ILLUMINATIONS: JEWISH MYSTICISM TO AMERICAN ROOTS

ANDY STATMAN
SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 6, 2004 8:30 PM
Jack H. Skirball Center for the Performing Arts @ NYU
566 LaGuardia Place at Washington Square South, NYC

$30; students $15
Box office (212) 992-8484
Online tickets: skirballcenter.nyu.edu
Info/charge (212) 545-7536 worldmusicinstitute.org
..."a master of two idioms linked by their demands for virtuosity and their down-home origins" --THE NEW YORK TIMES

A formidable and consummate musician, Andy Statman is known for his musical wizardry on the mandolin, as well as his innovative interpretations of Jewish music on the clarinet. This program covers the genius of Statman from his distinctive improvisational renditions of klezmer, music of the Chassidic masters, and American roots (bluegrass and blues) to original works drawing upon jazz and other traditions. He is joined by Jim Guttmann (bass) and Larry Eagle (percussion, drums) in a program that will include selections from Statman's two new recordings.

Andy Statman, who defies musical categorization, is accomplished in many styles and traditions, including klezmer, music of the Chassidic masters, bluegrass, jazz, rock, Middle Eastern and Western classical music. He has performed in major concert halls throughout the US, Canada, Europe, Israel and Japan, and appeared on more than one hundred recordings. An original voice on the mandolin, he has collaborated with David Grisman, Bela Fleck, David Bromberg, Stephane Grappelli, and Vassar Clements, among others. On the clarinet, he is known for his brilliant work in Jewish instrumental music – klezmer and the devotional and celebratory music of Chassidic Judaism. A mentor of Dave Tarras, he was one of the last generation of musicians to learn directly from the great European klezmorim of the 20th century. In the '70s and '80s, he was a pioneer of the klezmer revival and at the forefront of experimentation with the klezmer idiom. In addition to his own acclaimed klezmer recordings, he worked with violinist Itzhak Perlman on In the Fiddler's House. In the past decade Statman has become immersed in the music of the Chassidic masters (soulful melodies that lay at the root of klezmer), bringing them to the attention of a wider audience.

This program is made possible in part with public support from the New York State Council on the Arts, a State agency, and the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs. Additional funding is provided by the Concordia Foundation.

MUSIC AND DANCE OF THE JEWISH WEDDING

at 92ND STREET Y TISCH CENTER FOR THE ARTS

MUSIC AND DANCE OF THE JEWISH WEDDING
Walter Zev Feldman, Artistic Director

Ashkenazi Wedding
(re-enactments of a traditional Ashkenazi wedding)

Featuring KHEVRISA
Wednesday, November 10, 8:00 pm, $25

Bukharan Wedding
Wednesday, December 8, 8:00 pm, $25

Moroccan Henna & Wedding
Tuesday, February 3, 8:00 pm, $2

FMI: 92y.org

Here's the full press release with lots of info:
NEW YORK, NY: October 19, 2004 – The 92nd Street Y presents three concerts featuring re-creations of the music and dance of three radically different Jewish wedding traditions: European Ashkenazic, Bukharan (originating in the area now known as Uzbekistan and Tajikistan) and Moroccan.

On Wednesday, November 10 at 8:00 p.m., the series kicks off with a re-enactment of a traditional Ashkenazi wedding, featuring music and dance that was a part of Jewish weddings in Eastern Europe throughout the 18th and 19th centuries. The program bears only a passing relationship to the modern-day Ashkenazi wedding seen in Hasidic communities, which have preserved primarily the religious aspects of the wedding, but not the secular – and sometimes vaguely pagan – customs that were once common. The concert at the Y follows the course of the traditional Ashkenazi wedding ceremonies, which generally took place over several days leading up to the actual wedding. Observances began with meditative tunes for the morning of the wedding and concluded with joyful dancing for the ensuing celebration. The music is announced and punctuated throughout by the badkhn, the traditional master of ceremonies, who sets the requisite tone, ranging from dramatic to pious to humorous.

The program is performed by world-renowned traditional klezmer band Khevrisa: Zev Feldman, cimbalom (Eastern-European hammered dulcimer) and dancer; Michael Alpert, vocals, sekund violin and dancer; Steven Greenman, violin; and Stuart Brotman, double bass. Joining Khevrisa are guests Kurt Bjorling, clarinet; Deborah Strauss, violin; and dancers Joanne Borts, Hélène Domergue-Zilberberg and Steven Weintraub. Many of the members of Khevrisa and the gathered ensemble, notably Michael Alpert and Zev Feldman, learned the musical and dance traditions directly from those who carried it to America from the “old world.” They grew up and studied in post-Holocaust immigrant communities in the United States, where traditional Ashkenazic music and dance was practiced, preserved and handed down to the next generation.

The concert at the 92nd Street Y expands on material recorded on Khevrisa’s CD “European Klezmer Music” (Smithsonian Folkways Recordings, 2000).

THE ASHKENAZI WEDDING:
FROM SOMBER PREPARATION TO JOYFUL DANCING


The concert begins with the music of the kale vechere (KAHL-uh VETCH-er-ay), the party for the bride and her friends held at the end of the Sabbath prior to the wedding. The mood of this gathering is somber, with sad songs of parting as the bride prepares to leave her family and friends for a new life with her husband. The same mood continues on the morning of the wedding, which is heralded with the dobriden, a dignified melody in 3/4 played by the violin and cimbalom. As the day progresses, the wedding band marches through the street, gathering guests to the wedding with khasene gehat (“they are married”), and close relatives are greeted upon arrival by tunes such as the mazeltov or by serious modal improvisations known as shteyger. The cathartic moment of the wedding ceremony is the bride’s lament, known as kale basetsn or kale baveynen (seating or bemoaning of the bride), where the badkhn paints a somber picture of the life of a married woman, singing prayer-like tunes in a minor key, while the violin and cimbalom “answer” with improvisations in different but complementary styles. The khupe marsh (canopy march) follows, a tune that leads guests to the wedding canopy, where the actual betrothal ceremony takes place. The concert features two versions of the khupe marsh – one composed by violinist Steven Greenman, and the second a tune played by the Lepianski family of cimbalists in Belarus. After the rabbi sings the wedding blessings and marries the couple, the groom traditionally breaks a glass to signify the end of the ceremony, and the somber mood is broken, switching instantaneously into festive shouts of mazeltov! (good luck!). This moment closes the first half of the concert.

