3-voice klezmer

[Joshua Horowitz <horowitz...>]

Dena wrote:

> What is  
>>the idea that the 3-voice structure of klezmer music> ?

> Dena (someone who should know shoyn!)

Dear Dana,

In short, the heterophonic structure of klezmer music is based upon

1) melody (violin)
2) rhythm (secunda fiddle, tsimbl, later accordion)
3) Tenor or low line (figuration, drone or rhythmically based bass function
played by celli, small basses, later trombones or tenor wind instruments)

In spite of modern arrangements of bands in the 78 recording era which make
occasional use of 4-parts, many of the older ensemble musics of eastern
Europe developed functionally out of the three functions of melody, rhythm
and figuration, and did not participate in the same developments which
crystallized in the music of high culture.

The basic progression of classical western polyphonic history in a nutshell
is:

1) Single voice chant
2) 2-voiced organum (perfect 5ths and 4ths)
3) 2- voiced organum with octave (perfect 5ths and 4ths and octaves)
4) 3-voiced cantus firmi (given melody, around which 2 other parts are
constructed
5) multi-voiced counterpoint (independant melodies working against each
other using strict rules of the treatment of dissonances)
6) Homophony (melody + harmony based music, resulting from the
simplification of the above history)

The developments of multi-voiced music go hand in hand with the movement of
music from the Church to Court to Concert hall, a progression which is
missing in the folk music, in spite of which you can still observe mutual
interaction.

Since folk musicians up until the 19th century were not accepted into the
bona fide guilds and did not service the church as composers, they were not
educated in the particulars of composition. Their music developed
functionally and made use of a 3-voice structure which developed its own
rules and styles, independently of the strict rules governing the treatment
of contrapuntal dissonance which formed the basis of 4-voice music.

You can see overlap in Mozart's orchestral use of viola obligati and folk
contra playing, but one would find it difficult to prove a causal connection
to Mozart and folk playing styles, the first problem encountered being that
ensemble folk music was not written down and Mozart's music was.

The 3-voiced Jewish choral music which Daniel Katz wrote about also did not
make use of the telling Alto line, and seemed to be built upon a different
basis of multi-voiced construction than that found in corresponding
structures of Church music, namely the "Melody-Obligati-Drone" structure.
Since this construction paralleled that which is found in older Klezmer
music and myriad other east European folk music, my little red light went on
and has stayed on till this day.

When old Klezmer music makes use of a 4-part structure, the surrogate Alto
line is a heterophonic second melodic line rather than an independent line
in and of itself.

This may all be bull malarky, but food for thought. Josh

Budowitz
www.budowitz.com



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