMiryam

Hadass 1Hadass 1

Hadass 2Hadass 2

Characteristics of Audio Characteristics of Audio DigitizationDigitization

Each format has a Each format has a different different durabilitydurability

Each carrier has Each carrier has its durabilityits durability

Software and Software and hardware are in hardware are in fluxflux

The process must The process must be documentedbe documented

Characteristics of Audio Characteristics of Audio DigitizationDigitization

The original format: The original format: wax cylinders, tin wax cylinders, tin records, magnetic records, magnetic tapes, and recordstapes, and records

Variety of length, Variety of length, speed etcspeed etc

The playback carrier- The playback carrier- original versus original versus replicated carriersreplicated carriers

Maintenance of Maintenance of original carriersoriginal carriers

The ProcessThe Process

Playing the original in its optimal qualityPlaying the original in its optimal quality Music ExampleMusic Example::

Wrong speedWrong speed

Right speedRight speed

Using the right equipment and instruments: stylus, noises Using the right equipment and instruments: stylus, noises

etcetc

Music ExampleMusic Example::  Wrong stylusWrong stylus

Right stylusRight stylus

The processThe process

Restoration and Restoration and improvements of improvements of sound – yes or nosound – yes or no

Adding timingAdding timing Documenting the Documenting the

processprocess

The digitized fileThe digitized file Variety of Variety of

formants: WAV, formants: WAV, MP3, CDAUDIO, MP3, CDAUDIO, StreamingStreaming

Volume – one WAV Volume – one WAV minute=MB10minute=MB10

Storage Storage AccessAccess

High HolidaysHigh Holidays

Kol Nidrei: Morocco, TangierPerformer: Chaim Cohen Recorded by: Abraham Pinto In Tangier in the early 1960's

Chassidim, ChabadChassidim, Chabad

Ekh ty zemliak, zatshem zhe ty Ekh ty zemliak, zatshem zhe ty durakdurak Arranger: Andre Hajdu Arranger: Andre Hajdu Language: Russian Language: Russian Sung by: Berale Zaltsman Sung by: Berale Zaltsman Recorded in a performance, Recorded in a performance, Jerusalem, 1976 Jerusalem, 1976

httphttp://://jnuljnul..hujihuji..acac..ilil