The second half opens with the ritual music and dancing of the wedding feast, in which the fathers-in law, elder relatives, rabbi, and other honored guests dance to slow elaborate tunes. Among the most famous of these dances is the broygez tants (“dance of anger”) between the two mothers-in-law; in this mime-dance, one woman generally acts offended while the other attempts to mollify her, and the scene ends with a sholem tants (“dance of peace”), in which they become reconciled. Following these communal dances, music is performed for guests seated at tables. This music consists mostly of solos or duets by the violin and cimbalom or clarinet and bass, and served as a way to honor special guests at the wedding as well as an opportunity for the best klezmorim to showcase new tunes. The concert – and the wedding – then proceeds to dancing among the guests, the centerpiece of which is the sher, an elaborate mixed (male-and-female) contra-dance based on European court dancing of the 17th and 18th centuries, but identified strongly as a Jewish dance. The shers performed in the concert include the oldest example of the form that is known today, composed by the Moldavian fiddler Selig Lemisch in the mid-19th century, as well as a sher composed by Zev Feldman in 2000.

The sher reflects the longstanding tension in the Jewish wedding tradition between secular and religious elements. Artistic director Zev Feldman says, “this dance has been part of our folklore for 500 years, and the rabbis were condemning it for 500 years.” In the last 50 years – especially in the post-World-War-II Hasidic and orthodox communities – the tension between secular and even pagan customs once found in Jewish weddings have given way to more of a split between secular and religious traditions. In secular Jewish communities, the balance has shifted in the opposite direction, with many of the traditional wedding customs being largely eclipsed by primarily secular practices drawn from the surrounding culture.

This series was developed by Hanna Arie-Gaifman, director of the 92nd Street Y Tisch Center for the Arts, and ethnomusicologist Walter Zev Feldman, who serves as artistic director of the series.

JEWISH WEDDINGS: EXPLORING SEPHARDIC TRADITIONS
On Wednesday, December 8, at 8:00 p.m., the Jewish Weddings series continues with a Jewish wedding ceremony from the former BUHKARAN EMIRATE (today’s Uzbekistan and Tajikistan). The ceremonies combine Iranian and Turkish traditions and include singing, dancing, drumming and improvised verses in Tajik and Uzbek. The performance is led by Tofakhon Pinkhasova, the undisputed master among the current generation of sozandas. Sozandas are women considered to have almost shamanic powers; their lineage often goes back several generations Featured musicians include members of the ensemble Shashmaqam, a Bukharan instrumental group based in Queens.

On Thursday, February 3, at 8:00 p.m., the MOROCCAN HENNA & WEDDING takes center stage. The Charles Edry Ensemble, a leading Moroccan Jewish wedding ensemble based in Montreal, performs a program featuring music of the Judeo-Arabic tradition of Casablanca and other Moroccan cities. Songs of the Henna ceremony held for the bride prior to the wedding will be performed in addition to the instrumental, vocal and dance music of the wedding itself.

ABOUT THE ARTISTS
Khevrisa was founded in 1998 by Walter Zev Feldman and Steven Greenman, Khevrisa features two of the central figures of the Klezmer Revival—the vocalist, fiddler and dancer Michael Alpert and the bassist Stuart Brotman. Khevrisa performs klezmer music of 19th and early 20th century European klezmorim on the original klezmer instrumentation of violins, cimbalom and bass. Khevrisa’s repertoire also includes new compositions by Greenman and Feldman in traditional style. Khevrisa has performed at the Festival of Jewish Culture in Cracow, at the Pfingskonzerte in Ittingen, at the Concert Gebow in Amsterdam, the Vredenburg in Utrecht, and at Symphony Space in New York. Its CD European Klezmer Music was issued by Smithsonian Folkways in 2000.

Walter Zev Feldman is a leading researcher in both Ottoman Turkish and Jewish music, and a performer on the klezmer dulcimer, cimbal (tsimbl). During the mid-1970s he and Andy Statman studied with Dave Tarras and were two of the creators of the klezmer revival; at that time Feldman reintroduced the dulcimer cimbal into klezmer music with his classic LP Jewish Klezmer Music (1979). Today he performs on the cimbal with the group Khevrisa and elsewhere. Having grown up with traditional Ashkenazic, Greek and Armenian dance, during the 1970s he researched and taught Turkish folkdance. Today Feldman is a teacher and performer of Ashkenazic dance, leading workshops in the U.S., Canada, England,Germany and Israel. He regularly teaches at the Klezmer Wochen in Weimar and at KlezKanada.

Feldman is a fellow of the Center for Jewish Music Research at the Hebrew University, Jerusalem, and is a co-editor of the Medimuses Project for Modal Musics of the Mediterranean for the EnChordais School in Thessaloniki, Greece. He recently co-produced the CD Tanburi Isak with the Bezmara Ensemble of Istanbul for EnChordais. In 2003 he curated the concert series “The Revival of Klezmer and Yiddish Music in New York” at the CUNY Graduate Center. He is the artistic director of the current series “Music and Dance of the Jewish Wedding” at the 92nd Street Y. Next in the series is “Bukharan Wedding,” Wednesday, December 8, 2004 and the final program is the “Moroccan Henna & Wedding,” Thursday, February 3, 2005.

