Re: Popular Chassidic Music

[Owen Davidson <owend...>]

I find it interesting that so many religious authorities, whatever their
persuasion , are mistrustful of the spiritual effect of music.  One finds it 
most
strongly in "orthodox" communities, by which term I do not refer to the Jewish
religion per se, but to that contingent in any religious group that arrogates to
itself the "right" manner of observance.  So you find in fundamentalist Islam 
bans
against all musical performance save religious or "patriotic."  The same applies
to fundamentalist Chrisatian churches.  How many blues performers had to retire 
or
play only gospel music after "getting religion" in the Baptist church?  I think 
it
goes beyond the dichotomy between "body" and "soul."  Music, among all the vices
and sins, seems to be particularly threatening in that it *does* move the 
spirit,
but in a way that bypasses the "proper channels" and provides a direct link to 
the
divine.  In other words, it provides a mystical experience that must be strongly
opposed, in the name of law, order, and the State of God.  By the way, I grew up
as a Unitarian, where the only thing sinful in playing music is playing it 
badly.
Oy, have I sinned!

Owen

TROMBAEDU (at) aol(dot)com wrote:

> 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
>

--
Owen Davidson
Amherst  Mass
The Wholesale Klezmer Band

The Angel that presided o'er my birth
Said Little creature formd of Joy and Mirth
Go Love without the help of any King on Earth

Wm. Blake