Klezmer

Klezmer (כלזמיר, from Hebrew k'li zemer כלי זמר, "instrument of song") is a musical tradition which parallels Hasidic and Ashkenazic Judaism. Around the 15th century, a tradition of secular (non-liturgical) Jewish music was developed by musicians called klezmorim. They drew on devotional traditions extending back into Biblical times, and their musical legacy of klezmer continues to evolve today. The repertoire is largely dance songs for weddings and other celebrations.

Repertoire

Historically, young klezmorim learned songs from their family and their elders in bands. However, there were several breaks in history where this transmission broke down, such as the Holocaust. Undoubtedly a lot was lost, especially wedding repertoire, since Jewish weddings would last several days, but technology of the time could only record a few minutes at a time. Fortunately, there remain a few older Roma musicians and klezmorim that are able to recall some of this repertoire. Also, some transcriptions were done in the 19th century.

Related Topics:
Holocaust - Jewish weddings - Roma

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In the 20th century, klezmer is typically learned from fake books and transcriptions of old recordings.

Related Topics:
Fake book - Transcriptions

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