Klezmer - Song Types

Song Types

Most klezmer pieces are for dancing to, from fast to slow tempo:

• Freylekhs (also Bulgar, bulgarish — literally "Bulgarian", volekhl/vulekhl — literally "Wallachian", or "Romanian") is a (3+3+2 = 8)/8 circle dance, usually in the Ahava Rabboh melodic mode. Typically piano, accordion, or bass plays a duple oom-pah beat. These are by far the most popular klezmer dances. The name "Bulgar" (Yiddish "bulgarish") comes from the Romanian traditional song/dance (Romanian "bulgarească"). "Freylekh" is the Yiddish word for "festive."
• Sher is a set dance in 2/4. It is one of the most common klezmer dances. Its name comes from the straight-legged, quick movements of the legs, reminiscent of the shears (Yiddish: sher) of tailors.
• Khosidl, or khusidl, named after the Hasidic Jews who danced it, is a more dignified embellished dance in 2/4 or 4/4. The dance steps can be performed in a circle or in a line.
• Hora or zhok is a Romanian-style dance in a hobbling 3/8 time with beats on 1 and 3, and is even more embellished. The Israeli hora derives its roots from the Romanian hora. The Yiddish name "zhok" comes from the Romanian term "joc" (literally "dance")
• Kolomeike is a fast and catchy dance in 2/4 time, which originated in Ukraine, and is prominent in the folk music of that country.
• Terkish is a 4/4 dance like the habanera. Terk in America is one famous arrangement by Naftule Brandwein, who used this form extensively. As its name indicates, it recalls Turkish styles.
• Skotshne ("hopping") could be an instrumental display piece, but also a dance piece, like a more elaborate freylekhs.
• Nigun means "melody" in both Yiddish and Hebrew, a mid-paced song in 2/4.
• Waltzes were very popular, whether classical, Russian, or Polish. A padespan was a sort of Russian/Spanish waltz known to klezmers.
• Mazurka and polka, Polish and Czech dances, respectively, were often played for both Jews and Gentiles.
• Csárdás is a Hungarian dance popular among the Jews of Hungary, Slovakia, and the Carpathians. It started off slowly and gradually increased in tempo.
• Sirba — a Romanian dance in 2/2 or 2/4 (Romanian "sârbă". It features hopping steps and short bursts of running, accompanied by triplets in the melody.
• Humoresque "Halaka" dance, a traditional Israeli dance from Safed in Galilee; it has an ancient melody handed down from generation to generation.
• Tango — well-known dance that originated in Argentina. These were extremely popular around the world in the 1930s, and many Eastern European tangos were originally written by Jews.

Additionally, there are types not designed for dance:

• Doina is an improvisational lament usually performed solo, and is extremely important in weddings. Its basis is the Romanian shepherd's lament, so it has an expressive vocal quality, like the singing of the khazn. Although it has no form, it is not just random sounds in a Jewish mode — the musician works with very particular references to Jewish prayer and East European laments. Often these references might occur in the form of harmonic movements or modal maneuvers that quote or otherwise invoke traditional Jewish cantorial practices. Typically it is performed on violin, cymbalom or clarinet, though has been done on everything from banjoes to xylophones. Often it is the first of a 3-part set, followed by a hora, then either a freylekhs or khusidl. One can hear recordings of contemporary vocalists singing the doina, including Michael Alpert and Elizabeth Schwartz.
• Taksim is a freeform prelude that introduces the motifs of the following piece, which is usually a freylekhs; it was largely supplanted by the doina.
• Fantazi or fantasy is a freeform song, traditionally played at Jewish weddings to the guests as they dined. It resembles the fantasia of "light" classical music.