For complete biographies of the artists performing in this program, please contact Beverly Greenfield at bgreenfield@92y.org or 212-415-5452.

ABOUT THE 92ND STREET Y
Since its concert series began in 1934, what is now the 92nd Street Y Tisch Center for the Arts, endowed through the generous support of Joan and Preston Robert Tisch, has presented the world's most acclaimed classical musicians like Janos Starker, Emmanuel Pahud and the Tokyo String Quartet. The Center is also well known for its jazz series, curated by jazz great Dick Hyman, and its Lyrics & Lyricists series, the grandfather of the now popular American songbook series. The Center's legendary Unterberg Poetry Center (estab. 1939) presents the country’s oldest and most illustrious reading series and an extensive writing program that gives working adults the opportunity to learn from well-known, published authors. Outreach activities include a literacy program for new immigrants and workshops for high school students taught by some of the country’s leading writers.

The 92nd Street Y unites culture and community service in one multifaceted institution. Founded in 1874 by a group of visionary Jewish leaders, the Y is dedicated to enriching the lives of the 300,000 people of every race and faith who annually visit its three facilities – the well-known headquarters on Manhattan’s Upper East Side, Makor, on the Upper West Side, and the Rockland County campgrounds. Visitors come to the 92nd Street Y to hear music of all kinds; to listen to writers read from their work; to explore Jewish culture; and to gain insight into the events and ideas of the day from public figures and experts in every field. Programs for children and adults help both groups navigate each stage of life, an extensive adult-education curriculum includes instruction by renowned authors and artists, and an unusual wellness initiative offers both a wide range of fitness activities and the opportunity to learn from the nation’s leading healthcare professionals. Committed to sharing its programs with all New Yorkers regardless of economic circumstance, the 92nd Street Y provides $1 million in scholarships every year and reaches out to 6,000 public school children with fully-subsidized arts programs. For more information, visit www.92Y.org/press.

Miriam-Khaye Seigel in series "A Glezele Tey"

Saturday, December 11, 2004
7:00 PM
Free concert with Miriam-Khaye Seigel, Yiddish singer/songwriter.
Presented as part of the Folksbiene Yiddish Theatre
series "A Glezele Tey".
At the JCC in Manhattan, 334 Amsterdam Av. at 76th St.
FMI: 212-213-2120

Cantor Sam Weiss and Shirona

An Evening of
Beautiful Jewish Music
featuring
Cantor Sam Weiss
and the beautiful singing of
Shirona
Saturday Night, October 23rd, 8:00 p.m.
~ FREE ADMISSION ~
REFRESHMENTS FOLLOWING CONCERT
Presented by The J.C.C.P. Adult Education Committee
Sponsored By The George Reiss Memorial Fund

Shirona, a gifted singer and songwriter, was born in New York, raised in Israel, and started performing at an early age. The 5-Star Jewish Week review of her debut recording, Judaic Love Songs, praised her lovely rich voice and described her original settings of texts from the Bible and Siddur as "tasteful and intelligent." http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/shirona

Directions to the Jewish Community Center of Paramus:
From GARDEN STATE PARKWAY exit 161: Take ROUTE 4 EAST about 1 mile just past Bergen Mall. Watch for a low sign indicating the FOREST AVE exit. Exit and bear right; at the end of the ramp turn right, crossing over Route 4. Proceed North on FOREST AVE for about 2.5 miles, to the fourth light. Turn RIGHT onto MIDLAND AVE for one long block. Parking lot is on the right.

From the GEORGE WASHINGTON BRIDGE.
Follow the signs to ROUTE 4, and stay on Route 4 for about 6.5 miles. After the town of River Edge you will pass on your right "The Mall at IV". Watch for a low sign indicating the FOREST AVE exit (near a "Staples" sign). Exit and bear right at the end of the ramp, proceeding North on FOREST AVE for about 2 miles, to the third light. Turn RIGHT onto MIDLAND AVE for one long block. Parking lot is on the right.

Afro-Semitic Experience Upcoming Concerts

Monday, November 1, the AFRO-SEMITIC EXPERIENCE 8:30 p.m. at the Buttonwood Tree with Will Bartlett on reeds and percussion, Warren Byrd on piano, Alvin Carter, Jr., on drums, Stacy Phillips on dobro and violin and Baba David Coleman on African drums and percussion. The Buttonwood Tree is located at 605 Main Street in Middletown and the phone number is (860) 347-4957.

MORE...

Tuesday, November 2, at 8:00 p.m., the SCSU Creative Music Orchestra, David Chevan, director, location Engleman Hall rm. A-120, at Southern Connecticut State University in New Haven, Connecticut, admission is $3.00, please call (203) 392-6630 for more information.

Thursday, November 4, the AFRO-SEMITIC EXPERIENCE, at 8:00 p.m., Satalla:The Temple of World Music, 37 West 26th Street, New York, 212-576-1155, http://www.satalla.com/.

