Jewish music in Belarus

[klezmer]

Статья "Jewish music in Belarus: preserving a dying tradition" Автор Delphine Thouvenot (Agence France-Press)

Comments

[map-ka.livejournal.com]

OK, now I know your story. Interesting... So, you are a prince of a klezmer dynasty?

Meanwhile, I finally (!!!) got your CD from Pete. And have been listening... and listening... and listening...and sharing with my friends here... You and the ladies are simply amazing! Everyone is raving about #16 (Ma Yofus?)

Of course, I paid a special attention to Tanya's work. Out of curiousity, is she writing her part out, or is it all in her head?

[klezmer.livejournal.com]

Well, yes, a prince, not yet a king :-)

Thank you for sharing your impression on the "MK" CD. Frankly speaking, I would have playing nearly everything absolutely different today, probably, except Lechaim and Firn Di Mekhutonim Aheym which sound to me not bad even now.

To answer your question, at present, Tanya plays mostly semi-orally, i.e. she puts a tune in front of hers OR the chords to a tune she knows. Many of the pieces we play Tanya performs orally, so to speak. On our first CD (that you have listened to) everyone but me used written parts. But that was a beginning, more than three years ago.

Today we've had a great klezmer jam with Yale Strom, and tomorrow we'll be jamming for the wide audience at the Minsk JCC.

[klezmer.livejournal.com]

Да, кстати, Таня тоже принадлежит к династии, только белорусских народных музыкантов.

[map-ka.livejournal.com]

I guess my question about Tanya was more in terms of whether she makes arrangements as she goes, or she actually decides what she'll play for a particular piece, and once it's done, it's set forever. I understand, she'd probably do the latter for a CD, but what about concerts, etc.?

See, I can sort of understand how to embellish a melody line based on just a lead sheet, or how to do the "king-kong-kong-kong" part with chords. Not that I am too good at either, but at least I can understand how it's done. What remains a complete mystery to me is the kind of work Tanya does (again, that #16!) and Josh Horowitz does a lot of it on his recordings: it's neither a lead melody, nor chords, something in between [secund?]. Oh well, I wish I knew what I am asking about... [Spisannoe sol'fedzhio otlivaetsja gorjuchimi slezami]

Aside: so are you visiting US this year?

[map-ka.livejournal.com]

What the heck, I'll post Roger's comments here; he'll forgive me:

"The Minsker stuff floors me. Aside from being gorgeous and sparkly and
dare I say - baroque? the role of the tsimbaly is wonderful to hear, and
so different from my wonderfully talented teachers.

I think if I wanted to turn somebody on to this, track 14 would be the one
I'd play first - it's a tired old chestnut, done to death, and this is
totally different. But for sheer "I want to grow up to play like her",
the cimbalom work toward the end of track 16.

I'm blown away."

[klezmer.livejournal.com]

I am impressed by Roger's reaction. I mean, that CD is the day before yesterday for us. And I am very and very critical towards what we were doing 3 years ago. Well, to be honest, in Mayofus (Dreydl), Tanya played exactly what I had written for her. Now she improvises much more (or simply - improvises), which I like very much. I mean, she and Violetta have become more flexible and style sensitive after having played with Michael Alpert, Paul Brody and today - Yale Strom. They are really growing as klezmer musicians. Hope we'll finally release our new CD soon and you'll get it somehow. But it's totally different from the first one. I mean, it has some idea inside, some dialog of ideas and tunes, tunes and city noises...

[klezmer.livejournal.com]

кажется, в предыдущем (другом) посте/комменте я ответил на часть твоих вопросов. Здесь лищь скажу, что ты абсолютно права насчет smth in between. Это хороший способ балансировать между соло и аккомпанементом. Я бы не применял термин "секунд" по отношению к цимбалам: все-таки это скрипичная / альтовая функция. Если на что-то не ответил, напиши, пжлст, - обязательно отвечу!

[map-ka.livejournal.com]

I suspect what so impressed Roger was Tanya's playing very different from what people in US are used to hearing. She may have become more style sensitive, but the flip side of that is that she may have started playing just like anybody else. Anyway, can't wait to hear your second CD.

By any chance, do you have your scores from "the day before yesterday" in electronic form?

[map-ka.livejournal.com]

Um, people here relate tsimbl mostly to the rhythm section. I mean, in Sokolov's/Sapoznik's "The Compleat Klezmer" it is listed together with banjo, bass and tuba for "bass lines and percussive fundamentals". Josh H. gave drum patterns as an introduction in one of his printed materials he used at KlezKamp sometime ago. [I wasn't there, but I have a copy of the handout].

[klezmer.livejournal.com]

in our group there are too few instruments, so we (like all traditional European klezmer kapelyes) combine functions. BTW, I was told the same by Zev Feldman.

[klezmer.livejournal.com]

I'm pretty sure Tanya will not sound like anybody else. She is constantly searching for sound, for articulation... so...

Немного о другом

[vadim-i-z.livejournal.com]

Нашел в Сети - http://www.jewishgen.org/yizkor/minsk/min1_112.html
Там целая книга in English о еврейском Минске (фрагментами), надо бы скачать...

Re: Немного о другом

[klezmer.livejournal.com]

большое спасибо! очень интересно!!!