Klezmer

Cultural aspects

When they did not have another principal activity and played only occasionally, the klezmorim were mainly itinerant musicians, in addition the music klezmer accompanied the shifts in population by the Jewish of Europe - thus, following the example language Yiddish, it nourished musics of the countries which it crossed, in which it also undoubtedly left influences. The precarious living conditions of these musicians who played mainly in the popular festivals and ceremonies contributed to give to their name klezmorim a pejorative Connotation.

In the musical field, the Jewish middle-class men, often close to the movement Haskala, preferred to direct the education of their children towards the classical music. It will be for example the case for the violonists Joseph Joachim, Jascha Heifetz, David Oïstrakh, Nathan Milstein and Yehudi Menuhin. It is partly thanks to the Hassidisme, more popular, movement which expresses by songs and dances love of life and love of god, that the music klezmer will be more firmly constant.

The klezmorims did not play that music klezmer, they could also animate Christian ceremonies.

Sets of themes

The topics of the songs refer to the Jewish Community life, the Shabbat is often evoked as well as religious holidays, the Rabbin S are recurring characters; but the other elements of the everyday life are also very present (lullabies, evocation of the trades) and of the events can be put in song: tragedies as the fire of a shtetl (village), histories like the emigration towards the the United States (for example in the song Di Grine Kuzine ).

The mother being a paramount actor of the transmission of the knowledge in the culture Ashkenaze, it plays a paramount role in the songs (cf the song Yiddishe Mamma for emblématique).

Revival

Immigration in the United States made it possible to preserve the tradition klezmer, but it gradually passed from mode. In parallel the Shoah destroyed most of the musical tradition klezmer in Europe.

However, starting from the Years 1970, of the artists were again implied in the music klezmer, such as Giora Feidman, the Klezmer Conservatory Band, The Klezmatics with David Krakauer, and made it possible to give this music to the last style, to even make it evolve/move in new directions (cf John Zorn, Koby Israelite).

In Poland also, Jewish musicians, such Leopold Kozłowski or Lesław Lic, continues and renews the tradition klezmer, while part of musicians of the young generation, such André Ochodlo, joins again with a cultural heritage hiddish regarded as integral part of the Polish cultural roots.

In France Klezmer nova , in the past the East express train moving shnorers , became a reference as well by its exactitude in interpretation of the traditional songs as by quality of its productions to the orientations jazz.

Musical aspects

Exogenic aspects

One finds in the music klezmer the influences of the musics of the East, gypsy and of the folk musics of Europe of the East.

As in the other musics of the area, in the end of the 19th century, one sees too the influence of the military marches , because in Russia, majority of the Jewish men were forced by the Conscription to be useful in the army of the Tsar, sometimes even for 25 years! They then avoided often the service in the Infanterie while playing in the military Fanfare.

Into the United States the music klezmer integrated the influences of the Jazz.

Aspects ashkénazes and monk

If the klezmorim occurred for all the communities, their musics are impressed of Jewish culture Ashkenaze. Thus its aspect melancholic person and the laments of the Clarinette S imitate the sound of the Shofar (instruments used at the time of the offices of Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippour with the Synagog), and its repetitive aspect points out the song of the Hazzan (cantor of the Synagog).

Musical modes

The music klezmer seems to have very old origins and rests on some musical modes indicated by names of Jewish prayers:

Ahavah Rabbah : ( abundant love ) corresponds to the mode Phrygien with the increased third, or the major mode with the decreased second, sixth and the seventh.
Semi Chébérakh : ( that which blessed ) mode Dorien deteriorated, fourth is increased.
Adnaï Malakh : ( the Eternal king ) similar to the mode Myxolidien.
Magen Avot : ( the shield of our fathers ) similar to the minor mode.
Yishtabach : similar to Magen Avot.

Rhythmic

The music Klezmer was in the beginning used to animate the dances, and the performances could last very a long time. Thus the Tempo was not regular but adapted to the tiredness of the dancers, and of course of the musicians. This irregularity of tempo fell under the tradition.

The rhythmic one is marked by the percussion instruments but also by instruments which play also a part of accompaniment like the Cymbalum.

Instruments

Musicians poor and itinerant going from village in village, the klezmorim did not use expensive and heavy instruments like the piano, introduced more tardily in the United States into the clubs and under the influence of the jazz, like the saxophone.

The laws often prohibited with the klezmorim the strong instruments such coppers and the percussions not to inconvenience their Christian neighbors. For this same reason, the number of musicians in the orchestra was limited as well as the duration of their performances.

the Violin, fidl in Yiddish, easily transportable instrument and which lends themselves to the modulation and the Glissando, is more symbolic system of the instruments klezmer.
the Flute, as from the 17th century, with the piccolo of often artisanal manufacture.
the tsimbl , or Cymbalum, very old instrument, with the rhythmic possibilities, harmonic and melody.
a simple drum ( tshekal ) was often used as a percussion. The baraban , or poik which is a Grosse case of small size on which could be laid out small a Cymbale. Only one klezmorim can thus reproduce an effective rhythmic support.
the Clarinette became an instrument essential of the klezmer at the end of the 19th century. It makes it possible to imitate the sound of the Shofar and to make sing the typical lamentations of the klezmer.
the Accordion, with buttons initially, keyboards then, as in the Gypsy music, appears at the same time as the clarinet.
the Trumpet, initially with rotating impellers in the musical tradition Ashkénaze of the XIXe century, and the Cornet. The modern trumpet (pistons of the Périnet type) is more common today.
Violoncello, the tshelo , and Contrebasse became instruments klezmer. Certain orchestras use the basy, small low played in the Tatras in Poland, manufactured today starting from a Violoncelle standard. The basy is with three cords; acute D and two cords of the in octave, which one plays simultaneously. The Balalaïka also could be used.
the Saxophone (20th century) in the contemporary klezmer, accompanies with wonder and is supplemented with the clarinet, (with the third for example).

References

Sources and complementary bibliography

Site of Mr. Borzykowski on the music klezmer
Stella-Sarah Roy, Musics and traditions ashkénazes , Paris, Harmattan, musical Universe, 2002
Herve Roten, Jewish liturgical Musics: course and stopovers , Arles, Actes Sud, Musics of the world, 1999

Fictions

Sfar, Joann, Klezmer, volume 1, Conquest of the East , Gallimard, November 17th, 2005 (Bayou)
Sfar, Joann, Klezmer, volume 1, Conquest of the East (Stitched) , Gallimard, April 1st, 2006 (Bayou)
Sfar, Joann, Klezmer, volume 2, Good Birthday Scylla , Gallimard, May 18th, 2006 (Bayou)
Sfar, Joann, Klezmer, volume 3, All the robbers , Gallimard, August 2007 (Bayou)

Some interpreters

See too

Category Music Klezmer

Internal bonds

Ashkénaze
Jewish Judaism,
Yiddish

External bonds

Information in French and English on the historical and technical aspects of the kelzmer, like on the songs, the dances and the language Yiddish. With partitions, bonds, a discography, a bibliography, a calendar and a presentation of the Hotegezugt group.
Virtual Klezmer, partitions, words of songs, etc
Klezmershack, general site of topicality on the music klezmer in the world
Yiddishweb: the site of the House of the culture Yiddish in Paris
old Recordings of Rumynski Orkestr Belfa
Zemerl, database on the song Yiddish

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