KLEZMERFEST

--DECEMBER 5TH 2004 3PM--AVERY FISHER HALL--ONLY ONE PERFORMANCE--CALL FOR BEST SEATS WITH OVER 25% DISCOUNT--212-875-5672 FEATURING "THE KLEZMER CONSERVATORY BAND"

'Oyfn Sheydveg' & more

The release of, 'Oyfn Sheydveg,' a new CD by the Boston-based KHEVRE is happening now.
To celebrate the new recording, Khevre will be playing a show in New York.
Sunday, October 24th.
Lefrak Concert Hall, Queens College.
2:00pm
Admission is $10.
Opening, is comedian 'Modi,' who's a riot.
You can pick up tickets by visiting the Colden box office, or by phone:
718.793.8080
You can also visit: http://qcpages.qc.edu/Jewish_Studies/
KHEVRE is:
michael winograd- reeds, flutes
dana sandler- vocals
eylem basaldi- violin
carmen staaf- piano, accordion
jorge roeder- bass
richie barshay- drums, percussion
For more information on KHEVRE, please read out latest review by Ari Davidow at :
http://www.klezmershack.com/archives/001625.html
For our fans in boston, KHEVRE will be playing a Halloween show, with a number of other bands. MORE INFO BELOW:
Khevre Halloween event will take place at the Zeitgeist Gallery in Cambridge
(http://www.zeitgeist-gallery.org) on Halloween
Sunday, October 31st
starting at 7:30pm
On the bill are:
-KHEVRE
" like watching the Jefferson Airplane on the tiny Matrix stage back in 1966 in San Francisco."- ari davidow (http://www.klezmershack.com/archives/001625.html#001625)
-THE ROCKY HORA DYBBUK ORCHESTRA
-SMACKIN' THE BRASS (NEC Balkan Brass Band)
-MICHAEL MCLAUGHLIN AND THE JUMBO KNISH FACTORY
-THE HARVARD FOLK BAND
-and more!!!

Admission is $15 (dontation,) $10 for students
help the zeitgeist!! all procedes to help this great venue
cheerfully fun refreshments will be served
please come in costume!
limited seating! doors open at 7:10pm

zeitgeist gallery
1353 Cambridge street
Inman Square
617.876.6060
http://www.zeitgeist-gallery.org

for more information on "Halloween Festival of Jewish Music",
visit: http://www.klezmershack.com/calendar/001542.php#more

Golem blog CD release

Please check out the Golem blog ("the megillah") at http://www.golemrocks.com/html/megillah/ Counting down to CD release show on Sunday, Oct 24th at the Knitting Factory, with Juez, the Sarah Aroeste Band and special guest Frank London sitting in with Golem. 8pm - don't miss it!

Richard Lenatsky sings yiddish at Havorford College, PA

An Evening of Yiddish Song (Live!)
Tenor Richard Lenatsky returns to sing Yiddish songs, accompanied by Alexander (Sender) Botwinik and Marvin Weinberger.
Chase Auditorium
October 27, 2004 7:30PM
For more information, contact Public Relations at 610-896-1333 or jzoshak@haverford.edu

Neil Sedaka Yiddish Concert

In Los Angeles Dec 4 & 5. Neil Sedaka will appear at the Wilshire Theater Saturday, December 4th at 8:00 p.m. and Sunday, December 5th at 2:00 p.m. Tickets on sale at Ticketmaster outlets, by phone at (213) 480-3232 or (714) 740-2000, or online at www.ticketmaster.com.

Shoyn Tsayt! (It's about time) -- In his first Los Angeles concert performance in more than two years, Neil Sedaka will leave the audience "kveling" with a unique mix of favorites in two very different languages. The legendary singer/songwriter will appear at the prestigious Wilshire Theatre for two shows on Saturday December 4th and Sunday December 5th featuring songs from his latest CD "Brighton Beach Memories," a sentimental foray into traditional Yiddish music along with classic hits from his distinguished career spanning more than five decades. Inspired by the recent revival of the Yiddish language and culture, Sedaka has returned to the songs of his childhood in Brooklyn, recording and now performing his favorite Yiddish tunes with a traditional Klezmer band. The Los Angeles performance is the fourth in a series of sold out concerts including Carnegie Hall in New York, The Mann Center For Performing Arts in Philadelphia and Ravina Festival in Chicago

Israel-Music.com

Another commercial website of Jewish music from Israel will be of interest: Here's the address: http://www.israel-music.com/(over 3400 albums you can listen to). And the section for Jewish, Hasidic, Holidays, etc. - http://www.israel-music.com/browse/music/jewish/ (over 300 albums you can listen to).

ESNOGA, PAST AND PRESENT, THE REVIVAL OF SANTO SERVIÇO

Date: 24 October 2004
Time: 8pm
Place: Uilenburgerstraat Synagogue, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
Price: ?25.00
Language: Dutch
Reservations: Email: pig-amsterdam@euronet.nl
Fax: 020-625-4680 (international: +31-20-625-4680)

In October 2003, a historic event in Amsterdam's Portuguese Synagogue took place. The pre-war synagogue choir, "Santo Serviço" was revived after 60 years of silence.

Hazzan Abraham Lopes Cardozo (former Chief-Cantor of New York's Spanish and Portuguese Synagogue), is the only living person who sang as an adult with this choir (from 1925 to 1939). It is an honor to welcome Hazzan Cardozo to Amsterdam on Sunday, 24 October 2004 in honor of his 90th birhtday where he will conduct an intimate soirée:

ESNOGA, PAST AND PRESENT, THE REVIVAL OF SANTO SERVIÇO

Hazzan Cardozo will lead us through his memories of singing with Santo Serviço for nearly fifteen years. Throughout the program examples of original works will be sung in the authentic pre-war settings. Directly following the program a light reception will be held in honor of Hazzan Cardozo's 90th Birthday.

