Klezmer fiddle
| Klezmer | |
|---|---|
| Stylistic origins | Developed in Southeastern Europe, influenced mostly by Romanian music (predominantly from Moldavia, particularly Bessarabia and the Romanian part of Bucovina); Greek, Ukrainian and Turkish influences are also present |
| Cultural origins | Jewish celebrations, especially weddings, in Eastern Europe |
| Typical instruments | Violin, cymbalom, clarinet, accordion, trombone, trumpet, piano, poyk |
| Regional scenes | |
| United States - Israel - Germany | |
| Other topics | |
| KlezKamp - Klezmer-loshn - KlezKanada | |
Klezmer (Yiddish: Klezmer (כליזמר or קלעזמער, pl. כליזמר, כליזמרים, from the Hebrew כלי זמר meaning "vessel of song") is a genre of fiddle music rooted in the medieval shtetl (villages) of Eastern Europe, where wandering Ashkenazi musicians (Klezmorim) played at bar mitzvahs, weddings and holidays (simkhes). ritual of rabbinic Judaism.
Some academic musicologists suggest that ancient Semitic traditions preceded and influenced, along with Tanahk hymns,Greek Pythagorean music. It consisted of a blend of dance tunes, liturgy and meditative chants (nigunim). Richard J. Dumbrill of City University of New York traced the evolution of Jewish harp, balags, lyre, lute and aerophone instrumental music in the ancient Near East. Following the destruction of the second Temple, all rejoicing and use of musical instruments was banned, with the exception of occasional use of the Rams Horn (Shofar).
Traditions combined in medieval klezmer include Greek, Turkish, Slavic and later, Jazz. Some modern bands, like the Klezmatics, incorporate gospel, punk, Arab, African, and Balkan rhythms.
Mel Bay music writer Chris Haigh, who himself performs in Klezmer bands, is one of the more prolific and popular writers on the topic, and he makes numerous assertions regarding the history of klezmer music which he does not corroborate with academic references. He contends that klezmer musicians constituted a hereditary profession with a "secret language" supported by guilds, starting out in Prague 1558 with the fidl for a logo, and a fiddler leading the band with second or third fiddles for harmony and rhythmic support. Other centres of klezmorim included Odessa, Ukraine, which to this day hosts annual Rosh Hashanah gatherings with tremendous music and dance. In the past there have been clashes with the authorities at these gatherings, regarding vending licenses and similar issues. Haupt notes the history of persecution by the Gentile authorities in medieval Christian Europe, but does not link the much-discussed, long-standing history of anti-Semitism with perceptions of secretiveness and proximity to criminality, which he reiterates in his version of klezmer historiography. For example, pressure from non-Jewish musicians ensured that in Prague, it was over a century before the Klezmer Guild was given permission for its members to play at non-Jewish functions. One way around these labyrinthine laws was to pretend to be professional Romani musicians.
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Wikipedia