The Shake from the Shtetl

There’s something drunken about the word “klezmer,” maybe because much of the music it stands for developed at weddings where, inevitably, the dancing crowd consumed a little too much wine; the young felt, perhaps, a little too much joy; and the elderly felt, perhaps, a little too much sorrow. Those...

By P. Scott Cunningham

November 12, 2009

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There’s something drunken about the word “klezmer,” maybe because much of the music it stands for developed at weddings where, inevitably, the dancing crowd consumed a little too much wine; the young felt, perhaps, a little too much joy; and the elderly felt, perhaps, a little too much sorrow. Those dramatic highs and lows and frenetic rhythms are why so many composers — including Mendelssohn, Shostakovich, and Mahler — looked to klezmer for inspiration.

This Saturday’s New World Symphony concert, “Blind Faith,” taps into that rich tradition. Led by principal guest conductor Alasdair Neale, Blind Faith combines two favorites by Sergei Prokofiev and Pyotr Tchaikovksy — the American Overture and the Sixth Symphony, respectively — with Osvaldo Golijov’s The Dreams and Prayers of Isaac the Blind, a piece of avant-garde klezmerism that features guest clarinetist David Krakauer. Krakauer is known for his ecstatic playing, so there could be some bodies moving inside the Lincoln Theatre. The program starts at 7:30 p.m. Tickets start at $33.
Sat., Nov. 14, 7:30 p.m.; Sun., Nov. 15, 2 p.m., 2009

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