OMRI HASON QUARTET: JAZZ meets EAST

Chers amis,
Avec l'automne, recommence la saison 2004-2005 des concerts organisés par l'Association des Amis de la Musique Juive (www.amj.ch) Voici donc:

OMRI HASON QUARTET: JAZZ meets EAST

- Karim OTHMAN-HASSAN : oud
- Sascha SCHÖNHAUS : saxophone, clarinette
- Omri HASON : percussions orientales
- Michael BORNHAK : contrebasse

Salle de la Cité Bleue, 46 Av. Miremont, Genève
dimanche 31.10.2004 à 17h
Tarif: 28.- / réduit: 18.- (+ réduction AMJ: 5.-)

Omri Hason et ses musiciens sont de merveilleux conteurs qui maîtrisent aussi bien les musiques de l'Orient que les improvisations du jazz. Dans une subtile fusion de formes musicales hébraïques, arabes et turques, les improvisations jazzistiques originales, sensibles et surprenantes, s'exhalent habilement de l'atmosphère fraternelle et des joyeuses palabres qui fleurent bon le moka et le thé à la menthe!
Location & renseignements: T & F: 022 734.71.93
Informations détaillées sur le site AMJ: http://www.amj.ch/WPR41031.htm

The IMMIGRANT Off-Broadway

THE IMMIGRANT begins performances at the new DODGER STAGES on 340 West 50th Street between 8th and 9th Avenue on November 4th.
For more information visit www.theimmigrantmusical.com
For tickets visit www.telecharge.com or call 212 239 6200

They fled the darkest corners of Eastern Europe. Their story was written thousands of times of by people who risked everything to live a dream. Only a few would welcome them. THE IMMIGRANT, a new off-Broadway show produced by Hello Entertainment, celebrates one such story in the most unlikely of places- Hamilton, Texas. This remarkable quirk in history is the beginning of the true story of Haskell Harelik who rose from street peddler to become the owner of a prominent department store. The New York Times calls it "A deeply satisfying new musical, with much on its mind about history, humanity, man and God and the American Dream, [it]… touches the heart and glows with humor."

Celebrate the Life of J.J. Greenberg at 92nd St Y

Celebrate the Life of J.J. Greenberg
with Norah Jones, David Broza, Soulfarm & Guests
Thu, Oct 28, 8pm at the 92nd Street Y

A one-night-only concert to celebrate the life of Jonathan "JJ" Greenberg, one of the founding visionaries of Makor (which became the Y's Makor/Steinhardt Center in 2001). Greenberg died in a cycling accident while in Israel in 2002 at the age of 37. The concert features four artists with longstanding ties to Makor. In additional to the musical guests, the evening includes a brief slide show on Greenberg's life and comments by people who worked with Greenberg and who pay tribute to this unique young man.

Zun mit a regn (sun and rain) in Netherlands

"Zun mit a regn (sun and rain) - laughter through tears" is part and parcel of Yiddish music. Jewish composers devoted a great deal of attention to it and so did Shostakovich.

Jewish Music Projects Foundation presents works in this style by Shostakovich (1908-1975) and his friends Weinberg (Vainberg) (1919-1996) and Veniamin Basner (1925-1996) in a series of concerts in the Netherlands performed by Sovali (Sofie van Lier) - soprano
Boris Goldenblank or Alexej Pevzner - violin
Alexander Oratovski or Wladislaw Warenberg - cello
Sander Sittig - piano.
For more information, please call Sofie van Lier, tel. 020-6623675; or email jmp@tiscalimail.nl
See more info with dates and times....

World War Two and the reign of terror in the Soviet Union had a deep impact on the composers. They expressed themselves in their music. The music of the persecuted Jewish people was their source of inspiration - an act of courage in a period when open pronouncements could have fatal consequences. It was often years before the works could be premiered. Now these extraordinary and intense works will be performed in the Netherlands by an ensemble of specialised musicians:

Sovali (Sofie van Lier) - soprano
Boris Goldenblank or Alexej Pevzner - violin
Alexander Oratovski or Wladislaw Warenberg - cello
Sander Sittig - piano

Concerts:
24 October 2004, 7:30, Enschede Synagogue. Tel. +31(54) 432 4507
6 February 2005, 2:30, Nijmegen Synagogue. Tel. +31(24) 345 2572
6 March 2005, 3:00, Delft Synagogue. Tel. +31(15) 256 3371
18 March 2005, 8:15, De Nieuwe Veste, Breda. Tel. +31 (76) 529 9600
10 April 2005, 2:30, A.A. Brediusstichting, Hernen Castle. Tel. +31(487) 531 387
4 May 2005, 9:00, Uilenburger Synagogue, Amsterdam. Tel. +31 (20) 662 3675
8 May 2005, 11:30, De Lawei, Drachten. Tel. +31 (512) 513 344
29 May 2005, 7:00 u. De Buitenplaats Museum, Eelde. Tel. +31 (50) 309 2072

The concerts are supported by the VSB Fund, the SNS Reaal Fund and the M.A.O.C. Gravin van Bylandt Foundation.

For more information, please call Sofie van Lier, tel. 020-6623675; or email jmp@tiscalimail.nl

Art Bailey's Orkestra Popilar

Art Bailey's Orkestra Popilar performs bi-monthly in Astoria, transforming the Astoria Center of Israel synagogue's foyer into a "café-style" setting, complete with intimate tables and delicious desserts. View more information, including directions, at http://www.astoriacenterofisrael.org.

The repertoire is a mix of early 20th century Jewish fiddle pieces, original compositions, improvisation, and features material originally recorded by Romanian-born cymbalom master and Lower East Side restauranteur, Joseph Moskowitz. Bailey, a seasoned Klezmer performer who has toured nationally and internationally with the Klezmer Conservatory Band since 1997, leads the concerts. The concerts typically feature accordion, violin, mandolin, and bass, and highlight both well-known and more obscure Klezmer tunes-as well as some of Bailey's own original compositions. There is a $5 admission fee and delicious desserts and drinks are available for a small donation. This group is raising money for the synagogue. The next concert will be at 7:30-9:30pm. Location: Astoria Center of Israel synagogue, 27-35 Crescent Street, Astoria, Queens. Less than 20 minutes from 59th and Lex in Manhattan!

