Klezmer Quartet (10/6/13)

Golly, how to explain klezmer? It has its roots in Jewish folk music—Russian, Eastern European, etc. Think “Hava Nagila,” working up to a whirling-dervish tempo. This concert was titled David Krakauer’s Acoustic Klezmer Quartet, with David Krakauer, clarinet, Will Holshouser, accordion, Nicki Parrott, bass, and Michael Sarin, drums, and was part of the Carnegie Hall Neighborhood Concert program. The songs were all announced from the stage, so I may not get them exactly right.

The opener was called “The Street Song,” and was a traditional piece. It started with the string bass (amplified) playing what could have seemed like a dirge, but then the piece built in intensity, volume, and complexity, with a structure similar to that in some jazz arrangements. This was followed by a piece that combined old and new—
a traditional tune that was then continued into a newer section composed by
Mr. Krakauer. The clarinet playing was very energetic and the bass player actually danced a bit with her instrument. Once again, similar to jazz, there was an extended bass solo.

“The Dusky Bulgar,” composed by Mr. Holshouer, dealt with identity exploration and was a bit darker and ever so slightly more downbeat, though still very enjoyable. This was followed by “The Gypsy Bulgar,” with a sort of walking ragtime feel, swinging into jazz, a short waltz/dance feel—the rhythms seemed very straightforward, but then you go, “Whoa! There are really intricate things going on here,” with lots of pitch bending, higher-range clarinet playing, and the audience clapping along. Sort of like a Jewish wedding.

While the music was interesting, there was also a sameness to it that didn’t quite appeal to me. “Moldavian Voyage” had the clarinet playing in a lower register that I found very pleasing. Another piece written by Mr. Krakauer was composed for his grandfather from Lemberg (now Lvov, Ukraine). To me, it seemed as though it shifted between a nice sweet situation, to a darker situation, brought on by a remembered history—then shifting to one last high-range shriek of the clarinet before returning to the remembered sweetness. That was the feeling it evoked in me.

Throughout, all four players were just great, and all of them were featured at one time or another, once again hearkening back to jazz traditions. And the audience response was very enthusiastic. An encore (no title announced) showcased a technique called “circular breathing,” where the clarinetist plays a continuous tone by breathing in through his nose while pushing air out through his mouth, using air that is stored in his cheeks. It’s an impressive thing to see and hear and the audience ate it up. I enjoyed the concert a lot, but just wished for a little more variety—maybe that’s just the nature of klezmer.

ConcertMeister