Music of the Klezmer

Klezmer, in short, is a Jewish folk music tradition originating from Ashkenazi musicians in Central and Eastern Europe as far back as the 16th century and perhaps earlier. 

The word Klezmer comes from Hebrew and can be translated as “instrument of the singing.” Some klezmer musicians say that in order to play in this style one must make their instrument “speak in Yiddish.” Klezmer originally referred to the musicians themselves rather than the genre.  These virtuosic Jewish musicians were largely self-taught, learning and playing the music by ear and passing down the traditions within their families. 

Klezmer groups originally incorporated violins and tsimbl, or hammered dulcimer, with occasional inclusion of a viola da gamba (a member of the viol family roughly comparable to the cello). 

Hammered dulcimer

As the style evolved a typical band had 4 to 8 musicians, with the violin as the lead instrument. Some bands would have two violins with one in the lead role and the other providing rhythmic or harmonic back up, and the types of instruments expanded by the 19th century to include brass and reed instruments as well as the accordion. It is now common to see clarinets and saxophones in klezmer bands along with guitars and drums. 

19th century Klezmer band

Although Jews were a marginalized people group in Europe, these bands were sought after both within the Jewish community and out to play for weddings and other celebrations, like festivals or Jewish holidays, and were often hired to play for rural aristocracy as well. Like many entertainers, they occupied a place in society that both elevated their station and kept them firmly within their class, and while the word klezmer had Hebrew origin (as previously stated) over time it took on pejorative connotations as well. While these connotations are not associated with the word or the genre today, it is important to acknowledge as an illustration of the complex societal space that klezmer musicians inhabited. 

Due to the transient lifestyle of these musicians, this style is highly syncretic, incorporating influences from Jewish liturgy, Greek and Turkish music, local dance music (largely Eastern European), the music of other non-Jewish locals like the Romani, as well as classical pieces that they would be expected to know when playing for the aristocracy. As this was a largely instrumental tradition and genre, instrumental versions of Yiddish and other folk songs were often included, and modern klezmer bands often incorporate vocal as well as instrumental pieces. 

The music itself places much of its emphasis on melodic structure rather than harmonic structure. They draw from both the tonal traditions of Europe as well as Jewish liturgical modes which can be more microtonal. These melodies are highly ornamented, incorporating heavy use of trills and glissandi (among others) and serve as the basis for rich improvisation, as demonstrated in the following video of a klezmer trio’s jam session: 

The following is just another example of both the melodic and rhythmic styles of klezmer music. The rhythms were often taken from the rhythms of the local dances. 

When Jews migrated from Europe to the Americas, they brought Klezmer with them and both influenced and were influenced by the music of their new home. Jazz, especially was a large influence in the 1920s and the genre was popular among American Jewish communities for several decades. 

Klezmer’s popularity declined by the 1960s, but there was a renewed interest, beginning in the 1970s, that reinvigorated the genre as Jewish musicians were inspired to explore the music of their heritage, giving rise to a number of new ensembles. The following are a couple of current klezmer groups. The first being the Budapest Klezmer band. This video starts out with a long, ornamented clarinet solo and you can see the instrumentation of the band includes both traditional Klezmer instruments, like the violin, as well as more modern ones, like the drum set: 

This next example is a recording of the Klezmatics (one of my personal favorite Klezmer bands, and one that has shown up on my Spotify Wrapped more than once). In this video from their Tiny Desk Concert, they are performing a Yiddish song, and while Klezmer was traditionally an instrumental genre, this demonstrates the incorporation of text by modern Klezmer bands. This song called Zol Shoyn Kumen Di Geule, which means “Let Our Salvation Come.” This song was written right after the Holocaust and by a man who was one of the first to collect and publish songs from the ghettos and concentration camps. The translated text reads:

When we’re feeling low, we raise a glass

If the melancholy won’t leave us be, we sing a song

If there is not a bit of liquor then let us drink water

Fresh water is life*, what more does a Jew need?

Let the Redemption come already

The Messiah is coming soon

It’s a completely wicked generation, don’t be fools,

and through sinning - the Messiah will come faster

Oh, You, dear Father in heaven, we children of mercy pray,

See to it that the Messiah does not come just a little too late

Trees are dancing in the woods, stars in the sky,

Reb Israel, father of the bride, is dancing in their midst

It will wake up the Messiah from his groggy nap

When he hears our prayerful song. 

*in Yiddish this is word play as the word used means both “fresh, flowing water” and “the water of life,” which was a slang term for liquor

There are two pieces before the song in question, so start at 7:33 for a brief explanation from the singer about what the song means as well as the song itself. I would choose a different video, but I wanted to include his description and this was the only place I could find it. 

The cultural tradition of Klezmer music is long and complex, filled with both joy and sorrow. As with any cultural tradition, there is so much more depth that could be explored in this genre, but I hope this leaves you with a better understanding of this music and its roots. I’ll leave you with some bonus videos because I genuinely love this music and can’t narrow my selections down any further. 

This first is maybe from a documentary? I’m not entirely sure, but it’s Itzhak Perlman jammin’ with some Klezmer ensembles. 

This is the Klezmer Conservatory Band’s Mazel Tov Dances

And, finally, The Klezmatics once again with a song I love primarily because I think the violin is so vibrant and fun: 

References:

Davis, J.-G. (2023, October 9). Klezmer music: From the past to the present. Institut Européen des Musiques Juives. https://www.iemj.org/en/klezmer-music-from-the-past-to-the-present/ 

Edelman, M. B. (2017, October 31). Klezmer music. My Jewish Learning. https://www.myjewishlearning.com/article/klezmer-music/ 

Klezmer. Jewish Music Institute. (2016, May 10). https://www.jmi.org.uk/about-us /music-genres/klezmer/ 

Maxwell Street Klezmer Band. (n.d.). What is “Klezmer music”? Klezmerband. https://www.klezmerband.com/what-is-klezmer-music 

Punzi, L. P. (2021, February 18). Klezmer music. Early Music Seattle. https://earlymusicseattle.org/klezmer/ 

YIVO Encyclopedia of Jews In Eastern Europe. (n.d.). Music. YIVO. https://yivoencyclopedia.org/article.aspx/Music/Traditional_and_Instrumental_Music