The Yiddish Tango - Congregation B`nai Israel

The Yiddish Tango:
From Argentina to Eastern Europe and Back
a presentation by
Joan O. Epstein, Prof. of Music, Eckerd College, St. Petersburg, FL
June 19, 2013 – International Conference of the College Music Society, Buenos Aires, Argentina
Feb. 22, 2015 – Sunday Morning University, Congregation B’nai Israel, St. Petersburg, FL
What is the Tango?
Is it a dance?
Is it an instrumental music genre?
What is the Tango?
Tango as a dance:
Evolved between 1880 and 1910 to become tango per se.
Note in both the simple American version and
the flamboyant modern Argentinian form
- interdependency / intimacy of the partners
- persistent bent knees
- off kilter slides or dramatic dips
- playful tension between fluid movement and strict phrasing
Basic steps / motions: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xVF3farOPwE
Flamboyant version: https://www.youtube.com/
watch?v=R7_rnucyZg8&index=4&list=PLCDAB41CC9C8ADCA
What is the Tango?
Tango as instrumental music:
Evolved alongside the dance beginning in the 1880s
Note in this performance of “La Cumparsita:
- playful tension between free melodic phrasing
and larger phrase structure
- playful tension between sharply articulated
gestures and smooth ones
- surprising silences
Instrumental version of “La Cumparsita”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6yoLXINtBwE&list=PLCDAB41CC9C8ADCA2
What is the Tango?
Is it a song type?
Most tango numbers had lyrics from the
start or added them some afterward
What is the Tango?
Lyrics to “La Cumparsita”
If you knew, that still deep in my soul
I keep that affection
that I had for you...
Who knows if you could know
that I have never forgotten you;
Going back into your past,
you will remember me...
My friends no longer come
not even to visit me;
Nobody wants to console me
in my affliction...
Since the day that you left,
I feel anguish in my chest.
Say, woman, what have you done
with my poor heart?
However, I always remember you
with the saintly affection
that I had for you.
And you are everywhere,
a piece of my life.
And those eyes that were my joy,
I look for them everywhere
and I can't find them.
To the abandoned pad,
not even the morning sun
peeks through the window
like when you were here.
And that friendly puppy
who because of your absence did not eat,
when it saw me all alone, the other day,
it also left me.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P0LosvoEEy8
Jewish Presence in Argentina
16th – 18th Century: Marranos, secret Jews, most Sephardic, settled in Argentina under the Inquisition. Many assimilate.
1813: Argentina declares independence from Spain & end of Inquisition. Jewish immigration from Central and Eastern Europe begins.
1860: First Jewish wedding in Buenos Aires; first congregation founded soon afterward.
1880s: Pogroms in Eastern Europe bring in thousands of Jews barred from entering North America.
1889: 100,00 Jews settle the rural Pampas with support of Baron Maurice de Hirsch’s Jewish Colonization Association.
1906-1912: 13,000 per year Jews leave Eastern Europe, Morocco & Ottoman Empire for urban Argentina.
1920: 150,000 Jews live in Argentina, nearly all the newest arrivals in Buenos Aires.
1930s: Continued immigration to Buenos Aires & Rosario from countryside and Europe as the Holocaust unfolds.
1946-55: Some Jews leave for Israel and North America under Peron. Nonetheless, 310,000 Jews live in Argentina in 1960.
1976-83: Terrible period of “the disappeared” under a military regime causes more Jews to leave.
1992 & 1994: Bombings of Israeli Embassy & AMIA Community Center caused further emigration.
2015: Still considerable anti-semitism in Argentina, yet 150,000 Jews remain; 7th largest Jewish community in the world.
The Origins of Tango
Candombé (Congolese Drumming, Dance & Song adapted by slaves in South America)
- bent knees, dramatic dips and dramatic arm gestures
- tension between fluid dance moves and fixed rhythm of the drumming
Danced to drums alone:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iU2n3YfdKig
Danced to a Europeanized carnival song:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TUTFsq9dJsc
The Origins of Tango
Habañera (European contradanza infused with an African or Arabic “clave beat”)
Note some similarity between habañera as a dance and tango, especially
dip and slide half way through each set of steps:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J-vxF8NVt2A
Note similarity between Afro Cuban clave beat and Arabic maqsuom rhythm:
Focus on 2 – 3 pattern
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lsTfm1xIvPA
Focus on beginning of clip
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uceRc5SSZUI
The Origins of Tango
Habañera (European contradanza infused with an African or Arabic “clave beat”)
“La Paloma” as sung by Placido Domingo
(Clave beat is very audible here.)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z8gLDihFduw
The Origins of Tango
Other Important Influences
The Waltz & other intimate European couples dances
Jewish Klezmer Music
Listen for vocal “kvetching” and wildly free and expressive melody
in tension with a strict rhythmic framework.
