klezmer/yiddish

[Ernie Gruner / Cathy Dowden <erniegru...>]

thankyou Reyzl and others for replies.
my understanding is that klezmer derives partly from synagogue music and
partly from local ethnic community music. eg some modes and ornaments are
related directly to cantor's prayers/chants but some rhythms might owe
derivation to balkan influence.
where does yiddish fit into this? I assume the ornaments?
I guess one of my reasons for this line of questioning is personal.

I play the violin and play as a klezmer musician in Melbourne Australia for
chuppahs etc. I speak some hebrew and sung my barmitzvah many years ago but
speak little yiddish. My parents and surviving relatives came from slovak
and polish jewish communities but did not speak yiddish.

There is a musicological/linguistic argument you may have heard which
states that particular world music styles relate to particular languages.
ie the lilt in irish jigs and reels relates to early irish language,
hawaiian slide guitar ornaments and rhythm relate to hawaian etc . This has
led to many "world musicians" learning a language or learning to mimic it
(eg according to an interview  yesterday with a visiting musician, many
hawaiian singers don't speak the language but learn the songs parrot fashion).

I respect yiddish and its role, authors, contribution etc and believe
strongly in its right to survive and grow (Melbourne has one of the bigest
yiddish speaking communities in the world apparently - and I am often the
odd person out) but I do not wish to learn the language due to time
constraints. I am tempted to learn aspects of the language to "improve" my
klezmer style but believe my hebrew background and ability to learn thru
listening to CDs/live musicians etc should be enough. 

With the exception of ornaments, I'm not convinced that a knowledge of
yiddish contributes to better klezmer musicianship.
                      Any ideas/evidence to the contrary or in support?
thankyou Ernie
With respect to ornamention, are there any papers/theses/books that
describe this topic? I'm sure reading needs to be supplemented with
listening but believe an academic summary is useful also.

At 16:04 2/04/98 -0500, you wrote:
>Klezmer music arose in Yiddish-speaking territory.  I don't know of it 
>in non-Yiddish speaking territory, but then I also never heard of wedding
>music in Sefardic-speaking territory.  Just about everyone spoke Yiddish 
>in Eastern Europe till at least the first World War when the concept of 
>assimilating and/or being a world citizen (via socialism and communism) 
>was introduced.  It was a tiny exception that didn't.  
>>Does anyone know what Jewish wedding music sounded like in Sefardic Italy 
>and Greece?   How about Ashkenzic communities in Italy?
>>Reyzl  
>>>----------
>From:  Ernie Gruner
>Sent:  Thursday, March 12, 1998 3:55 AM
>Please could someone explain to me the relationship between klezmer and
>yiddish?
>>Are they / Were they always linked ?
>>Were there klezmer musicians in Europe who did not speak yiddish? where?
>>My understanding is that klezmer was jewish eastern european instrumental
>music, and that yiddish is a language which happens to be spoken in most if
>not all of the areas where klezmer was played. 
>>thankyou
>Ernie
>

Ernie Gruner - Fiddler and Violinist (klezmer,classical, jazz,celtic)
KALEIDOSCOPE MUSIC
Phone: 03 9386 7108   Fax: 03 9386 0947     Mobile: 0418 549 631
2 Cole Crescent, East Coburg 3058, Victoria,  AUSTRALIA   (Melbourne)
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