Main article: Secular Jewish music

Klezmer
Stylistic origins	Klezmer developed in Southeastern Europe alongside Roma, Greek, Romanian, Turkish and Bulgarian music. See Secular Jewish culture for the main article on secular Jewish culture Typically nomadic the Roma people have long acted as wandering entertainers and tradesmen The musical legacy of Greece is as diverse as its history. Cypriot music has certain similarities to traditional Greek Music, and their Romania is a European country whose population consists mainly (approx The music of Turkey includes diverse elements ranging from Central Asian folk music and music from Ottoman Empire dominions such as Persian music, Bulgarian music is part of the Balkan tradition which stretches across Southeastern Europe, and has its own distinctive sound
Cultural origins	Jewish celebrations, especially weddings, in Eastern Europe
Typical instruments	Violin, Cymbalom, Clarinet, Accordion, Trombone, Trumpet, Piano, Poyk
Mainstream popularity	Rare among non-Jews, well-followed by Jews in US, especially following 1980s revival
Subgenres
Neo-klezmer
Fusion genres
Hip-hop Klezmer - Klezcore - Jewish Jazz
Regional scenes
Germany - Israel - United States
Other topics
KlezKamp - Klezmer-loshn - KlezKanada

Klezmer (from Yiddish כּלי־זמיר, etymologically from Hebrew k'li zemer כלי זמר, "musical instrument") is a musical tradition which parallels Hasidic and Ashkenazic Judaism. The violin is a bowed String instrument with four strings usually tuned in Perfect fifths It is the smallest and highest-pitched member The cimbalom (most common English spelling is a concert Hammer dulcimer. The clarinet is a Musical instrument in the Woodwind family The name derives from adding the suffix -et meaning little to the Italian word The accordion is a portable box-shaped Musical instrument of the hand-held Bellows -driven free-reed aerophone family sometimes referred to as a Squeezebox The trombone is a Musical instrument in the brass family Like all brass instruments it is a lip-reed Aerophone: sound is produced when the player’s The piano is a Musical instrument played by means of a keyboard that produces sound by striking steel strings with Felt covered hammers KlezKamp is a yearly Klezmer music and Yiddish culture festival in the Northeastern United states Klezmer-loshn ( Yiddish: Musician's Tongue) is an extinct derivative of the Yiddish language KlezKanada was founded in 1996 to teach nurture and present to a broad public the best of Jewish traditional arts and Yiddish /Jewish culture Yiddish (yi [[wiktייִדיש ייִדיש]] yidish or yi [[wiktאידיש אידיש]] idish, literally "Jewish" is a nonterritorial High A musical instrument is a device constructed or modified for the purpose of making Music. Hasidic Judaism (also Chasidic, etc from the Hebrew: he '''''חסידות''''', Chassidus, meaning "piety" from the Hebrew Ashkenazi Jews, also known as Ashkenazic Jews or Ashkenazim ( Hebrew: אַשְׁכֲּנָזִים, ˌaʃkəˈnazim sing Judaism (from the Greek Ioudaïsmos, derived from the Hebrew יהודה Yehudah, " Judah " in Hebrew יַהֲדוּת Yahedut Around the 15th century, a tradition of secular (non-liturgical) Jewish music was developed by musicians called kleyzmorim or kleyzmurim. They draw on devotional traditions extending back into Biblical times, and their musical legacy of klezmer continues to evolve today. The repertoire is largely dance songs for weddings and other celebrations. Due to the Ashkenazi lineage of this music, the lyrics, terminology and song titles are typically in Yiddish. Ashkenazi Jews, also known as Ashkenazic Jews or Ashkenazim ( Hebrew: אַשְׁכֲּנָזִים, ˌaʃkəˈnazim sing Yiddish (yi [[wiktייִדיש ייִדיש]] yidish or yi [[wiktאידיש אידיש]] idish, literally "Jewish" is a nonterritorial High

Originally, klezmer (plural klezmorim) referred to musical instruments, and was later extended to refer to musicians themselves. It was not until the mid-to-late 20th Century that the word was used to identify a musical genre. Early 20th Century recordings and writings most often refer to the style as "Yiddish" music, although it is also sometimes called Freilech music.

Contents 1 Style 2 History 3 Repertoire 4 Song types 5 Song structure 6 Orchestration 7 Time 8 Melodic modes 8.1 Ahava Rabboh 8.2 Mi Sheberach 8.3 Adonoy Moloch 8.4 Mogen Ovos 8.5 Yishtabach 9 Films 10 References 10.1 Notes 10.2 See also 10.3 External links

Style

Jewish and Israeli Music
Religious music:
Historical • Contemporary Piyyut • Zemirot • Nigun Pizmonim • Baqashot
Secular music:
Israeli • Israeli Folk Klezmer • Sephardic • Mizrahi
Not Jewish in Form: Classical • Mainstream and Jazz
Dance:
Israeli Folk Dancing • Ballet Horah • Hava Nagila • Yemenite dance
Israel
Hatikvah • Jerusalem of Gold
Piyyutim
Adon Olam • Geshem • Lekhah Dodi Ma'oz Tzur • Yedid Nefesh • Yigdal
Music for Holidays
Hanukkah • Passover • Shabbat
Music of the Haggadah
Ma Nishtana • Dayenu • Adir Hu Chad Gadya • Echad Mi Yodea
Music of Hanukkah
Blessings • Oh Chanukah • Dreidel Song
Al Hanisim • Mi Y'malel • Ner Li

