Klarinet Archive - Posting 000497.txt from 1995/05

From: "Dan Leeson: LEESON@-----.EDU>
Subj: KLEZMER
Date: Fri, 19 May 1995 06:40:42 -0400

For those unfamiliar with klezmer performances, the notes posted here
thus far (including my own) might be interepreted as if the whole
purpose of the art form was to provide a platform for clarinet solos.

Even though,
in the case of Giora Feidman, his artistry is so remarkable that he has
done just that, the fact of the matter is that the clarinet was one of
an ensemble of players. A group of klezmer players (Hebrew: klezmorim),
was a band and everyone got to do a solo. I remember as a child going
to weddings where some society band would try and imitate klezmorim on
a tune or two but I was smart enough even then to realize that what I
was hearing was a very bad imitation.

Klezmorim played as a group and then individual players would be hilighted
depending on their skill. One real klezmer group I heard gave the
clarinet player hardly any solo spots, not that he was a poor player,
but rather because the fiddle player with that group was such an artist
and who specialized in gypsy fiddling.

The most recent tour of the Boston Klezmer Conservatory band passed
through this area of California about 2 years ago and I went to the
concert. The baritone sax player was no solos, nor did the cornet.
Even the clarinet was not featured predominantly. For that group it
was the vocalist who was the star.

The bottom line here is that clarinets played a very special role in
klezmer music. Sometimes that role was as a side person, sometimes
as a soloist, sometimes as both. But it was not the centerpiece of
klezmer activity except in the case of Giora Feidman.

Last evening I had dinner with Joe Rabbai who was principal in the
Israel Philharmonic a number of years ago and is now co-princ. with
the Metropolitan Opera now on tour,and last night were in SF.
Joe mentioned that Feidman was the b.c. with the Israel Phil when
he was there and said that much of his orchestral playing was done
from memory because his eyesight was so very poor. Can you imagine
doing the b.c. solo from the Shostakovich violin concerto from memory??

====================================
Dan Leeson, Los Altos, California
(leeson@-----.edu)
====================================