An Evening With Dave Cash

We just received notice of a new CD, "An Evening With Dave Cash." This is the only CD ever released featuring the great Yiddish singer known for his humorous songs. Though he was world famous on the Yiddish theater circuit, he was a huge star in France. The selections on this CD are more representative of Yiddish Cabaret than 2nd Avenue. Selections include a hilarious "Der Shere Fun Seville" - based on the "Barber of Seville", "S'fallen Die Bletter" ("Autumn Leaves"), "La Mama (by Charles Aznavour), "Tzures Mit Hula Hoop" (Trouble with Hula Hoop), "Arain, Arous" (In and Out) and 15 other selections. Available through online record stores, such as Hatikvah music in LA.

THE PRIPETSHIK SINGERS

THE FOLKSBIENE YIDDISH THEATRE
presents
THE PRIPETSHIK SINGERS
the one-of-a-kind young people's ensemble, led by Musical Director
BINYUMEN (BEN) SCHAECHTER
in two performances in
NEW YORK CITY, SUNDAY, OCT. 24, 2004

THE PRIPETSHIK SINGERS,
the exciting ensemble of native-Yiddish-speaking teens and children, perform all kinds of Yiddish songs in fresh ways, with choreography, staging and props. They sing classic Yiddish songs and traditional English songs in Yiddish. ALL SONGS WILL BE TRANSLATED. The group has performed at Lincoln Center and throughout the Northeast United States. Since they sing adult songs and children¹s songs, their performances are for those of all ages who love Yiddish. No knowledge of Yiddish required.

Starring:
Daneel Schaechter
Reyna Schaechter
Temma-Leeba Schaechter
Arun (Arele) Viswanath
Malke-Leye Viswanath
Meena-Lifshe Viswanath
Leah Whiteman
Shifra Whiteman

The excellent new film PRIPETSHIK SINGS YIDDISH!, directed by Academy Award®-nominee JOSHUA WALETZKY, will be available for purchase for the first time on that day, both in video and DVD format! You won't want to miss this special event!

Sunday, Oct. 24th at 11:00 am & 2:00 pm
at the JCC in Manhattan, 334 Amsterdam Ave. at 76th St.

FOR TICKETS AND INFO ABOUT THE PERFORMANCES:
Call 1-800-9-YIDDISH
or visit www.folksbiene.org
All Seats: $18-Adults; $15-Children under 12
(Reserve your tickets early)

Orpheus Trust

Orpheus Trust - Konzertreihe
�Mit leichtem Gep�ck. Gerhard Bronner pr�sentiert junge Stars mit vergessener Musik�
Echte Berliner N�chte - Wien-Berlin und retour
4. November 2004, 19.30 Uhr
RadioKulturhaus, 1040 Wien, Argentinierstra�e 30a

Das Berlin der 20er Jahre: eine pulsierende Metropole und magischer Anziehungspunkt zahlreicher Komponisten, unter ihnen auch die �sterreicher Oscar Straus, Alexander Zemlinsky, Arnold Sch�nberg u.v.a. Nach Hitlers Machtergreifung flohen viele j�dische K�nstler von Berlin wieder nach Wien zur�ck - auch Wien sollte aber keine dauerhafte Zufluchtsst�tte sein. Die Bandbreite und Vielseitigkeit des musikalischen Schaffens der beiden Gro�st�dte in der Zwischenkriegszeit soll an diesem Abend nachgezeichnet werden.
Gerhard Bronner moderiert aufgrund des gro�en Erfolgs nun bereits die dritte Konzertreihe "Mit leichtem Gep�ck" und wird auch gerne wieder selbst in die Tasten greifen.
Werke von Curt Bry, Fritz Kreisler, Rudolf Nelson, Oscar Straus, Arnold Sch�nberg, Alexander Zemlinsky, Karl Wiener, Wilhelm Grosz, Hanns Eisler, Erwin Schulhoff u.a.
Interpreten: Thomas Fichtinger, Klarinette; Salome Kammer, Stimme; Cornelia L�scher, Violine; Florian M�ller, Klavier; Michaela Reingruber, Saxophon Special Guest: Wolfram Berger
Weitere Konzerte in der Reihe 'Mit leichtem Gep�ck':
Montag, 4. April 2005
Soir�e bei Tannenbaum
Tastentiger, - panter & Co
Werke von Franz Schreker, Otto Schulhof, Franz Mittler, Ernst Toch, Viktor Ullmann, Gerhard Bronner u.a.
Mitwirkende: Florian Krump�ck, Maximilian Schamschula, Richard Hyung-ki Joo

Mittwoch, 8. Juni 2005
Gl�ckliche Heimkehr?
Remigration und Remigrationsversuche
Werke von Max Brand, Gerhard Bronner, Egon Lustgarten, Hermann Leopoldi, E.W. Korngold, Leopold Krauss-Elka, Kurt List, Erwin Weiss, Hugo Wiener Mitwirkende: Lidia Baich, Adrian Er�d, qWIENtett

Kartenpreise:
Abonnement (3 Konzerte am 04.11.2004, 04.04.2005 und 08.06.2005)
EUR 57,-
EUR 51,- Mitglieder Orpheus Trust und �1 Club
EUR 27,- Studierende und Senioren
Einzelkarte
EUR 20,-
EUR 18,- Mitglieder Orpheus Trust und �1 Club
EUR 10,- Studierende und Senioren
Kartenbestellung:
RadioKulturhaus: 01/ 501 70 377
E-Mail: radiokulturhaus@orf.at
Info Orpheus Trust:
Tel.: 01/ 526 80 92
E-Mail: office@orpheustrust.at
www.orpheustrust.at

So Hip, It’s Not Just For Bubbe!

