Discover the Klezmer
Klezmer means in Hebrew the vessel of the song, the instrument of the voice, The Klezmer is the traditional Jewish music originated in Eastern Europe a few centuries ago. It is an instrumental celebration music, a music full of contradictions, a blending of the extremes, it is secular but loaded with sacred content, it can express joy or sadness, hope or despair, it is intrinsically a dance music, but can be also meditative and profound. It is the mirror of the full range of human emotions. Here is an introduction to Klezmer.

• The Origin of Klezmer
  The King David's Psalms are maybe the first manifestation of structured music, so the roots of Klezmer and music itself can be found in the Bible. Explore the history of Klezmer from the Biblical epoch through the Hassidic movement until the avant-garde of the 21th century.

• Joseph Gusikov
  Joseph Gusikov was the first klezmer star of the history, this fragile young man was one of the most popular concert performer at the beginning of the 19th century, he managed to bring Jewish music and klezmer to the concert halls and salons of the capitals of Europe, thanks to his talent and true genius.

• Abraham Zvi Idelsohn
  Idelsohn is an ethnomusicologist and he is the father of the Jewish musicology. At the beginning of the 20th century he recorded on cylinders hundred of traditional Klezmer and oriental melodies and gathered them all in a monumental thesaurus which is the musicological reference until today.

• Hava Nagila
  Hava Nagila, the archetype of the Israeli folksong, it was a hassidic traditional tune from Bessarabia. Abraham Idelsohn arrange this tune and wrote lyrics inspired by the King David's Psalms. It became an international standard, Read the whole story...

• The Klezmer Revival
  After the massive emigration of Eastern European Jews to America, the klezmer blossomed and flourished, hundreds of records were released, klezmer bands and soloists were at the peak of their popularity. But since the late twenties the flame of klezmer started to wane. The horror of WWII pushed it even more into quasi oblivion. Then out of nowhere, in the early seventies, the klezmer came back to life, thanks to wonderful artists like Giora Feidman, Andy Statman, Henry Sapoznik, Michael Alpert, Hankus Netsky, Joel Rubin. This was the klezmer revival, the rebirth, the renaissance.

• How To Play Klezmer
  Is there a magic formula or a blueprint that will turn you into a master klezmer player, probably not. Here I will try to throw some light and help you to to you in the right tracks and touch on the art of klezmer and how to play klezmer.

The Clarinet Klezmer Players
The clarinet is the instrument of predilection of Klezmer. And most valuable Klezmer musicians are clarinet players like Giora Feidman, Dave Tarras, Naftule Brandwein, David Krakauer, David Statman and many others
 

• Giora Feidman
  Giora Feidman is already a legend, born in Buenos aires, the cradle of Tango, in a four generations family of Klezmorim, Giora was a major actor of the klezmer revival in the seventies, especially in Europe. Read the biography of Giora Feidman.

• Naftule Brandwein The King Of Klezmer
  Naftule Brandwein, The King of Klezmer was a phenomenon in the world of early American Klezmer, he was an eccentric musician but a fabulous clarinet Klezmer player, an inspiration for the next  generations.
  
  

• Dave Tarras
  Born in Ukraine at the end of the 19th century. He emigrated to America and brought in his luggage the Eastern European tradition. He blended the roots of his fathers with the American popular music in an inimitable style... 

• Andy Statman
  Born in the Queens New York in 1950, Andy Statman began his musical career as a young virtuoso mandolin bluegrass player, then searching his Jewish roots, he turn to clarinet Klezmer and initiate a mystical musical journey. He his one of the major contributor of the Klezmer revival.

• Helmut Eisel
  Helmut Eisel who became in Germany the assistant of Giora Feidman is a phenomenal clarinetist and a true master in the art of improvisation. His virtuosity is only surpassed by his expressiveness and sensibility
  
  

• German Goldenshteyn
  German Goldenshteyn is known as "the living tradition". From his native Bessarabia he brought hundred of traditional melodies and contributed to the Klezmer revival in America in the seventies.

Klezmer Music Modes
This very particular sound that characterizes the Klezmer is due in part to the way of interpretation but also to the modes used .
 
Klezmer Youtube Best Videosl
A selection of the best YouTube video clips showing off the most prominent Klezmer clarinet players. Enjoy watching and listening

• Giora Feidman
  Giora loves to perform in public and nourish the audience with spiritual food "inner nourishment, that we need and must share with each other, like the sight of a sculpture or a painting, or the body in ballet."

• Helmut Eisel live
  Watch and listen to Helmut Eisel with his JEM band and the Klezmer All Star Clarinet Gang playing beautiful and stirring pieces of the Klezmer and classical repertoire.

• Andy Statman YouTube
  Andy Statman takes us on a mystic journey, oscillating between heaven and earth, modernity and tradition, bluegrass and Klezmer, a master of the mandolin and a clarinet virtuoso.
   
  
• David Krakauer Klezmer Madness YouTube
  David Krakauer's Klezmer Madness, Socalled, live performances. David Krakauer is a versatile artist, a superb virtuoso who plays the klezmer of the 21th centuries, he is the link between tradition and avant-garde. 
   
  
• David Orlowsky on YouTube
  A new generation of clarinet klezmer players is growing, they are learning the tradition from the senior artists and are adding a special touch of freshness and modernity. David Orlowsky is one of those young talents

Free Klezmer Scores
Here you will find original arrangements and transcriptions of Klezmer tunes and great standards. New titles will be added regularly. Download free clarinet sheet music.

Clarinet Resources
The clarinet pages are a collection of resource and topics about the clarinet dedicated to the community of clarinet lovers all around the world.
 

• Clarinet Care And Maintenance
  Tips and methods to keep your clarinet in top playing condition and avoid cracking. How to care for your clarinet.
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• Clarinet Breaking In
  There are important rules to follow when you play with a new wood clarinet. How to perform a successful breaking in and ensure years of enjoyable playing.
   

• How to choose a clarinet mouthpiece
  Of all the elements of a clarinet player's arsenal, the mouthpiece is the most important one, because it is mostly responsible for the sound production. Therefore the choice of the right mouthpiece is crucial for every woodwinds players. Tips and advices will help you in your choice.

• What is the ultimate clarinet sound
  Reaching that perfect clarinet sound is one of the goal of many clarinet players. But does such a sound exist? To describe that sound with words is not a simple task. Here are a few answers.