Giora Feidman’s “Klezmer’s Freilach”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z8gLDihFduw
Jews & the Birth of Tango
Canyengue
Tango Criolla
Salon style tango
Milonga
Jews & the Birth of Tango
Orquesta Tipica
Jews & the Birth of Tango
Jewish Couples Dancing Early Tango in Buenos Aires
Jews & the Birth of Tango
Arturo Bernstein AKA El Alemán (1882-1935)
First bandoneón virtuoso
Jews & the Birth of Tango
Luis Rubistein (1908-1954)
Family sailed from Odessa in 1902.
Best know as a composer of tango songs.
Famous tunes include “Charlemos” (Let's Talk), “Cuatro palabras” (Four words),
“Tu perro pekinés” (Your Pekinese dog), “Inspiración” (inspiration),
“Ya sale el tren” (The train leaves), “Cadenas” (Chains), “Animal,”
“ Nada más” (Nothing more), “Tarde gris” (Grey afternoon) - recorded with
Carlos Gardel - and “Marion.”
Jews & the Birth of Tango
Oscar Rubens (1914-1984)
Younger brother of Luis Rubinstein.
Also known as a poet and composer of tango songs.
Dozens of important songs including "Mientras duerme la ciudad” and
"Es en vano llorar" (with Alberto Suárez Villanueva), "Los muñequitos”
(Francisco Pracanico), "Calla bandoneón" (Carlos Lazzari),
"Dejame en paz" (Américo Actis), "Corazón qué has hecho" (Antonio Ríos)
and "Domingo a la noche" (Juan José Guichandut).
Jews & the Birth of Tango
Abraham Moisés “Alberto” Soifer (1907-1977)
Family sailed from Odessa in 1902.
Established as a pianist & composer by 1920.
Established partnerships many top tango performers
in the 1930s.
Had several important tango orchestras in Buenos
Aires and provided music for many films.
Jews & the Birth of Tango
Josef Nezow AKA José Nieso
Violinist & composer
Debuted in 1927 with the orchestra of Roberto Firpo.
Went on to found his own.
Jews & the Birth of Tango
Bernardo Mendel Sucher AKA Manuel Sucher or Manola (1913-1971)
Bourgeois parents came from Odessa in 1901.
Established as a violinist & pianist in Rosario by 1920.
Established partnership with bandeleonist Felix Liesker in 1930.
Went on to establish important tango orchestra in Buenos
Aires and to compose and arrange tango music.
Jews & the Birth of Tango
Moisés Smolarchik Brenner AKA Ben Molar (b. 1915)
Instituted national Day of Tango as Dec. 11 (shared
birthdays of Carlos Gardel and Julio de Caro.)
Jews & the Birth of Tango
Mordechai David “Max” Glücksmann (1875-1946)
Arrived 1890.
Became importation agent for Odeon Records, 1904.
Founded Discos Glücksmann which had cornered
the tango market in Argentina by 1914.
Owned movie theaters throughout South America that
popularized tango.
Both recordings and films fueled the world-wide tango
craze.
Jews & the Birth of Tango
“Mazl,” early Yiddish tango film Mamele,as sung by Molly Picon
Mazl du shaynst amol far yedn
Far yedn nor nit far mir
Mazl du brengst a yedn freydn
Far vos farzoymtu mayn tir
Akh vi es tut bang a yeder sho
Dos lebn fargeyt, un keyn hofenung iz altz nishto
Luck you shine on everyone
Everyone but me.
Luck, you bring them happiness
Why do you shun my doorway?
There’s pain in every luckless hour
Life passes without hope.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=44A8aF26gPQ
Jews & the Birth of Tango
“Di Grine Katshke,” autobiographical tango song by Yiddish
activist poet, artist, musician & puppeteer Zuni Maud
Geyt a grine katshke
Mit a royter noz;
Vil zi shmekn tabak –
Hot zi nit mit vos.
There goes a green duck
With a red nose;
She wants a pinch of snuff,
But she has none.
(Chorus)
Grine katshke, royte noz,
Un ikh veys nit, un ikh veys nit,
Vos iz dos.
(Chorus)
Green duck, red nose,
What this is,
I don’t know.
Geyt di grine katshke,
Geyt arum un kayt;
Vil zi brokn lokshn –
Hot zi ni keyn tsayt…
There goes the green duck,
She walks about and chews,
She wants to make some noodles,
But she has no time.
(Chorus)
Dreyt zikh um di katshke,
Dreyt zikh on a zin.
Vil zi geyn shpatsirn –
Hot zi nit vuhin…
(Chorus)
The duck bustles about,
She bustles about without a thought.
She wants to take a stroll,
But has no place to go.
(Chorus)
Geyt di grine katshke,
Geyt arum un trakht;
Vil zi davnen minkhe –
Falt shoyn tsu di nakht.
(Chorus)
There goes the green duck.
She walks around and thinks.
She wants to say the evening prayers,
But it’s already getting dark.
