Re: +shers

[AGREENBA <AGREENBA...>]

In a message dated 11/13/03 8:40:32 PM, ari (at) ivritype(dot)com writes:


> 
> So, yes on fitting the dance, but yes, also, on having many variations -- 
> which makes sense. Rhythms should stay the same for as long as the dance 
> goes on, but it is the variations that make it fun for the musicians (and 
> the dancers, I think, but I am a much better listener than dancer). And, of 
> course, by sliding into a new rhythm the band moves the participants from 
> one dance to the next.
> 
> ari
> 

I think we all need to clarify what "variation" means in this discussion and 
of course rhythms, tempi, feeling remains the same whether staying with the 
same piece or moving to other shers or medleys. But about variations, variants 
of a tune can still sound like the same tune, even with the best of figurative 
ornamentations that many of us do to extend a piece for our own pleasure as 
well as for dancing/listening. If it's the Philly sher that is being talked 
about here, the one that most of us at least call the Philadelphia Sher - one 
with 
MANY phrases to it and doesn't return to any one specific phrase for a da 
capo in the dance - then it's certainly true that there are plenty of phrases 
to 
last a very long time, for a fairly long dance set.   

I am one who whole-heartedly agrees with Zev on playing most shers in a 
moderate tempo as the spring in the step is so much more satisfying.   Tis why 
we 
should all be dancers as well as players as you can't really feel the music and 
the steps without doing the dances. (I do note, for my own interest in 
performing concert sets, that a few of the shers that were played or sung for 
Beregovski and his team were marked at a clip of 144. Even setting aside 
possible 
recording variation of pitch and tempo, this is a faster clip than the smoother 
moderate mood of the sher tempo that is most common to our ears and 
experience.) 

But all of this said still makes me puzzled as to whether there were bands 
that played certain shers for certain areas and that this structure was adhered 
to, hence the phrases were balanced to the dance. I will say that, because I 
can't "tolerate" a dance that isn't going by phrase with the music and visa 
versa I will only choose a sher that fits the one form of the sher that I know. 
I'll also admit that I cheated a bit when it was time for, say, the first woman 
of partner one to finally move from one couple to the other, the final go 
around. If the music had only 32 beats and the bowing used a little more than 
it 
was supposed to than we didn't "spin" around but rather shook the hand and 
passed along to the next person, i.e. no real dancing with that person. (I 
should 
be worried that I'm passing along a somewhat new way of dancing the sher but 
i don't get around THAT much....) 
I'm sure there will be lots of discussion now and at Kamp.
(Was the threading of the needle at the end to make up for some extra music 
time??? I hadn't seen this before.)
Adrianne

______________________________________
Adrianne Greenbaum
www.klezmerflute.com & www.klezband.com
Associate Professor of Flute, Mount Holyoke College
Klezmer flutist: “FleytMuzik” and “Family Portrait”
Classical: "Sounds of America"
fluteworld or cdbaby