Klarinet Archive - Posting 000114.txt from 2004/09

From: Jeremy A Schiffer <schiffer@-----.edu>
Subj: Re: [kl] Klezmer info
Date: Mon, 6 Sep 2004 23:00:05 -0400

[Ms. Travis wrote:]
> I'd certainly listen to the heart and soul of klezmer (imo) - Giora Feidman.
>
[Mr. Jacobowitz wrote:]
>> There are alot of folx who play the tunes but have no concept of
>> the style or are not interested in the style but want to create their
>> own sound/style. These folx are NOT klezmer musicians any more than
>> Placido Domingo is a broadway singer in his recording of West Side
>> Story.

This juxtaposition was just too beautiful to pass up. I enjoy at times
listening to Mr. Feidman's playing, but traditional klezmer music is not
what he does, and one should never try to emulate his playing if they
desire to play klezmer (as Mr. Jacobowitz described it).

His philosophy is actually exactly the opposite of what Mr. Jacobowitz was
saying - Mr. Feidman believes that klezmer is essentially just the art of
making music, and that there's no genre which bears the name. Here are his
words on the subject, lest I be accused of ascribing views to him which he
does not hold:

"Klezmer does NOT denote a particular kind of music, and is not a
reflections of a musical style... it refers to the natural ability of a
human being to express him or herself through song. This, is TRULY the
meaning of the term "KLEZMER."" [ellipses and emphasis original] from "The
Magic of the Klezmer: From the Repertoire of Giora Feidman" available
through http://www.tara.com.

-jeremy
http://klezmer.org

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