Klezmer is easily identifiable by its characteristic expressive melodies, reminiscent of the human voice, complete with laughing and weeping. Jewish music, the music of Jews, is quite diverse and dates back thousands of years Jewish music, the music of Jews, is quite diverse and dates back thousands of years This article is about the sacred and religious music of Judaism from Biblical to Modern times This article is about the sacred and religious music of Judaism from Biblical to Modern times This article is about contemporary Jewish religious music For the main article on religious Jewish music see Religious Jewish music. See also Religious Jewish music A piyyut (plural piyyutim, Hebrew פיוט pijút and) is a Jewish liturgical poem usually designated Zemirot (זמירות (singular zemer) are Jewish hymns usually sung in the Hebrew or Aramaic languages but sometimes also in Yiddish This article is about a type of Jewish religious music Nigun For the main article on religious Jewish music see Religious Jewish music. See also Religious Jewish music Pizmonim ( Hebrew פזמונים singular pizmon) are traditional Jewish songs and melodies This article is about a type of Jewish religious music Baqashot See Secular Jewish culture for the main article on secular Jewish culture The music of Israel is a unique combination of Jewish and non-Jewish music traditions that have come together over the course of a century to create a distinctive musical The music of Israel is a unique combination of Jewish and non-Jewish music traditions that have come together over the course of a century to create a distinctive musical This article is about the music of the Sephardic Jews For the main article on secular Jewish music see Secular Jewish music. This article is about the music of the Mizrahi Jews For the main article on secular Jewish music see Secular Jewish music. See Secular Jewish culture for the main article on secular Jewish culture See Secular Jewish culture for the main article on secular Jewish culture See Secular Jewish culture for the main article on secular Jewish culture See Secular Jewish culture for the main article on secular Jewish culture This article is about Israeli folk dancing For the main article on Jewish dance see Jewish dance. See Secular Jewish culture for the main article on secular Jewish culture Hora is a type of Circle dance originating in the Balkans but now found in a number of countries most of which use slightly different spellings "Hava Nagila" ( הבה נגילה in Hebrew) is a Hebrew Folk song, the title meaning "Let us rejoice" In Yemen, where Jews were banned from dancing publicly forms of dance evolved that are based on stationary hopping and posturing such as can be done in a confined space The music of Israel is a unique combination of Jewish and non-Jewish music traditions that have come together over the course of a century to create a distinctive musical For the political party see Hatikva (political party. For the Tel Aviv neighbourhood see Hatikva Quarter. " Jerusalem of Gold " (ירושלים של זהב Yerushalayim Shel Zahav) is a popular Israeli Song written by Naomi Shemer in 1967 See also Religious Jewish music A piyyut (plural piyyutim, Hebrew פיוט pijút and) is a Jewish liturgical poem usually designated Adon Olam ( אֲדוֹן עוֹלָם; "Lord of the World" is one of the few strictly metrical hymns in the Jewish liturgy, the nobility of the diction of Geshem (גשם is one of the Hebrew words for " Rain," applied mostly to the heavy rains which occur in Israel in the fall and winter Lekhah Dodi ( Hebrew: לכה דודי also transliterated as Lecha Dodi, L'chah Dodi, Lekah Dodi, "Ma'oz Tzur" (מעוז צור is a Jewish liturgical poem or Piyyut. Yedid Nefesh ( Hebrew: יְדִיד נֶפֶשׂ y’did nefesh) is the title of a Piyyut. Yigdal ( יִגְדָּל; yighdāl, or יִגְדַּל; yighdal; means " Magnify Living God" is a Jewish Hanukkah music (or Chanukah music) (שירי חנוכה contains several songs associated with the festival of Chanukah. Passover songs are songs traditionally associated with the end of the seder, the festive meal associated with the Jewish festival of Passover. Zemirot (זמירות (singular zemer) are Jewish hymns usually sung in the Hebrew or Aramaic languages but sometimes also in Yiddish Passover songs are songs traditionally associated with the end of the seder, the festive meal associated with the Jewish festival of Passover. Ma Nishtana (מה נשתנה are the four questions sung during the Passover seder See also Passover songs Dayenu ( Hebrew: is a song that is part of the Jewish holiday of Passover. See also Passover songs Adir Hu (English Mighty is He Hebrew אדיר הוּא is a hymn sung by Jews worldwide at the Passover Seder. See also Passover songs Chad Gadya ( Aramaic: חַד גַדְיָה chad gadya, "one little goat or "one kid" Hebrew: See also Passover songs Echad Mi Yodea ( Yiddish: Man'dabar uma n'sapar) ( Hebrew: אחד מי יודע echad mi yodea) (Who Hanukkah music (or Chanukah music) (שירי חנוכה contains several songs associated with the festival of Chanukah. Hanukkah music (or Chanukah music) (שירי חנוכה contains several songs associated with the festival of Chanukah. See also Hanukkah music Oh Chanukah (also Chanukah Oh Chanukah) is an English version of the Yiddish Oy Chanukah (חנוכּה אױ חנוכּה See also Hanukkah music I Have a Little Dreidel (also known as the Dreidel song) and Samuel Goldfarb (also S Hanukkah music (or Chanukah music) (שירי חנוכה contains several songs associated with the festival of Chanukah. Hanukkah music (or Chanukah music) (שירי חנוכה contains several songs associated with the festival of Chanukah. Hanukkah music (or Chanukah music) (שירי חנוכה contains several songs associated with the festival of Chanukah. Unter den Linden ("under the linden trees" is a Boulevard in the centre of Berlin, the capital of Germany. Berlin is the capital city and one of sixteen states of Germany. This is not a coincidence; the style is meant to imitate khazone and paraliturgical singing. "Hazan" and "Chazan" redirect here For people named Hazan or Chazan see Hazan (disambiguation Growing importance of the office Several techniques are used to accomplish this. There are krekhts, 'sobs', and dreydlekh which are a form of trill. Krekhts (Yiddish for "Sobs" are an ornamentation in Klezmer music especially on the Violin. The trill is a musical ornament consisting of a rapid alternation between two adjacent notes of a scale (compare Mordent and Tremolo)