Klezmer and Yiddish Music: So Hip, It’s Not Just For Bubbe! Announcing the release of "Celebrate Klezmer and Celebrate Yiddish!" To find out more about these releases or to order your copies, http://www.craignco.com

For those who love the genres, you can’t ask for a more eclectic mix of music. For those new to this exciting music, it is the perfect introduction to some great artists. From the people who brought you the best selling Celebrate CD’s for Hanukkah, Passover and Kids…we bring you Celebrate Klezmer and Celebrate Yiddish, two new releases representing the ultimate collection of Yiddish and Klezmer songs. Produced for Craig ‘n Co. by Frank London and Lorin Sklamberg these volumes feature some of the best and brightest artists in the field including, Khupe, The Klezmatics, Pete Rushefsky, Shtreiml, The Klezmer Conservatory Band, Theodore Bikel, Chava Alberstein, Avraham Fried, Adrienne Cooper, Wolf Krakowski, Nekhama Lifshitz, Brave Old World and many more.

Leonard Nimoy Series Explores Jewish Music

``American Jewish Music From the Milken Archive With Leonard Nimoy'' will explore sacred and secular Jewish music from the Milken Archive of Jewish American Music during 13 two-hour episodes on WFMT Radio Network stations and XM Satellite Radio.

The series began Sept. 30.

``I grew up speaking Yiddish at home in Boston and hearing this music during services at synagogue and at social events where my uncle and four cousins played klezmer music,'' Nimoy said in a statement Friday. ``This program and this music makes me feel very much at home.'' (reported by AP)

The series' musical selections will range from biblical epics set to music by Kurt Weill, Jewish legends in tone poems, film scores and operas, symphonies and concertos based on Jewish themes, Yiddish theater songs and world premieres of recently discovered Jewish compositions by Leonard Bernstein.

http://www.milkenarchive.org

Genesis Suite [8.559442] & Vienna Choir Boys: A Jewish Celebration in Song [8.559419]

New CD Releases from the MILKEN ARCHIVE OF AMERICAN JEWISH MUSIC and NAXOS AMERICAN CLASSICS

GENESIS SUITE (Naxos ID 8.559442)

Featuring music by Igor Stravinsky, Arnold Schoenberg, Darius Milhaud, Mario Castelnuovo-Tedesco, Ernst Toch, Alexandre Tansman, Nathaniel Shilkret. Orchestrations reconstructed by Hollywood orchestrator Patrick Russ (Far from Heaven, Gorillas in the Mist).
Narration performed by Tovah Feldshuh (Golda's Balcony), Barbara Feldon ("Get Smart"), David Margulies (Wonderful Town), Fritz Weaver ("Holocaust") and Isaiah Sheffer (Symphony Space). Music performed by the Ernst Senff Choir and the Berlin Radio Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Gerard Schwarz.
This Milken Archive disc celebrates the rediscovery and rebirth of an audacious 20th-century work that resulted from a unique collaboration by seven renowned composers, most of them European exiles living in Los Angeles during World War II. Performed only once, in 1945, before most of the score was lost in a fire, the Genesis Suite has been fully restored from recently discovered original manuscripts, and is heard here in its first new recording in 60 years. The work is based on seminal bible stories including the Creation, Adam and Eve, Noah's Ark, the Flood, and the Tower of Babel, which are narrated on this disc by celebrated actors accompanied by full orchestra and chorus. An important historical document that epitomizes the transplantation of European musical culture to this country during the 1940s, the Genesis Suite also reflects the fascinating interplay between "high" art music and American popular culture—especially Hollywood film—that characterized this period.
§ For details about this CD, go to
http://www.milkenarchive.org/cds/cds.taf?cdid=27
§ To read an article about the Genesis Suite, go to
http://www.milkenarchive.org/articles/articles.taf?function=detail&ID=69

==================================================

VIENNA CHOIR BOYS: A Jewish Celebration in Song (Naxos ID 8.559419)

With performances by Vienna Choir Boys, Chorus Viennensis, Cantor Naftali Herstik, Cantor Shimon Craimer, Vienna Chamber Orchestra conducted by Gerald Wirth.
This is the very first recording of American Jewish music by this world-renowned ensemble, which for more than 500 years has been associated with the Roman Catholic Hapsburg Imperial Chapel. Its release will coincide with the Vienna Choir Boys’ October-December 2004 North American tour, during which they will perform selections from the disc. Singing in Hebrew, and joined by the Chorus Viennensis (Choir Boys alumni), the Vienna Chamber Orchestra, Chief Cantor of the Great Synagogue of Jerusalem Naftali Herstik, and Cantor Shimon Craimer, they sing late 20th-century, four-part settings of some of the most enduring and powerful of all Jewish texts. Sholom Kalib's The Day of Rest features prayers from the Sabbath liturgy and is written in a style inspired by the stirring eastern European cantorial-choral tradition of the 17th-19th centuries. Psalms of Abraham is a cantata of 12 psalm settings by noted choral director and composer Abraham Kaplan that includes the familiar 23rd, 121st and 150th Psalms and reflects the full range of emotions expressed in this biblical poetry.
For details about this CD, go to
http://www.milkenarchive.org/cds/cds.taf?cdid=28

Shalshelet 2004: Festival of New Jewish Liturgical Music

Concert!
Saturday, November 13, 2004, 8:00 p.m.
Temple Shalom, Chevy Chase, MD

Featuring 15 New Compositions and workshops on Sunday and Much more!...Some of the finest new composers have been submitting compositions, and the results are in... Please visit -
http://www.shalshelet.org/english/Festival.html

