“The Soul Seeks Its Melodies”

“The Soul Seeks Its Melodies is highly recommendable, better suited for academic libraries, particularly those located at institutions with curricula on Jewish studies, Israel studies, philosophy, musicology, and ethnomusicology. Within its scholarly nature, the language of the present English translation (slightly shorter than the Hebrew original by a few chapters, according to the text) is well written and accessible even to nonspecialist readers.”

— Neil M. Frau-Cortes, Notes

“Schwartz’s book is an invaluable and distinctive resource for those interested in the role of music in Jewish thought. It presents an intriguing assertion and is commendably well-written and extensively researched, offering a comprehensive overview and analysis of the subject. I highly recommend it to anyone seeking insight into the significance of music in Jewish life and thought.”

— Guy Shaked, Journal of Modern Jewish Studies

“Dov Schwartz’s “The Soul Seeks its Melodies”... is perhaps the first comprehensive analysis of the place of music in Jewish thought. Whereas Jewish musicology focuses largely on sounds, practices, and/or cultural boundaries, Schwartz’s formidable volume tracks the evolution of music as an idea which shaped, and was shaped by, the writings of great Jewish thinkers, including philosophers, theologians, and mystics. Transcending the historical soundscape of the Jewish people (though not without rich reference to it), Schwartz instead maps the Jewish musical mindscape of the past two millennia. As former head of both the Philosophy and Music Departments at Bar-Ilan University, he stands uniquely positioned to offer this wide-ranging and groundbreaking perspective. … Like a musicological superfood, Schwartz’s volume provides prodigiously rich intellectual nutrients in an incredibly concentrated form. … [T]he book is deceivingly light, yet with precise organization and scholarly girth that make it punch far above its physical weight.”

— Matt Austerklein, Beyond the Music