Germans and klezmer

[Itzik Gottesman <itzik...>]

I would like to add my 2 cents to an analysis of Germans and Klezmer. I
agree that the issue is among the most compelling today in Klezmer music. I
skipped and skimmed over many responses on this question to the list so I
apologize if I repeat someone's ideas. I know that Rita Ottens is writing a
book on the subject but I have not read her work and would be interested in
her thesis.

When one goes into Tower Records and looks at the world music section,
he/she will find many recordings under every middle eastern country,
african country,some european countries, but under Germany - one "German
Drinking Songs" CD, and  one "Oktoberfest" or "Oom-pah" music CD . Things
are beginning to change but only slowly. What happened to German folk
music? We know it's there, has always been there. As someone mentioned I
think, Hitler appropriated the word "volk" and "volkmusik" and used it for
his purposes, and the terms folk and folkmusic have yet to be made "kosher"
again in Germany. Hitler tainted German folkmusic as the music of the
oppressors. Enter Klezmer. Finally a "German folkmusic" that is the music
of the oppressed victims. A folkmusic that a German doesn't have to be
ashamed of, particularly Germans of the left. (The flip side of this view
is the lack of Klezmer in Israel outside of Hasidic circles. In that case,
perhaps the identification with the Yiddish speaking victims was to be
avoided). I could go on but that's my thoughts in a nutshell. - Itzik



-----------------------------------
Dr. Itzik Nakhmen Gottesman
Assistant Professor, Yiddish Language and Culture
Department of Germanic Studies
University of Texas at Austin
EPS 3.102
Austin, TX 78704-1190
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(512)444-3990 home

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