History

The Bible has several descriptions of orchestras and Levites making music. Etymology According to the Online Etymology Dictionary, the word bible is from Latin biblia, traced from the same word through Medieval Latin and Late Latin In the Jewish tradition a Levite ( is a member of the Hebrew tribe of Levi. But after the destruction of the Second Temple in 70, many Rabbis discouraged musical instruments. The Second Temple (בית המקדש romanized 'Beit HaMikdash' meaning 'Holy House' was the reconstructed Temple in Jerusalem which stood between 516 BCE and 70 CE Year 70 was a Common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar of the Julian calendar. Rabbi (pronunciation, although in English usually) in Judaism, means a religious ‘teacher’ or more literally ‘my great one’ when addressing any master But the importance of merrymaking at weddings was not diminished, and musicians came forth to fill that niche, klezmorim. The first klezmer known by name was Yakobius ben Yakobius, a 150s player of the aulos in Samaria. The aulos ( Greek αυλός, plural αυλοί, auloi or tibia ( Latin) was an ancient Greek musical instrument Samaria, or the Shomron ( שֹׁמְרוֹן, Standard Šoməron Tiberian Šōmərôn The earliest written record of the klezmorim is in the 15th century. It should be noted that it is unlikely that they played music recognizable as klezmer today since the style and structure of klezmer as we know it today is thought to have come largely from 19th century Bessarabia, where the bulk of today's traditional repertoire was written. Bessarabia ( Basarabia in Romanian, Бесарабія in Ukrainian, Бессарабия in Russian, Бесарабия in Bulgarian

Klezmorim based their secular instrumental music upon the devotional vocal music of the synagogue, in particular cantorial music. Secularity ( adjective form secular) is the state of being separate from Religion. A synagogue (from Greek: grc συναγωγή transliterated synagogē, "assembly" he בית כנסת beit knesset, "house of "Hazan" and "Chazan" redirect here For people named Hazan or Chazan see Hazan (disambiguation Growing importance of the office Even so, klezmorim — along with other entertainers — were typically looked down on by Rabbis because of their secular traveling lifestyle. Rabbi (pronunciation, although in English usually) in Judaism, means a religious ‘teacher’ or more literally ‘my great one’ when addressing any master Klezmorim often travelled and played with Roma musicians ("lăutari"), since they occupied similar social positions. The Romani people (singular Rom, plural Roma as a Noun; also known as Romanies or Roma people) are an ethnic group with origins They had a great influence on each other musically and linguistically (the extensive klezmer argot in Yiddish includes some Roma borrowings).

Klezmorim were respected for their musical abilities and diverse repertoire but they were by no means restricted to playing klezmer. Christian churches would sometimes ask for their services, and some Italian classical violin virtuosos received their instruction. Local aristocracy held the best klezmer in high regard and often used their services.

Like other professional musicians, klezmorim were often limited by authorities. Ukrainian restrictions lasting into the 19th century banned them from playing loud instruments. Hence musicians took up the violin, tsimbl (or cymbalom), and other string instruments. The violin is a bowed String instrument with four strings usually tuned in Perfect fifths It is the smallest and highest-pitched member The cimbalom (most common English spelling is a concert Hammer dulcimer. The cimbalom (most common English spelling is a concert Hammer dulcimer. The first musician to bring klezmer to European concert audiences, Josef Gusikov, played a type of xylophone of his own invention, which he called a 'wood and straw instrument', laid out like a cymbalom, and attracted comments from Felix Mendelssohn (highly favourable) and Liszt (condemnatory). Michal Josef Gusikov (born Yehiel-Michl also spelt Guzikow or Gusikow ( 2 September 1806 - 21 October 1837) was a Klezmer who The xylophone (from the Greek words ξύλον - xylon, "wood" + φωνή - phone, "voice" meaning "wooden Jakob Ludwig Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy, born and generally known as Felix Mendelssohn (February 3 1809 &ndash November 4 1847 was a German Composer Later, around 1855 under the reign of Alexander II of Russia, Ukraine permitted loud instruments. Alexander (Aleksandr II Nikolaevich (Александр II Николаевич ( Moscow, 29 April 1818 – 13 March 1881 in St The clarinet started to replace the violin as the instrument of choice. The clarinet is a Musical instrument in the Woodwind family The name derives from adding the suffix -et meaning little to the Italian word Also, a shift towards brass and percussion happened when klezmorim were conscripted into military bands.

As Jews left Eastern Europe and the shtetls, klezmer has spread throughout the globe, especially to the United States. A shtetl (שטעטל diminutive form of Yiddish shtot שטאָט "town" pronounced very similarly to the South German diminutive "Städtle" "little The United States of America —commonly referred to as the Initially, not much of the klezmer tradition was maintained by U. S. Jews, there were only a few Yiddish folk singers. In the 1920s the clarinetists Dave Tarras and Naftule Brandwein caused a brief, influential revival. Dave Tarras, 1897-1989 born Dovid Tarraschuk in Ternivka, (a village in Teplytskyi Raion, Vinnytsia Oblast, Ukraine) possibly the Naftule Brandwein, or Naftuli Brandwine, (1884&ndash1963 was a Jewish Clarinetist and one of the most influential figures in the history of Klezmer But as U. S. Jews began to adopt mainstream culture, the popularity of klezmer slowly waned, and Jewish celebrations were increasingly accompanied by non-Jewish music.

