The Book of Klezmer: The History, the Music, the FolkloreKlezmer is Yiddish music, the music of the Jews of Europe and America, a music of laughter and tears, of weddings and festivals, of dancing and prayer. Born in the Middle Ages, it came of age in the shtetl (the Eastern European Jewish country town), where "a wedding without klezmer is worse than a funeral without tears." Most of the European klezmorim (klezmer players) were murdered in the Holocaust; in the last 25 years, however, klezmer has been reborn, with dozens of groups, often mixing klezmer with jazz or rock, gaining large followings throughout the world. The Book of Klezmer traces the music's entire history, making use of extensive documentary material; interviews with forgotten klezmorim as well as luminaries such as Theodore Bikel, Leonard Nimoy, Joel Grey, Andy Statman, and John Zorn; and dozens of illuminating, stirring, and previously unpublished photographs. |
Contents
| 1 | |
two Fun der Haskole biz Dem Khurbn From the Enlightenment to the Holocaust | 49 |
18801960 Klezmer in the New World 18801960 | 143 |
Di BaleKulturniks From Zev to Zorn The Masters of Culture | 187 |
appendix 1 Klezmer Zikhroynes in di Yizker Bikher Klezmer Memories in the Memorial Books | 267 |
appendix 2 Klezmer Loshn Klezmer Slang | 327 |
Other editions - View all
Common terms and phrases
America Andy Statman Ashkenazic Aviv bass batkhn batkhonim became began Brandwein bride called celebrations Central and Eastern century clarinet clarinetist concert courtyard Dave Dave Tarras diaspora East European Eastern Europe famous father Feldman festivals Former Residents freylekhs gentile German ghetto groom guests Hebrew hired Holocaust Hungarian ibid immigrant instrument Interview Israel jazz Jewish community Jewish culture Jewish dance Jewish music Jewish musicians Jewish weddings Jews kapdye kapelye khasidic khasidim khazn khupe Klez klezm klezmer bands klezmer music klezmer-loshn klezmermusic klezmorim klezmorim played learned lived marshalik melody Memorial Book Mickey Katz Moshe Moyshe non-Jewish non-Jews orchestra performed playing klezmer Poland Polish popular prayer Purim Rabbi recordings religious repertoire Romanian Russian sang Sefer Zikaron shtet singing sometimes Stoliner Strom synagogue Tarras Tel Aviv Toyre trumpet tunes Ukraine Ukrainian violin violinist Warsaw Wedding in Town World Yiddish culture Yiddish songs Yiddish theatre YIVO York