Musique baroque yiddish (Extraits de "The Book of Rejoycing Soul" de Rabbi Elkhanan Kirchen)
Dash Lid un’ Gzang iz gmakht, tzu zingin Fraytig tzu Nakht
Zing dash Gzang, an Shabbes tzu ous Gang
Zing dash Gzang um Rosh-Khoudesh, den er iz ouch Koudesh
Zing dash Gzang mit Kavone, um Yom Kipper veRosh Hashone
Zing dash Gzang mit Kavone, hob far nimt Moure an Sukkes un’ Simkhes Toure
Zing dash Gzang mit an Dakht, di Khanuke Teg Akht
Loz dir an Glegin zayn dash Gzang am Purim, ven shoun megn zayn Shikurim
In Peysekh zing dash Gzang, zu der kennin Gotsh Vunder zu Yisroel vun on Fang
Zing dash Gzang um Shvues, drinnen gfinshtdu guti Shmues

Asher Blachmann
Raffaello Negri
Miriam Ben-Ami, violon
Amos Boazsohn, alto
Michael Klinghoffer, contrebasse
Eliav Lavi, guitare baroque
Di Tsaytmashin

Avishai Aleksander Fisz, voix, harpe, flûte à bec
Bari Moscovitz, théorbe
Ayela Seidelman, violoncelle
Daniel Hoffman, violon
Adi Silberberg, flûte à bec, viole de gambe, tournebout
Oren Fried, percussion

De la musique yiddish de la période baroque : voilà un répertoire peu fréquenté que nous propose de découvrir Brilliant Classics. Ce "Livre de l’Âme Réjouie" est un recueil de chants ashkénazes anciens écrits par le rabbin Elkhanan Kirchen et dont l’origine de la publication remonte aux débuts du XVIIIe siècle en Bavière. Tout en rimes spirituelles, ces chants de morale régissent la vie des croyants, et la religion occupe une place centrale dans les thématiques abordées : fêtes juives, traditions et joie de croire en Dieu. Des pures polyphonies baroques à des airs folkloriques juifs plus rythmés, l’auditeur est captivé par l’abondance de cette musique. Avishai Fisz, dont le timbre illumine le disque, a convoqué autour de lui un irrésistible ensemble instrumental ou se mêlent violon, théorbe, violoncelle, harpe, flûte à bec, tournebout, guitare, contrebasse et percussions. Un voyage fascinant en immersion dans cette culture juive d'une grande richesse. Une musique magnifiquement servie par l’interprétation savoureuse d’un Ensemble Israeli Di Tsaytmashin au plaisir de jouer communicatif.

The Book of the Rejoicing Soul is an Ashkenazi songbook, credited to Rabbi Elkhanan Kirchen and published in Bavaria towards the beginning of the 18th century. It contains songs of morality for the Jewish home. The songs describe in witty rhymes the diversity of customs for the Jewish holidays, the refined moods resultant of following the Jewish tradition, and the joy of believing in God. Thus there are songs to celebrate the Sabbath, to accompany daily and weekly rituals of preparation and purification; to celebrate times of mourning and fasting but also days of celebration, for drinking and marriage. There is even a song which doubles as a recipe for Passover bread, describing in detail how the matzo flour must not be exposed to excess humidity. The language of the songs is an antique version of Yiddish. The scoring is economical, but strongly hints at a unique musical pastiche, spanning pure Baroque counteproint to typically spicy Jewish and European folk tunes. Rabbi Kirchen probably came up with the songs and melodies, and the publication itself was the work of another, more musically sophisticated mind, but one unfamiliar with the nuances of Jewish culture. Thus the Book of the Rejoicing Soul requires considerable editing and arrangement to make it performable; this has been undertaken by Avishai Fisz, who also contributes a historical and contextual booklet note. He founded the Di Tsaytmashin (Yiddish for “time machine”) Ensemble in 2012 in order to perform this singular text; its members are Jewish Classical musicians from Europe and North America. Fisz himself is singer and cantor; he is backed by a Baroque ensemble of theorbo, recorders and strings, as well as other guests including more strings and a guitar.