Re: Popular Chassidic Music

[TROMBAEDU <TROMBAEDU...>]

In a message dated 12/21/98 3:01:08 PM Eastern Standard Time,
Gkober (at) is(dot)mgh(dot)mcgill(dot)ca writes:

<< 
 How is that the klezmer tradition, which, if I understand correctly,
 served purely religious functions initially, there being no concept of
 popular entertainment in the traditional Jewish world until the latter
 part of the 18th century,  was abandoned by the Torah-observant
 communities in eastern Europe and later on in America? I understand that
 the emergence of the Haskalah and other movements in eastern Europe
 opened things up for these musicians, allowing them to play in radically
 new environments that must have been considered treif and totally
 unacceptable. But did the European Rabbis actually impose some kind of
 ban on the MUSIC itself? And in America, did klezmer simply go out of
 style in both the religious and secular Jewish communities, or did the
 Rabbis here object to it as well? Either way, what did the observant
 communities do  for music at their simchas before the rise of this
 "popular Chassidic music" , which is only about 20 years old at most?
 
 Personally, I can think of several reasons why klezmer should have been
 kept alive in the "frum" world and why it should really go over well
 today amongst the observant, at least at chasanas.  Although I don't
 live in a Chassidic neighbourhood, I have been to a number of "Rebbe's
 tishes" (lively celebrations in honour of the arrival of a well-known
 Chassidic leader) during which I have heard the most moving, soulful
 Chassidic nigguns being sung, often duets between father and son. I have
 also heard and hummed along with many melodies at  "shalom zachors"
 (Shabbos-night celebrations of the recent birth of a baby boy) and other
 religious events (Simchas Torah in particular). When I started to listen
 to early klezmer recordings, in part because of interest generated by
 discussions on this list, I was amazed at the number of melodie >>

Gary, I think I can address some of your puzzlement. First, my credentials. I
currently work full time as a professional musician in New York, primarily
playing at "frum" weddings. I am also active as a klezmer musician. 
Klezmer was never banned. But Chasidic music always existed, parallel to
Klezmer music, which was probably more common originally in Bulgaria, Southern
Ukraine, Rumania, and some parts of the old Austria- Hungarian Empire.
Chasidic songs may have been a little less elaborate,  and come with  fewer
idionsyncratic ornaments, which are a reflection of Klezmer's Balkan origins.
The Klezmer style influenced the performance of Chasidic music, up until the
late 1970's. But already starting in the fifties,a more simplified version of
Chasidic music, which dispensed with some of the more characteristic elements
of Klezmer in favor of American Folk influences, became popular, largely due
to the influence of Shlomo Carlebach. 
That Klezmer would begin to fall out of favor after WWII makes sense in light
of the growing Americanization of Jewish life. This Americanization, like all
other trends, hit the Frum community about ten to fifteen years later than the
non observant community. So instead of Rhumbas and Cha Chas, the main musical
change was the injection of American Rock and Roll and later Disco into the
performance of Jewish music. 
In the late 1970's, the old timers who grew up before the war in the klezmer
tradition, began to be outnumbered by the younger players busy in the
performance of Chasidic music at weddings, replacing the Clarinet with the
Saxophone. This was a major shift ib the sound of the bands. It is very
uncommon to find a Clarinet on a Chasidic bandstand nowadays. In the same way
that Frum people are about ten years behind in popular trends, the feeling is
that they are ready to start re-accepting klezmer, as the non orthodox have
been doing for ten or more years already. 
At the same time, a rediscovery of authentic Chasidic music is also underway,
as evidenced by the popularity of Modzitz music, as well as a slight shift in
the repertoire of Avraham Fried, one of the more popular performers.
There is a great deal more to say about this, but not by me this instant. I am
curious for any feedback you folks may have.

Jordan Hirsch