Live in the Fiddler's House

Perlman, Itzhak

album cover

Klezmer Gone Kwazy

This disc offers traditional Yiddish klezmer played by one of the great classical violin soloists of modern times, Itzhak Perlman, alongside some of the most imaginative ensembles of the 1990s klezmer revival—among them Andy Statman's Klezmer Orchestra, the Klezmer Conservatory band, and the Klezmatics. In the course of an hour, Perlman and the various bands pursue a robust revitalization of klezmer, easily handling the music's technical demands (those seesawing themes played at superfast tempos) while celebrating its irrepressible zest.

"Meron Nign/In the Sukke," the first selection featuring clarinetist Statman, is perhaps the best place to start. As the tempo accelerates toward the frantic, Perlman and Statman create a kind of chase-scene klezmer, scattering joyous melodic shards in their wake. Perlman doesn't take up too much of the spotlight, but when he does step out, you know it: He plays with such command, even the careening themes sound like warm-up exercises.

The klezmer renaissance had been going on for at least a decade when this was recorded, and even though the performers' styles and areas of concentration differ, they understand each other. Their shared language comes in handy on the finale, which involves musicians from all the groups. What could be a cast-of-thousands mess becomes, instead, an unstoppable dance, with many voices sharing the same mirth.

Genre: World, Klezmer
Released: 1996, Angel
Key Tracks: "Meron nign/In the Sukke," "Doina naftule," "Klezmer Suite."
Catalog Choice: Paganini: Twenty-four Caprices
Next Stop: Don Byron: Plays the Music of Mickey Katz
Book Page: 593

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