While traditional performances may have been on the decline, many Jewish composers who had secured mainstream success, such as Leonard Bernstein and Aaron Copland, continued to be influenced by the klezmeric idioms heard during their youth. WikipediaWikiProject Composers#Lead section --> WikipediaWikiProject Classical music#Biographical_infoboxes Aaron Copland (November 14 1900 &ndash December 2 1990 was an American Composer of concert and film music as well as an accomplished Pianist. Many believe that Gershwin was influenced by the Yiddish of his youth, and that the opening of "Rhapsody in Blue" was a nod to klezmer clarinetting. George Gershwin (September 26 1898 &ndash July 11 1937 was an American Composer. Rhapsody in Blue is a musical composition by George Gershwin for solo piano and jazz band written in 1924 which combines elements of classical music with ^[1] And, much of Benny Goodman's clarinet style can be interpreted as having been derived from klezmer.

At the same time, non-Jewish composers were also turning to klezmer for a prolific source of fascinating thematic material. Dmitri Shostakovich, in particular, admired klezmer music for embracing both the ecstasy and the despair of human life and quoted several melodies in his chamber masterpieces, the Piano Quintet in G minor, op. 57 (1940), the Piano Trio No. 2 in E minor, op. 67 (1944), and the String Quartet No. 8 in C minor, op. 110 (1960). Dmitri Dmitriyevich Shostakovich ( Russian: ru Дмитрий Дмитриевич Шостакович ( &ndash 9 August 1975 was a Russian Composer Chamber music is a form of Classical music, written for a small group of instruments which traditionally could be accommodated in a palace chamber The Piano Quintet in G Minor, opus 57 by Dmitri Shostakovich is one of his best known chamber works The Piano Trio No 2 in E minor, Op 67 by Dmitri Shostakovich was written in 1944 and dedicated to the memory of his closest friend Ivan Sollertinsky Dmitri Shostakovich's String Quartet No 8 in C minor (Op 110 was written in three days (July 12&ndash14 1960

In the 1970s there was a klezmer revival in the United States and Europe, led by Giora Feidman, Zev Feldman, Andy Statman, The Klezmorim, and the Klezmer Conservatory Band. Giora Feidman (born March 26, 1936) is an Argentine Klezmer music folklorist and Clarinetist Biography He was born in Andy Statman is a noted Klezmer clarinetist and bluegrass /newgrass Mandolinist Andy Statman first gained acclaim as a mandolinist in pioneering bluegrass The Klezmorim was a Klezmer band formed in 1975 They were widely credited with spearheading the worldwide revival of klezmer music in the 1970s and 1980s The Klezmer Conservatory Band is an Boston -based group which performs traditional Klezmer music it was formed by Hankus Netsky of the New England They drew their repertoire from recordings and surviving musicians of U. S. klezmer. In 1985 Henry Sapoznik founded KlezKamp to teach klezmer and other Yiddish music. Henry "Hank" Sapoznik' העניק סאפאזשניק (b KlezKamp is a yearly Klezmer music and Yiddish culture festival in the Northeastern United states

Shortly thereafter, in the 1980s, there was a second revival as interest grew in more traditionally-inspired performances with string instruments, largely in non-Jews of the United States and Germany. Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany ( ˈbʊndəsʁepuˌbliːk ˈdɔʏtʃlant is a Country in Central Europe. Musicians began to track down older European klezmer, by listening to recordings, finding transcriptions, and making field recordings of the few klezmorim left in Eastern Europe. Key performers in this style are Joel Rubin, Budowitz, Khevrisa, Di Naye Kapelye, The Chicago Klezmer Ensemble, the violinists Alicia Svigals, Steven Greenman[1] and Cookie Segelstein, the flutist Adrianne Greenbaum, and the tsimbl player Pete Rushefsky. Joel Rubin is a Jewish musician known for being a leading performer of Klezmer music Di Naye Kapelye is a Hungarian Klezmer music group DNK plays old time Jewish music the way we imagine it was played in eastern Europe both before and after the Alicia Svigals is an American Klezmer Violinist. She cofounded one of the most well-known klezmer bands The Klezmatics, as well as an all-female The New York City-based Klezmatics also emerged during this period. The City of New York The Klezmatics are a Grammy Award Winning American neo- Klezmer music group based in New York City, who have achieved fame

Interest in klezmer has developed in avant-garde jazz musicians like John Zorn and Don Byron, who sometimes blend klezmer with jazz. Avant-garde (avɑ̃gaʁd in French) means "advance guard" or "vanguard Jazz is an American Musical art form which originated in the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States John Zorn (born September 2 1953 in Queens, New York City) is an American Avant-garde Composer, arranger, Record Don Byron (born November 8 1958) is a composer Jazz Clarinet, Bass clarinet and Saxophone player Jazz is an American Musical art form which originated in the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States Klezmer melodies have also more recently been incorporated into songs by 3rd-wave ska band Streetlight Manifesto. Streetlight Manifesto is an American ska band from East Brunswick Township New Jersey under the creative leadership of Tomas Kalnoky. Singer/songwriter Tomas Kalnoky frequently slips in horn licks with Russian and Jewish origins. Tomas Kalnoky (born on December 24, 1980) is the lead singer/guitarist and songwriter of the bands Streetlight Manifesto and Bandits of the Acoustic

Repertoire

Historically, young klezmorim learned songs from their family and their elders in bands. However, there were several breaks in history where this transmission broke down, such as the Holocaust. The Holocaust (from the Greek el ''ὁλόκαυστον'' (el-Latn holókauston holos, "completely" and kaustos, "burnt" also known as Undoubtedly a lot was lost, especially wedding repertoire, since Jewish weddings would last several days, but technology of the time could only record a few minutes at a time. Betrothal ( shiddukhin) In Jewish law (halakha Betrothal (shiddukhin or Engagement is defined as the mutual promise between Fortunately, there remain a few older klezmorim that are able to recall some of this repertoire. Also, some transcriptions were done in the 19th century.

