Do we need printed klezmer music?

[Joshua Horowitz <horowitz...>]

-- Budowitz Home Page: http://www.merlinms.dircon.co.uk/budowitz/

Just wanted to relate a situation report from the Klezmer front lines:

I have been trying for some time to find a publisher who would take on one
of the largest main out-of-print collections of klezmer music which I have
in my collection. While I have no problems with receiving rejections for
projects (95% of all of my proposals are rejected, that's nothing new) this
one stood out in particular. A letter from a major German publisher, in
translation, went as follows:

"After careful consideration of your proposal to publish a collection of
klezmer tunes with our house, we have come to the following conclusion:
Basically we have observed that klezmer music has shown an incalculable
upward trend, which is brought to our ears on a worldwide scale by excellent
ensembles such as your own. This means that the professional offering of
klezmer is taken on by routined musicians and has the effect of being
authentic only when played by these. For this reason, a large printed
edition of klezmer music would only be intended for this target group of
specialists, who play either by memory, or they already have these tunes in
their repertoire from long ago and won't need a collection of such pieces in
any great amount....We also think that those interested in klezmer music
will not look for it in "our publishing house" but will go to a publisher
who specializes in folklore music in a wide sense...we therefore must reject
your proposal and ask for your understanding for our decision."

Any comments? Josh Horowitz



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