the haphazard diary of a musician.

The Problem With Definitions: A Discussion on the Definition of Klezmer and the Issues That It Presents

Generally the understanding of the term klezmer is the music of Yiddish speaking folk musicians from the Ashkenazic Jews of Eastern Europe. However this is becoming increasingly diverse and the very idea of what klezmer music is is divulging into so many sub-genres that the entire field of klezmer has become undoubtably clouded and furthermore simply misunderstood. 

The nature of klezmer traditionally borrowed musical ideas from the local folk music traditions and incorporated them into their overlying musical structure. It seems that klezmorim are continuing to follow this tradition as in the past, though the difference seems to be that the nature of globalisation has exacerbated the intermusical relationships rather than simply adapting to survive. The nature of globalisation has resulted in the unification of increasingly disparate musical styles within the same setlist or even the same song in a single performance. For example a ‘klezmer’ song in a tango style. Are klezmorim simply doing what they have always done by utilising and manipulating the local musical soundscape but now have a greater variety of musical influences to draw upon?

Almost anything even remotely related to Jewish music is commonly understood as klezmer. In many ways this approaches similar issues to the understanding and classification of Aboriginal Music in which it is understood as such if it;
a) Is performed by an Aboriginal person,
b) Is traditional Aboriginal music,
c) Making comments about Aboriginal issues, its people, The Dreaming, or anything else Aboriginal,

Applying this structure to klezmer would then mean that the music is klezmer if;
a) is performed by a Jew,
b) is traditionally klezmer. I.e. utilises the modes of its traditional form,
c) makes reference to or comments on Jewish lifestyle, issues, etc., 

Therefore;

• Is it klezmer if it involves any form of ‘Jewishness’?
• Do more than one of the criteria above need to be satisfied?
• Do these criteria even apply to understanding what klezmer really is?
• Does singing in Yiddish about religion (or not) make it klezmer?

In the act of loosely examining Russian klezmer even just listening to it, there are audible difference/local influences on the music, even at a basic level. In an immediate cross comparison to ‘traditional’ klezmer there are differences, such as; modal use, melodic contour, and instrumentation. So is this Russian-esc klezmer style still klezmer?

Rather than arguing about its classification similar to what has occurred with bimusicality and the notion of authenticity, I think it is important to understand that attenuated understandings have developed to establish false productions of klezmer into what could be described more as ‘klezmerish’ or ‘klezmer musik’.

A simple comparison between The London Klezmer Quartet and The Klezmer Divas would result in considerable confusion even for the amateur klezmer apprecionato. 

On another note, klezmer clarinet is becoming increasingly understood as shaking your chops as much as you can. Mainly to achieve the desired vibrato that is seemingly audible in older recordings. Moreover, the clarinet is perceived to undertake the role of just spurting something out over of the polyphonic soundscape in the right mode, a filler if you will. In conversations I have had with some klezmorim they reduced this perspective to cinders. 

After recently attending a gig by The Klezmer Divas at the Camelot Lounge I realised how much the above issue on defining and distinguishing klezmer is becoming increasingly problematic - all the way to its very core. The very name of the band utilises the term klezmer which immediately proposes underlying understandings by the audience of a perceived performance quality, and furthermore style itself. 

In many ways I was disappointed with the gig. The first half was a solo session by the vocalist (Fay Sussman) singing in Yiddish, but frequently it was in reference to Russian folklore. It left much to be desired and kind of left the audience (well me at least) a little taken back as to what the night was going to be like. It was a shame that only towards the end of the gig did the real energy of the music start to come out (it seemed that the last few pieces were starting to approach the cusp of real klezmer tunes). The night went on to include tunes that had an underlying tango rhythmic accompaniment, and even the jazz standard “Summertime”. But sung in Yiddish.

What are your thoughts?