Re: defining klezmer

[Berlin Moshe <berlim...>]

Shalom,

    The idea that: instrument  = player (kli & zemer), which is
fundamental in understanding the ward klezmer, is found already in the
Bible. In Second Kings (3,15) we read: "But now bring me a minstrel, And
it came to pass , when the minstrel played, that the hand of the Lord
came upon him" (Sorry, I couldn't find a better translation). In the
original text in Hebrew it is written: "kenagen hamenagen" i.e. the
player should be completely identified with the instrument. When playing
he should behave like the instrument, in humbleness, without any foreign
thoughts in mind except those concerning to the music. More than that,
the player  (=klezmer)  should keep in his mind only the thought: How to
make my music so, that "the hand of the Lord" (shekhina, ruakh hakodesh)
will lay upon us. I Judaism, music itself is only a mean to bring upon
us the heavenly inspiration. ( I myself think that the music in the
prophets era was different from what we call now "klezmer music").
Reviving klezmer to this point, and not only to the east-european one, 
is eternal.  (If we'll search the roots of the east-european klezmers
higher and higher we'll reach the biblical point).

Mote (Mousse) Berlin



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