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A Classical Clarinetists Guide to Klezmer Music

Lloyd, Dylan Mikhail
http://orcid.org/0000-0003-3132-1539
http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1483709136936196

Abstract Details

2017, Doctor of Musical Arts, Ohio State University, Music.
Klezmer music is the traditional instrumental folk music of the Jewish people. Klezmer music developed alongside the diaspora of the Jewish people across Europe. The evolution of klezmer includes a plethora of musical characteristics derived from other cultures. A consistent and official klezmer repertoire does not exist, each band would have a unique collection of songs borrowed and repurposed from Romania, Bulgaria, Serbia, Palestine, Germany, Russia, and many other countries. Klezmer musicians learned local marches, anthems and shepherd songs so they could entertain Jewish and Christian communities. Throughout history the Jewish people have had to wander from country to country, trying to find acceptance. While they may have been welcomed for a time and contributed and participated in the local culture. Each time the Jewish people were forced to leave their homes a portion of the local culture would come with them. This cross-cultural synthesis would become a hallmark feature of klezmer music. An understanding of the history of klezmer music is necessary, to grasp its spiritual and cultural significance. The wedding ceremony is central to this idea. The role of the klezmer musician was cemented into Jewish society because the wedding was such a important event in the culture. The wedding was the cornerstone of purpose for the klezmer musician in Jewish society. Klezmer musicians were often seen as degenerate and existed as a necessary evil within the community because they were needed for weddings. Included in this document is a brief history from biblical times to the modern era. Since there are relatively few written accounts of the life of klezmer musicians, historians have had to track down any and all writings. These include fictional writings, letters, and many laws. Despite restrictions from local and regional authorities’ Jewish musicians managed to survive and pass on their craft. Included in this document is a brief bio of seminal Jewish clarinetists Dave Tarras and Naftule Brandwein. Each clarinetist is responsible for inspiring a whole generation of klezmer musicians. Thanks to the advent of the recording age, modern musicians can listen and transcribe their works. The music that they recorded form the core of the American klezmer repertoire. Klezmer music, in its purest form, is an imitation of the human voice. While a key feature of klezmer music appears to be its improvised nature; it actually follows a carefully prescribed ruleset. The most important rule of klezmer is that the melody is the primary voice. Variations on the melody should occur whenever material is repeated. While these ornamental figures may seem capricious in nature, they can be learned systematically. Included in this document is an explanation of the many ornaments found in klezmer, as well as a brief guide on how to form an ensemble. In the appendices, a aspiring klezmer can find a glossary of terms, a complete list of klezmer scales/modes as well as a handful of songs with suggested ornamentation. These tools together are included to provide a foray into the klezmer world for clarinetist and non-clarinetists alike.
Caroline Hartig (Advisor)
Russell Mikkelson (Committee Member)
Jan Radzynski (Committee Member)
Karen Pierson (Committee Member)
54 p.
Music
Klezmer; History; Clarinet; Ornamentation; Jewish; Music

Recommended Citations

Citations

  • Lloyd, D. M. (2017). A Classical Clarinetists Guide to Klezmer Music [Doctoral dissertation, Ohio State University]. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1483709136936196

    APA Style (7th edition)

  • Lloyd, Dylan. A Classical Clarinetists Guide to Klezmer Music. 2017. Ohio State University, Doctoral dissertation. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center, http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1483709136936196.

    MLA Style (8th edition)

  • Lloyd, Dylan. "A Classical Clarinetists Guide to Klezmer Music." Doctoral dissertation, Ohio State University, 2017. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1483709136936196

    Chicago Manual of Style (17th edition)

osu1483709136936196
12,888
© 2017, some rights reserved.Creative Commons License A Classical Clarinetists Guide to Klezmer Music by Dylan Mikhail Lloyd is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License. Based on a work at etd.ohiolink.edu.
This open access ETD is published by The Ohio State University and OhioLINK.