In the 20th century, klezmer is typically learned from fake books and transcriptions of old recordings. A fake book is a collection of musical Lead sheets intended to help a performer quickly learn new songs This article is about music For other uses see Transcription disambiguation page In Music, transcription is the act of notating

Song types

Most klezmer pieces are intended to be danced to, from fast to slow tempo:

• The freylekhs (also bulgar, bulgarish - literally "Bulgarian", volekhl/vulekhl - literally "Wallachian", or "Romanian") is a (3+3+2 = 8)/8 circle dance, usually in the Ahava Rabboh melodic mode. The time signature (also known as " meter signature" is a notational convention used in Western Musical notation to specify how many beats The Phrygian dominant scale is constructed by raising the third of the Phrygian mode and is the fifth mode of the harmonic minor scale, the fifth being Typically piano, accordion, or bass plays a duple oom-pah beat. These are by far the most popular klezmer dances. The name "Bulgar" (Yiddish "bulgarish", Romanian "bulgarească") probably refers to the Bulgarian minority in southern Bessarabia, although their association with this particular dance has long been forgotten. Romanian or Daco-Romanian ( dated: Rumanian or Roumanian; self designation limba română, ˈlimba roˈmɨnə is a Romance The Bulgarians (българи balgari) are a South Slavic people generally associated with the Republic of Bulgaria and the Bulgarian language Bessarabia ( Basarabia in Romanian, Бесарабія in Ukrainian, Бессарабия in Russian, Бесарабия in Bulgarian
• The sher is a set dance in 2/4. A sher is a form of dance in Eastern European Folk music, notably Russian and Klezmer music Set dances, sometimes called "country sets" are a popular form of folk dancing in Ireland. It is one of the most common klezmer dances.
• The khosidl, or khusidl, named after the Hasidic Jews who danced it, is a more dignified embellished dance in 2/4 or 4/4. Hasidic Judaism (also Chasidic, etc from the Hebrew: he '''''חסידות''''', Chassidus, meaning "piety" from the Hebrew The dance steps can be performed in a circle or in a line.
• The hora or zhok is a Romanian-style dance in a hobbling 3/8 time with beats on 1 and 3, and is even more embellished. The Romanians (dated Rumanians or Roumanians; Romanian: români or historically and today rather seldom and only regional rumâni The Israeli hora derives its roots from the Moldavian hora. Moldavia (Moldova is a geographic and historical region and former Principality in Eastern Europe, corresponding to the territory between Eastern Carpathians
• The kolomeike is a fast and catchy dance in 2/4 time, which originated in Ukraine, and is prominent in the folk music of that country. Kolomyjka (Koлoмийкa also referred to as kolomeyka or kolomeike) is a Ukrainian Folk dance especially popular in the southwestern Ukraine (Україна Ukrayina, /ukrɑˈjinɑ/ is a country in Eastern Europe.
• The terkish is a 4/4 dance like the habanera. Terk in America is one famous arrangement by Naftule Brandwein, who used this form extensively. Naftule Brandwein, or Naftuli Brandwine, (1884&ndash1963 was a Jewish Clarinetist and one of the most influential figures in the history of Klezmer
• The skotshne ("hopping") could be an instrumental display piece, but also a dance piece, like a more elaborate freylekhs.
• The nigun, which means "melody" in both Yiddish and Hebrew, a mid-paced song in 2/4. This article is about a type of Jewish religious music Nigun For the main article on religious Jewish music see Religious Jewish music. In Music, a melody (from Greek μελῳδία - melōidía, "singing chanting" also tune, voice, or Yiddish (yi [[wiktייִדיש ייִדיש]] yidish or yi [[wiktאידיש אידיש]] idish, literally "Jewish" is a nonterritorial High
• Waltzes were very popular, whether classical, Russian, or Polish. A padespan was a sort of Russian/Spanish waltz known to klezmers.
• The mazurka and polka, Polish and Czech dances, respectively, were often played for both Jews and Gentiles. The mazurka is a stylized Polish Folk dance in Triple meter with a lively tempo that has a heavy accent on the third or second beat The polka is a fast lively Central European Dance and also a genre of dance music familiar throughout Europe and the Americas
• Cakewalks were African-American folk dances popular around the start of the 20th century, even among Eastern European Jews. This article is about the form of music and dance For the musical notation program see Cakewalk (sequencer. African Americans or Black Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have origins in any of the black populations of Africa
• The csárdás is a Hungarian dance popular among the Jews of Hungary, Slovakia, and the Carpathians. Csárdás (ˈt͡ʃaːrdaːʃ " char -dash" is a traditional Hungarian Folk dance. Hungary (Magyarország 'mɔɟɔrorsaːg) officially in English the Republic of Hungary ( Magyar Köztársaság, literally Magyar (Hungarian Republic Hungary (Magyarország 'mɔɟɔrorsaːg) officially in English the Republic of Hungary ( Magyar Köztársaság, literally Magyar (Hungarian Republic Slovakia (long form Slovak Republic; Slovak:, long form, is a Landlocked country in Central Europe with a population of over five million The Carpathian Mountains or Carpathians (Carpaţi Czech, Polish and Slovak: Karpaty; Ukrainian: Карпати It started off slowly and gradually increased in tempo.
• The sîrba, a Romanian dance in 2/3 or 2/4. A Sîrba or Sârba (meaning " Serbian " in Romanian) is a Romanian dance normally played in 2/3 or 2/4 time Romania ( dated: Rumania, Roumania It features hopping steps and short bursts of running, accompanied by triplets in the melody. In Music, a melody (from Greek μελῳδία - melōidía, "singing chanting" also tune, voice, or
• The Humoresque 'Halaka' dance, a traditional Israeli dance from Safed in Galilee; it has an ancient melody handed down from generation to generation. Humoresque (or Humoreske is a Genre of Romantic music characterized by pieces with fanciful humor in the sense of mood rather than wit Safed (צְפַת pronounced Tsfat; صفد pronounced Safad) is a city in the Northern District of Israel. "Galil" redirects here For the weapon see IMI Galil. Galilee (הגליל ha-Galil, lit the province,
• The tango, the well-known dance that originated in Argentina. Tango is a Musical genre and its associated dance forms that originated in Buenos Aires, Argentina and Montevideo, Uruguay and For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Argentina topics. These were extremely popular around the world in the 1930s, and many Eastern European tangos were originally written by Jews.