Featuring 15 New Compositions

The Peace of Jerusalem by Emil Berkovits (Florida, USA)
Shalom Aleichem by Carol Boyd Leon (Virginia, USA)
Hashkiveinu by Steve Dropkin (Alabama, USA)
Sim Shalom by Mary Feinsinger (New York, USA)
Modim Anachnu Lach by Ariel Foigel and Hern�n Rog (Santiago, Chile)
VeHeishiv Lev by Sylvia F. Goldstein (Connecticut, USA)
El Adon by Terry S. Horowit (Maryland, USA)
Neshama Shenatata Bi by Terry S. Horowit (Maryland, USA)
El Adon by Shirona Kaufman (New York, USA)
Har'ini by Shirona Kaufman (New York, USA)
Shalom Aleichem by Jeff Marder (Nevada, USA)
Mipi Eil by Wendy Morrison (Maryland, USA)
Al Ken Nekaveh by Ken Richmond (New York, USA)
Yedid Nefesh by Rebecca Schwartz (Pennsylvania, USA)
Lekhu Neranena by Rabbi Gershom Sizomu (California, USA; Uganda)

Workshops

Sunday, November 14, 2004 1:30-5:00 p.m.
Temple Shalom, Chevy Chase, MD

A. Meet the Composers

What is involved in the birth of a new melody? How do composers choose a text and craft a melody? (Or does the text choose them?) Meet the composers featured in Saturday's concert, and learn their answers to these questions and others about the composing process. (90 minutes)
* Avinu Shebashamayim, by Emil Berkovits
* Yevarekhekha, by Mary Feinsinger
* Shiviti, by Sylvia F. Goldstein
* Har'ini, by Shirona Kaufman
* Shalom Aleikhem, by Jeff Marder
* Tzur MiShelo, by Wendy Morrison
* Psalm 92 and Yigdal, by Ken Richmond
* Birkat HaNerot, by Rebecca Schwartz

B. Shivim Panim laTefilla
(Seventy Faces of Prayer)
Over the centuries, the much-loved texts Ashrei, El Adon, Hashkiveinu, and Sim Shalom have inspired melodies by Jewish composers from around the world. Listen to and compare different settings of these familiar texts by some of Shalshelet's inaugural festival winners. (50 minutes)
* Ashrei, by Fred A. Blumenthal (Missouri, USA)
* Ashrei, by Keith G. Miller(California, USA)
* El Adon, by Terry S. Horowit
* El Adon, by Shirona Kaufman
* Hashkiveinu, by Steve Dropkin
* Hashkiveinu, by Evette Nan Katlin (New Jersey, USA)
* Hashkiveinu, by Ira Scott Levin (California, USA)
* Sim Shalom, by Mary Feinsinger
* Sim Shalom, by Lawrence Rush (New York, USA)

C. Music for Less Common Texts
Just as some Jewish texts have many asssociated melodies, other texts are still waiting for composers to find them. Shalshelet has unearthed melodies for some less commonly sung texts. Come listen to and learn a few. (50 minutes)
* Eli, Eli, Lamo Azovtanu, by Stephen DeCesare (Michigan, USA)
* VeHeishiv Lev, by Sylvia F. Goldstein
* Ilu Finu, by Terry S. Horowit
* Nakum Uvaninu, by Carol Boyd Leon
* Im Ein Anu Li Mi Li, by Wendy Morrison
Tickets are available from:
Temple Shalom
8401 Grubb Road
> Chevy Chase, MD 20815
Tel. 301-587-2273
Fax 301-588-9368
or online at www.shalshelet.org
Concert and workshops:
$30 in advance
$35 at the door

Concert only:
$20 in advance
$25 at the door

Children 16 and under admitted free

Workshops only:
$15 at the door

The Sound and Light Cinematic Duo

The Sound and Light Cinematic Duo (Merlin Shepherd/ clarinet, bass clarinet and Polina Shepherd / piano) are performing new and traditional Jewish music to accompany the Yuri Morozov Jewish Film Archive (Kiev).
and as part of the UK Jewish Film Festival

17th October, London, the Screen on the Hill
14th November, Birmingham, Mac
18th November, Manchester, The Cornerhouse
28th November, Nottingham, Broadway Cinema
also as part of the Brighton Festival of Jewish Music

5th December, Brighton, Sallis Benny Theatre
for more information http://www.ukjewishfilmfestival.org.uk/

The unique UK Premiere of the Yuri Morozov archive contains some of the earliest cinematic representations of east European Jewish communities and more. Black and White silent films as early as 1910 depict the Jews of Ukraine and their daily lives in both narrative and documentary forms. Many of these films have never been seen outside of Ukraine and some have not been screened for over 80 years. Merlin and Polina Shepherd represent two nations although their families come from very close geographical locations. At the end of the 19th Century, Merlin's great-grandparents emigrated from Ukraine and Romania to escape pogroms and seek a better world in the west. Polina's grandparents escaped from the Sho'ah (Holocaust) by fleeing from Kiev/Odessa to Siberia. The different and yet vital sustenance of his western Jewish upbringing and her eastern one have brought them to a unique closeness in musical, creative and spiritual terms. Their playing acts as the perfect foil for these amazing historic documents. With their deep training, musical experience and by using tradition musical pieces and stylistically accurate new compositions, these films are magically brought back to life almost a century after their first screenings. By transportation backwards in time with this historically accurate visual and aural experience, these two world class musicians bring their audiences forward to a deeper understanding of present and latter day Yiddishkeit.
The films:

L'chaim, Dir A. Mietr and K. Ganzer, 1910 9 mins.
Sore's Grief Dir A. Arkatov, 1913, 13 mins.
Jews and the Land, Dir. Abram Room, 1927, 17 mins.
Against Fathers' Will (Mabul) Dir Evgeny Ivanov-Barkov, 1926, 43 mins.