Itzhak Perlman - Perlman plays Klezmer (2008)

Over the course of a thousand years, the Jews of Eastern Europe forged a unique civilisation in the territorial and cultural expanse between the Baltic and the Black Sea, from eastern Germany to the steppes of the Ukraine and beyond. Its vernacular was Yiddish, a uniquely Jewish fusion of Middle High German with elements of Hebrew/Aramaic, old French, old Italian and the Slavic languages. This Jewish veltele ("world within a world") was home to the majority of world Jewry for much of the past millennium. Born of the confluence of diverse cultural streams and nourished by a wellspring of traditional Judaism, it spiritual, intellectual and expressive sensibilities continue to influence both Jewish life and the world at large to the present day. Among East European Jews, the occupation of the klezmer, or professional folk musician, has been an ongoing profession for centuries. The word derives from the Hebrew kley-zemer - literally "vessel of song" i.e. "musical instruments" and "musicians". Strictly defined, klezmer music is the folk instrumental music of East European Jews, performed at weddings and other family or community celebrations. Comprising dance tunes as well as music for listening at wedding ceremonies and banquets, it is one part of a rich tonality of East European Jewish music that includes liturgical and Hasidic music, folksong traditions, Yiddish theatre music, art music, and popular song. The 2CDs feature Klezmer favourites such as Jewish Wedding Medley, Hasidic Dance and Klezmer Suite, whilst the DVD contains a variety of bonus footage such as "Perlman's first Klezmer lesson", "Klezmer and Mazeltov", "The Polish Klezmer Festival" and "Perlman live in New York".