Additionally, there are types not designed for dance:

• A doina is an improvisational lament usually performed solo, and is extremely important in weddings. The Doina ('dojna is a Romanian musical tune style having its roots in the music-laments of the Romanian Shepherds ( Vlachs. Its basis is the Romanian shepherd's lament, so it has an expressive vocal quality, like the singing of the khazn. "Hazan" and "Chazan" redirect here For people named Hazan or Chazan see Hazan (disambiguation Growing importance of the office Although it has no form, it is not just random sounds in a Jewish mode--the musician works with very particular references to Jewish prayer and East European laments. In Music, a scale is an ordered series of Musical intervals which along with the key or tonic, define the pitches However mode Often these references might occur in the form of harmonic movements or modal maneuvers which quote or otherwise invoke traditional Jewish cantorial practices. Typically it is performed on violin (Yiddish "fidl"), cymbalom (Yiddish "tsimbl") or clarinet, though has been done on everything from banjoes to xylophones. The banjo is a Stringed instrument developed by enslaved Africans in the United States, adapted from several African instruments The xylophone (from the Greek words ξύλον - xylon, "wood" + φωνή - phone, "voice" meaning "wooden Often it is the first of a 3-part set, followed by a hora, then either a freylekhs or khusidl.
• A taksim is a freeform prelude that introduces the motifs of the following piece, which is usually a freylekhs; it was largely supplanted by the doina by the beginning of the XX century. Taksim ( Turkish for "division" was the objective of Turkish Cypriots who supported a partition of the island of Cyprus into Turkish and Greek
• A fantazi or fantasy is a freeform song, traditionally played at Jewish weddings to the guests as they dined. It resembles the fantasia of "light" classical music. The fantasia (also fantasy fancy Fantasie fantaisie is a musical composition with its roots in the art of Improvisation.

Song structure

Most klezmer songs are in several sections, each in a different key. In Music theory, the term key is used in many different and sometimes contradictory ways Frequently sections alternate between major and minor keys. In Music theory, the major scale or Ionian scale is one of the diatonic scales It is made up of seven distinct Notes plus an eighth Minor Scale was a test conducted by the United States Defense Nuclear Agency (now part of the Defense Threat Reduction Agency) involving the detonation Instrumental songs often follow the type of chord progressions found in Middle Eastern and Greek music, whereas vocal Yiddish songs are often much simpler, and follow a style and chord progressions similar to Russian folk songs. Greece (Ελλάδα transliterated: Elláda, historically, Ellás,) officially the Hellenic Republic (Ελληνική Δημοκρατία Yiddish (yi [[wiktייִדיש ייִדיש]] yidish or yi [[wiktאידיש אידיש]] idish, literally "Jewish" is a nonterritorial High Russia (Россия Rossiya) or the Russian Federation ( Rossiyskaya Federatsiya) is a transcontinental Country extending

A common ending for songs is an upwards chromatic run or glissando, followed by a slow staccato 8-5-1. The chromatic scale is a Musical scale with twelve pitches each a Semitone or Half step apart " Glissando " (plural glissandi abbreviated gliss is a glide from one pitch to another In Musical notation, the Italian word staccato (literally detached, plural staccatos or staccati) indicates that notes

Orchestration

Klezmer is generally instrumental, although at weddings klezmorim traditionally accompany the wedding entertainer. A typical 19th century European orchestra would have included a first violin, a contra-violin (or modified 3-stringed viola also called Groyse Fidl [Yid. The violin is a bowed String instrument with four strings usually tuned in Perfect fifths It is the smallest and highest-pitched member The viola is a bowed String instrument. It is the middle voice of the Violin family, Big Fiddle], Sekund, Kontra or Zsidó Bratsch [Hun. ])^[2], a tsimbl (cimbalom or hammered dulcimer), a bass or cello, and sometimes a flute. The cimbalom (most common English spelling is a concert Hammer dulcimer. The cimbalom (most common English spelling is a concert Hammer dulcimer. The hammered dulcimer is a stringed Musical instrument with the strings stretched over a Trapezoidal sounding board The double bass is the largest and lowest-pitched bowed String instrument used in the modern symphony orchestra. The violoncello (abbreviated to cello, or 'cello, plural cellos or celli —the c is tʃ The flute is a Musical instrument of the Woodwind family Unlike other woodwind instruments a flute is a Reedless wind instrument that produces its The melody is generally assigned to the lead violin, while the remainder providing harmony, rhythm and some counterpoint (the latter usually coming from the second violin or viola). The inclusion of Jews in tsarist army bands during the 19th century led to the introduction of typical military band instruments into klezmer. Brass instruments eventually inherited a counter-voice role, amongst which the french valved cornet and the keyed German trumpet^[3]. The cornet is a Brass instrument very similar to the Trumpet, distinguished by its conical bore, compact shape and mellower tone quality Modern klezmer instrumentation is more commonly influenced by the instruments of the 19th century military bands than the earlier orchestras.

