ABSTRACT
This study delves into the notion of klezmer as both a link in the chain of Jewish
continuity and a mirror to the multifarious variations of Jewish identification. It explores
the music in relation to various events within the last century of Jewish history, such as
the Jewish enlightenment movement, migration from Eastern Europe and the Holocaust,
and draws on various discourses of memory and identity to frame and elucidate the
music. It also proposes the theory that klezmer could indeed be an archetype, comprised
of mnemonic and archetypal musical devices, that resides deep within the Jewish
collective unconscious and rouses nostalgic yearnings to reclaim a cherished yet
imperilled heritage. Embracing this notion of klezmer as archetype sheds light on the
contemporary klezmer scene, particularly in Germany, Poland and the United States of
America, and the many social, cultural and moral sensibilities that define it. Paving the
way for the various avenues of Jewish, and often non-Jewish, memory work and
identification klezmer not only sounds the synthesis of cultural, social and religious
boundaries, but also emerges as a bastion of Jewish continuity.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:netd.ac.za/oai:union.ndltd.org:wits/oai:wiredspace.wits.ac.za:10539/4918 |
| Date | 03 June 2008 |
| Creators | Richard, Nicolette |
| Source Sets | South African National ETD Portal |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Thesis |
| Format | 9259794 bytes, application/pdf, application/pdf |
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