Weimar Yiddish Summer, Weimar, Germany, Jul 11 - Aug 10
Yiddish Summer Weimar 2006: Basarabye!
The Weimar Klezmer Weeks, runs this year from July 11 through August 10 in Weimar, Germany.
- Jul 11–18: Beginning and Intermediate Yiddish language
- Jul 11–13: Workshop—Learning music by ear
- Jul 15–17: Introduction to klezmer music
- Jul 19–26: Yiddish song workshop
- Jul 27–Aug 1: Yiddish dance music for musicians
- Jul 29–Aug 1: workshop Yiddish dance
- Aug 3–10: Advanced workshop klezmer music
Possibly the most romanticized of all the "old worlds" of Yiddish, Bessarabia (part of present-day Moldova) is still mythic in Jewish memory and imagination today. Much of the modern klezmer "sound" as well as many Yiddish dances and songs point back to Bessarabian origins. Devastated by war and politics, the remnants of Bessarabian Yiddish culture survived the 20th century scattered throughout the world. In 2006, Weimar Yiddish Summer (formerly Weimar Klezmer Weeks) will gather together artists and musicians from the USA, Moldova, the Ukraine and elsewhere to conduct a unique, month-long, intensive workshop/festival focusing on Bessarabian Yiddish expressive culture.
As in past years, Weimar Yiddish Summer explores one subject at a time in workshops lasting from 3–7 days. In 2006 our subjects are: Yiddish Language (beginning and intermediate), Learning By Ear, Introduction to Klezmer Music, Yiddish Song, Dance Music for Musicians, Yiddish Dance, and Advanced Klezmer Music (see schedule).
Program director Alan Bern has given Weimar Yiddish Summer 2006 an even stronger emphasis on interculturality: in addition to the regular group of eminent faculty, guests in 2006 include clarinetist German Goldenshteyn (Bessarabia/USA), singer Arkady Gendler (Ukraine), singer/songwriter Efim Chorny (Moldova), dance teacher Nicolae Grinbincea (Moldova), and many others. Michael Alpert and Zev Feldman will lead us through Bessarabian Yiddish history and ethnography as well as Yiddish dance.
As always, daytime classes are complemented by evening programs including public jam sessions in Weimar's cafes, concerts, dances, films, lectures, and more. Participants come from all over Europe, North America, and even Asia, and often form personal and professional relationships that extend far beyond Weimar. Whether for a single workshop or for the entire period, we invite you to join us in 2006 for what promises to be the most exciting and challenging Weimar Yiddish Summer yet!