Klezmer percussion tended, in early 20th Century recordings, to be minimal, no more than a woodblock or snare drum. The snare drum is a Drum with strands of snares made of curled metal wire metal cable plastic cable or gut cords stretched across the a drumhead typically (The snare drum is the more "authentic" of the two. The use of a wood block by modern klezmorim is the result of an attempt to imitate recordings from the early 20th Century, in which snare drums, whose volume tended to overwhelm the primitive recording equipment of the time, were replaced with quieter instruments. ) In Eastern Europe percussion was often provided by a drummer who played a frame drum, or a poyk, sometimes called Baraban. A frame drum is a Drum that has a Drumhead diameter greater than its depth (a poyk is a bass drum type drum often with a cymbal or piece of metal mounted on top. In Bulgaria, Serbia, and Macedonia, sometimes the pikeler would also play in the tapan style, i. e. with a switch in one hand on a thin tight head, and a mallet in the other, on a thicker, looser head.

Some Klezmer revival bands look to loud-instrument klezmer, jazz, and Dixieland for inspiration. Jazz is an American Musical art form which originated in the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States Dixieland or Dixie is a name for the southeastern portion of the USA; see Southern United States, Dixie. Their band is similar to a typical jazz band, with some differences. They use a clarinet for the melody, and make great use of the trombone for slides and other flourishes. The clarinet is a Musical instrument in the Woodwind family The name derives from adding the suffix -et meaning little to the Italian word The trombone is a Musical instrument in the brass family Like all brass instruments it is a lip-reed Aerophone: sound is produced when the player’s When a cymbalom sound is called for, a piano is played with sustain. The piano is a Musical instrument played by means of a keyboard that produces sound by striking steel strings with Felt covered hammers There is usually a brass instrument ensemble, and sometimes there is a tuba for a bass. A brass instrument is a Musical instrument whose tone is produced by vibration of the lips as the player blows into a tubular Resonator. Performers in this style include The Klezmatics, Klezmer Conservatory Band and The Maxwell Street Klezmer Band. The Klezmatics are a Grammy Award Winning American neo- Klezmer music group based in New York City, who have achieved fame The Klezmer Conservatory Band is an Boston -based group which performs traditional Klezmer music it was formed by Hankus Netsky of the New England Other klezmer bands look back to different eras or regions, and attempt to recreate specific styles of klezmer--for example, the band Muzsikas has released albums in the 19th-century Romanian klezmer style, with only violins, tsimbls and other stringed instruments, giving even the happier passages a more haunting feel. Muzsikás is a Hungarian musical group playing mainly folk music of Hungary and other countries and peoples of the region

Time

In its original form, Klezmer was live music designed to facilitate dancing. Hence, the tempo would be altered as dancers tired — or better dancers joined in. Trying to maintain a steady tempo was counterproductive. Vocal songs would also come to a near-halt as the bandleader sang a particularly sad part, perhaps picking up slowly and eventually bursting into happy song once more (this is a feature of many Rom and Russian folk songs as well). The Romani people (singular Rom, plural Roma as a Noun; also known as Romanies or Roma people) are an ethnic group with origins Russia (Россия Rossiya) or the Russian Federation ( Rossiyskaya Federatsiya) is a transcontinental Country extending Nonetheless, klezmorim were often mocked for their drifting tempos by fellow musicians.

Like other musicians of their time, and many modern Jazz performers, early klezmorim did not rigidly follow the beat. Jazz is an American Musical art form which originated in the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States Often they would slightly lead or trail it, giving a lilting sound.

Melodic modes

Klezmer is usually played in shteygerim, prayer modes of the synagogue. A synagogue (from Greek: grc συναγωγή transliterated synagogē, "assembly" he בית כנסת beit knesset, "house of They are closely related to but distinct from Balkan modes.

Since klezmorim often had to perform for long events, it was difficult to keep the instruments in tune, especially the many-stringed cymbalom. The cimbalom (most common English spelling is a concert Hammer dulcimer. This was not a great obstruction, since melody — not harmony — is the focus of klezmer.

