Ever wondered how scores with texts in Hebrew are written?

A score book, dated 1912, is hosted in the New National Library in Jerusalem. Among other Israeli and traditional songs, one is the National Anthem, Hatikva “The hope”.

the original score book

This is an example of an attempt to write “Hebrew” scores from right to left, such that the text is read “correctly”.

same subject

this is the same music as the page on the right above

Obviously, it did not last…

Today the way Hebrew texts are set to scores is simply by separating the syllables and correlating them to the notes, respectively.

– Gabriela Crane

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