General question about the nusach

If anyone could please translate Rav Hamburger's answer, we'll be very happy to post the translation.

Thanks in advance

Free translation received from Litvak:

In addition to the halachic prohibition of changing early melodies, brought down in the Rama (Orach Chaim 619), there is a qualitative difference between the niggunim of bnei Ashkenaz and the 'chazonus' of Eastern Europe and Chassidic song.

A ) Among us the repetition of words in tefillah is strongly prohibited. In Eastern European chazonus they are not always particular on that.

B ) Our song almost always is carefully matched to be in harmony with the words of the tefillah. In other songs, very often there is no connection between the melody and the words.

Certainly it is possible to find, in places, a Chassidic song that is exemplary even according to our demanding standards. However, once such niggunim are allowed in our Shuls, there would descend upon them various others as well, including truly problematic ones, according to the tastes of individual chazonim and congregations. For the reason of 'lo plug' (not differentiating between similar-appearing things to afford extra protection), it is very desirable to refrain from these songs, as our forefathers refrained from them.

There are, in the Ashkenazic heritage, thousands of songs, some exceedingly nice and beautiful, that haven't been put to use yet, being hidden in books of musical notation and isolated recordings. Instead of using the currently popular music, there is a moral obligation upon us to return the crown to its place and to revive our wondrous musical heritage.

I was just showed this paragraph from the book Yosef Ometz:


אין לעשות ניגונים בליל שבת ומוצאי שבת בניגוני זמרי הנכרים כמו כל מקדש וברבות עיתים וכיוצא, וכל שכן שלא יעשו ניגונים אלו בבית הכנסת, ולא כמתחכמים למצוא להם היתר באמרם שכל ניגוניהם גנובים הם אתם מאתנו בזמן שבית המקדש קיים, שהרי מצינו מצבה שהיתה אהובה לפני המקום בזמן האבות, אכן על ידי שעשאוה הכנענים חוק לעבודה זרה שנא אותה הקב"ה ואסרה

Free translation: It is forbidden to sing the Zmiros Shabbos in the melodies of the goyyim, and it's even worse to do so in shul. Those who try to find a "heter" saying all the melodies all came from Beis Hamikdosh, therefore they were stolen from us, and we can sing them in shul are mistaken, because since the melody was used by goyyim - Hashem does not like it any more (as found in a matzevoh, using one stone as an alter, which Hashem liked in the time of Avrohom Yitzchok and Yaakov, and since the goyyim used it for their idols - it became osur).

Therefore it is so important to use the melodies composed for the tefilloh and not melodies taken from goyyish songs, as some of the Eastern European melodies are.

Michael