Re: Germans and Klezmer

[Khupenikes <Khupenikes...>]

>We had the embryo of a dialogue happening with some of the German members of 
this list a few days ago. Yet, when the discussion got hot, they became 
silent, which I can totally understand, given the nature of the anger which 
was expressed. This is a delicate situation. I would not like to change 
ANYTHING in its contents, except to invite the Germans to give their side.<

Thanks, Josh. I wasn't "scared off", I just had the feeling I couldn't add 
anything useful. It's impossible to discuss feelings. And I do respect all 
feelings expressed on this list, and will always try to understand them.

Of course we can try discussing some ethical questions.
Leopold Friedman wrote:
>I am just asking those well-meaning (for the most part), talented German 
musicians to refrain from intruding inYiddish culture if they wish to claim 
any sensitivity to human feelings. (...)  The argument seems to be that 
playing Klezmer music is a basic human right to which these (German) human 
beings are just as entitled as any ployni ben ployni.<

I don't think music is about rights at all, and no musician to some extent 
intelligent will ever claim any right to play whatever music. But I think 
every human being does have a right to develop his/her personality, to become 
an artist, and to express feelings in music. 
The music of any musician, as much as the choice of the musical world he 
decides to work in, is influenced by his entire personality, and we will 
never fully understand the complexity of character and soul even of the 
people we know best. Everyone should be free to do whatever he wants in arts, 
as long as this doesn't harm any other human being.
Since I'm playing the music of an ethnic group I wasn't born into, and since 
the fact that I was born German and Gentile (may this inform my playing or 
not) does indeed insult others, I should think it over.
But what if other people belonging to this ethnic group do enjoy my music? 
And what if I'm asked, as has happened, by musicians from this same ethnic 
group to play with them, because they regard my playing as qualified for 
expressing their kind of Jewish music?
Does the fact that I'm playing klezmer music show a "lack of sensitivity to 
human feelings", when at the same time I get an overwhelming response from 
Jewish listeners?
Can we really say: five think it's good, one thinks it's not, so go on? Or 
stop it, for the same reason?
I don't think there is an answer to that.

Christian

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