Ahava Rabboh

Ahava Rabbah means "Abounding Love" in Hebrew, and refers to a prayer from the daily morning prayer service (shacharit). The Phrygian dominant scale is constructed by raising the third of the Phrygian mode and is the fifth mode of the harmonic minor scale, the fifth being Jewish services ( Hebrew: תפלה, tefillah; plural תפלות, tefillos or tefillot; Yinglish: davening It is built on the fifth degree of the harmonic minor scale, with a descending tetrachord to the tonic being the most characteristic final cadence. It is also called the "Freygish", a Yiddish term derived from the German "Phrygisch", or Phrygian mode. Yiddish (yi [[wiktייִדיש ייִדיש]] yidish or yi [[wiktאידיש אידיש]] idish, literally "Jewish" is a nonterritorial High The German language (de ''Deutsch'') is a West Germanic language and one of the world's major languages. The Phrygian mode can refer to two different Musical modes or Diatonic scales the ancient Greek Phrygian mode and the Mediaeval Phrygian mode It is considered the mode of supplication. Usually it is found in Hassidic music. Hasidic Judaism (also Chasidic, etc from the Hebrew: he '''''חסידות''''', Chassidus, meaning "piety" from the Hebrew It is similar to the Arabic Hijaz maqam. al-Hejaz (also Hijaz, Hedjaz; الحجاز al-Ḥiǧāz, literally "the barrier" is a region in the west of present-day Saudi Arabia Maqam is a modal structure that characterizes the art of music of countries in North Africa, the Middle East and Central Asia. Most Klezmer makes use of the D Ahavah Rabboh scale (such as Nigun Rikud, Tish Nigun and numerous freylekhs), although there exist some that use other scales.

Mi Sheberach

Mi Sheberach means "He who blessed" in Hebrew, from the Mi Shebarach prayer, recited after the honor of being called to the Torah reading. It is also called the Ukrainian, Altered Ukrainian, Doina, or Altered Dorian. Due to historical confusion Dorian mode or Doric mode can refer to two very different Musical modes or Diatonic scales Greek It has a raised fourth, and is used often for the doina or dance pieces, like the Odessa Bulgar. The Doina ('dojna is a Romanian musical tune style having its roots in the music-laments of the Romanian Shepherds ( Vlachs. When used in combination with the Ahavah Rabboh scale in the same piece (as in Mayn Shtetl Yas), the Mi Sheberach section is usually a whole tone below the Ahavah Rabboh scale (for example, D Ahavah Rabboh changes to C Mi Sheberach or vice versa).

Adonoy Moloch

Adonoy Moloch means "my Lord reigns" in Hebrew. It is common in traditional synagogue services (they are the beginning words of many of the Psalms). A synagogue (from Greek: grc συναγωγή transliterated synagogē, "assembly" he בית כנסת beit knesset, "house of Psalms ( Hebrew: Tehilim, תהילים, or "praises" is a book of the Hebrew Bible (the Christian Old Testament) included It is similar to the Western Mixolydian mode and the Arabic Siga Maqam. The Mixolydian mode is a Musical mode or Diatonic scale. It has the same series of tones and semitones as the Major scale, except Maqam is a modal structure that characterizes the art of music of countries in North Africa, the Middle East and Central Asia.

Mogen Ovos

Mogen Ovos means "our forebears' shield" in Hebrew. It is an older mode from the synagogue, derived from the Friday night prayers. A synagogue (from Greek: grc συναγωγή transliterated synagogē, "assembly" he בית כנסת beit knesset, "house of Shabbat or Shabbos ( Hebrew: שַׁבָּת, shabbāt, shabbes, "rest/inactivity" is the Weekly Sabbath It is similar to the Western natural minor scale and the Arabic Bayat Maqamat and Bayat-Nava. Minor Scale was a test conducted by the United States Defense Nuclear Agency (now part of the Defense Threat Reduction Agency) involving the detonation Maqam is a modal structure that characterizes the art of music of countries in North Africa, the Middle East and Central Asia.

Yishtabach

Yishtabach means "it shall become superb" in Hebrew (from the daily morning services). It has a frequent lowering of the 2nd and 5th. It is related to Mogen Ovos, above.

Films

• Jewish Soul Music: The Art of Giora Feidman (1980). Directed by Uri Barbash.
• A Jumpin' night in the Garden of Eden (1988). Directed by Michal Goldman.
• Fiddler on the Roof (1971) Directed by Norman Jewison. Fiddler on the Roof is the 1971 film version of the Broadway musical of the same name. Norman Frederick Jewison CC, BA, LLD (born July 21, 1926) is an Academy Award -winning Canadian Film
• Fiddlers on the Hoof (1989). Directed by Simon Broughton.
• The Last Klezmer: Leopold Kozlowski: His Life and Music (1994). Directed by Yale Strom. Yale Strom (violin composer filmmaker writer photographer playwright is a pioneer among klezmer revivalists in conducting extensive field research in Central and Eastern Europe
• A Tickle in the Heart (1996). Directed by Stefan Schwietert.
• Dummy (2002). Dummy is a 2002 Drama film / Comedy film written and directed by Greg Pritikin. Directed by Greg Pritikin. Greg Pritikin is an independent filmmaker His first three feature films “ Totally Confused,” “ Dummy ” and “ Surviving Eden,” all comedies

References

Notes

See also

• List of klezmer bands
• List of klezmer musicians
• Lautari

External links

• official website of Richárd Bernard’s OY!Stars Klezmer Group
• Rzeszow Klezmer Band - official website of Polish Klezmer Group
• Klezmer music history by cosmpolis.ch
• What is Klezmer?. Klezmer ( Yiddish כלזמיר from Hebrew k'li zemer כלי זמר lit This article provides a list of Klezmer musicians: Aaron Alexander Michael Alpert Shloimke (Sam Beckerman The Romanian word Lăutar denotes a class of traditional music singers Overview by Manchester Klezmer.
• Jewish Strings - An Introduction to the Klezmer Tsimbl. An introduction to the traditional klezmer hammered dulcimer.
• Klezmer music - what is freilach, anyway?
• Klezmershack.com. History, community and events.
• The King of Klezmer Giora Feidman's page
• Der Bay. Contact information for Klezmer groups and der Internatsyonaler Kalendar
• =Musique Klezmer & Co=. Ressources, concerts, international groups, links for klezmer sheet music.

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