Re: Doina

[SamWeiss <SamWeiss...>]

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The following post is from Kurt Bjorling:
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Sam Weiss forwarded a set of questions about 'doina' that appeared recently
on the Jewish music email discussion list.  He thought I might have some
input.  I don't have definitive answers, but I have some information and some
suggestions.

><< Almost all recordings of 'Jewish' doinas end with a faster dance piece,
>even if they only have time for a few bars, the musicians seem
>almost obliged to fit this in. >>

I suggest looking at the annotations to the pieces titled "Doina" in
Beregovski's collection of Jewish Instrumental music - the recently published
version edited by Mark Slobin and with full English translation is a very
important document.  There are numerous errors, oversights, and ommissions
but also a LOT of interesting information, scholarly opinion, and resources.
One of the two 'doinas' is in freygish mode and bears no resemblance to any
other Jewish doina - I think it represents a very loose application of the
label 'doina' - too loose in my opinion!.  On the other hand, the piece
titled 'Taxim' is a classic Jewish doina in every sense, which calls into
question the whole distinction between 'doina' and 'taxim' in Jewish music.
(It is really too bad that Beregovski's work occurred so late, when there
were no longer any actual klezmer bands in the regions where he did his
research!  There is a piece of music titled "Taxim" collected by Joel Engel
during his fieldwork in an even earlier period (1912?).  He received it in
manuscript form from an old musician who attributed it to the legendary
Jewish violinist "Pedotser" and who told Engel that he didn't know what a
'taxim' was, but that it was to be played "with ease, without measure" and
that it was performed "tsum tish."  Engel also didn't know what a 'taxim' was
and simply recorded this information in his notes.  The notated piece
resembles a Jewish doina in every basic aspect, but it follows different
modulatory episodes.  Again, the fact that the available source is too far
removed from the history of the piece means that we do not have enough re
liable information to draw conclusions or generalizations, or to know whether
these are appropriate.)

><< Recordings of Romanian (usually gypsy) musicians playing doinas 
>frequently don't end with a faster piece.  Is this a specific 
>characteristic of Jewish doina-playing, or ofthe types of doina adopted by 
>Jews ('Doina Oltului' was suggested by Paul Gifford in earlier doina 
>discussions)? >>

It is clear that the label 'doina' represents a much broader range of types,
styles, and modalities in Romanian music today than in historical recordings
of Jewish music, and it is true that the 'Oltenian Doina,' as played in
Romania in relatively recent times, has the same modality and primary 
melodic features of the Jewish doinas.  But several examples I have of 
'Moldavian Doina' also have the same characteristics, even in field 
recordings made in the last decade or so, so I don't know how specific or 
historically-based the term 'Oltenian Doina' is.  It may really mean 
something, and it may mean almost nothing.  Socialist-era Romanian politics 
(state-sponsored ensembles and their repertoires, etc...) enter in to the 
picture and I think a really historically-informed expert on Romanian music 
is needed to fully answer these concerns.

><<Or is it because most of my Romanian doina recordings are more recent 
>than klezmer doina recordings? >>

I don't know if anyone can answer this question 'yes' or 'no' - I can't - but
I think it is the most important question being asked here.  It invites a
host of important questions about how and why the recordings were made,
titles chosen and applied, how the music was sequenced.  One thing is clear:
a sound recording is not a wedding!  As far as I, or anyone I've asked, 
knows, there are no historical recordings of Moldavian music from the same 
period as the important historical recordings of 'klezmer' music, so again 
we do not have certain basic information from which to draw certain 
conclusions or generalizations that we might LIKE to draw.

I suggest asking some different questions, which don't necessarily have
answers, but thinking about them and trying to consider POSSIBLE answers 
can be very useful:

1. Why and for what purpose were doinas played/recorded in the past, and 
how did these purposes affect their content, style, duration, and the 
context of
performing them (before/after what - if any - other music)?

2. What is/was the reason(s) for a musician to call a particular
piece/recording/performance 'doina' and what value is/was there in applying
any historical or musicological accuracy or meaning to the term?

3. When/why/where are you hearing/performing doina(s) and what choices of
content and context are best or appropriate for that?

Kurt Bjorling - October 16, 2001


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Cantor Sam Weiss === Jewish Community Center of Paramus, NJ