Johan de Meij

Klezmer Classics

Klezmer is the traditional instrumental music for weddings and parties of the Yiddish speaking Jews of Eastern Europe. Its origin goes back to the sixteenth century. At this time Yiddish culture was at its peak in the countries where the Jews then lived: Poland, Ukraine, Byelorussia (White Russia), Latvia, Lithuania, Moldavia, Romania, Slovakia and Hungary. In recent years there has been a revival in popularity of this style of music and it is often played outside of its traditional context. Johan de Meij has arranged five classics from the Klezmer repertoire into a colourful selection for concert band.