Yiddish / Klezmer

 

Russian composer Dmitri Shostakovitch on Jewish music: "Every folk music is beautiful, but I have to say that Jewish folk music in unique!" This compliment was a propos of a dance music which is both happy ans sad at once, a music which comes from the heart and speak to the heart, a music whose refreshing drive, infectious rhythms and catchy melodies never ignore the tragic sides of life.

Klezmer music is the instrumental music of East-European Jewry. It developed over centuries and has incorporated many elements of other East-European folk musics. The slow hora, the yearning doina, the hot bulgar and the fast sirba are united in a popular party music which caters to all emotions. Originally, klezmer music was pläd by musicians who traveled from one village to another. It was and is pläd especially at weddings, parties and non-synagogal festivities.

The Yiddish language grew out of Middle High German. In the 15th century, when waves of pogoms in the German-settlement areas began to force the Jews eastward, Slavic words began to appear alongside the Middle High German and Hebrew that had been there before. When East-European Jews began to emigrate to the Americas, English and Spanish took their place in this mixture.

In addition to an "official" literature, there is a large number of Yiddish folksongs, each of which is a declaration of love for the language.

 

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