(Chorus)
(Chorus)
Zuni Maud’s equally autobiographical
sketch of himself at his family’s radical
summer retreat in the Catskills,
Zumer-Ray.
Jews & the Birth of Tango
“Papirosn,” early Yiddish tango from the New York Yiddish theater
as sung by Zully Goldfarb (Started as a non-tango song for film of same name.)
A kalte nakht a nepldike finster umetum,
shteyt a yingele fartroyert un kukt zikh arum.
fun regn shitst im nor a vant,
a koshikl halt er in hant,
un zayne oygn betn yedn shtum.
Ikh hob shoyn nit keyn koyekh mer
arumtsugeyn in gaz, hungerig un
opgerizn fun dem regn naz.
Ikh shlep arum zikh fun baginen,
keyner git nisht tsu fardinen,
ale lakhn, makhn fun mir shpaz.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=odRpiRBKYK8&list=
PLAS9m4A6-Nu44OPsl6B9E2Cnna80jRpty
A cold night, foggy, and darkness everywhere
A boy stands sadly and looks around.
Only a wall protects him from the rain;
He holds a basket in his hand
and his eyes beg everyone silently:
I don't have any strength left to walk the streets
Hungry and ragged, wet from the rain,
I shlep around from dawn.
Nobody gives me any earnings,
everyone laughs and makes fun of me.
Yiddish Tangos with Substitute Texts
“Papirosn” as performed in the film Amerikaner Shadken & by Metropolitan Klezmer
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a7rr0Bk1iwM
Yiddish Versions of Pre-existing Tangos
“La Cumparsita” as sung by Carlos Gardel
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1BB7XdyU-Z0
Si supieras que aun dentro
de mi alma,
conservo aquel cariño
que tuve para ti...
Quien sabe si supieras
que nunca te he olvidado,
volviendo a tu pasado
te acordaras de mi...
If you knew, that still deep
in my soul
I keep that affection
that I had for you...
Who knows if you could know
that I have never forgotten you,
going back into your past,
you will remember me...
Yiddish Versions of Pre-existing Tangos
“La Cumparsita” as performed by José Derasner
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=10pm95qJLiM
Original Jewish Tangos
“Mein Erster Tango” (“My First Tango”) composed and performed by Jacob Sandler
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nuIE1JUWwz0
Original Jewish Tangos
“Zlota pantera” (“The Golden Panther”) composed and performed by Jakub
Kagan (in Polish)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Juy6pdOtxcE
Transformed Jewish Tangos
“Main Yidishe Mame” anonymous arrangers & performers (in Russian with Kol Nidre intro)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vftYsKOG4vo
Original Jewish Tangos
“Pato – Tango Argentinian”
by Ramon Collazo as performed by Arturo Gold’s &
Jerzy Petersburski’s band, Warsaw
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vcqR_9DLvaQ
Jewish Tangos from the Ghettos
“Ich hab’ kein Heimatland” performed by Marek Weber’s Orchestra
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m6tyesDCEgk
Ich hab kein Heimatland
Ich habe nichts auf dieser Welt
Ich zieh von Land zu Land
Und bleibe da, wo’s mir gefällt
Ich darf nicht glücklich sein
Ich kenne keinen Sonnenschein
Warum bin ich so ganz allein
Auf dieser Erde?
I have no homeland
I have nothing in this world
I'm moving from country to country
And stay there where I please
I may not be happy
I know of no sunshine
Why am I so alone
On this earth?
Jewish Tangos from the Ghettos
“On a heym” (“Homeless”), a reworking of “Mazl” by an unknown resident
of the Sosnow Ghetto, performed by Adrienne Cooper & Zalmen Mlotek
On a heym un on a dakh, gevandert hobn
mir a gantse nakht
Nit gevust ahin, vos vet zany undzer tsil
On a heym, on a dakh,
Gevandert hobn mir a gantse nakht.
Homeless, no roof overhead,
We wandered through the night
Not knowing where we were headed.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VQhqvGqjAwY&list=
PLZIRaU47zcuAvL0LjTa0ii-oZLcQ6o9Wc&index=4
Jewish Tangos from the Ghettos
“Es iz geven a Zumertog” (“It Was a Summer’s Day”), a rewritten version
of “Papirosn” created by a 12 year-old girl, Rikle Glezer, in the Vilna Ghetto
http://www.tangele.com/
Es iz geven a zumer-tog
Vi shtendik zunik-sheyn,
Un di natur hot dan gehat
In zikh azoyfil kheyn,
Es hobn feygelekh gezungen,
Freylekh zikh arumgeshprungen,
In geto hot men undz geheysn geyn.
It was a summer’s day.
As always beautifully sunny.
And nature had within it
So much charm.
Birds were singing
Cheerfully hopping around,
As we were ordered into the ghetto.
Okh shtelt zikh far vos s’iz fun undz gevorn!
Farshtanen hobn mir: s’iz alts farloyrn.
Nisht geholfn undzer betn,
Az s’zol emitser undz retnFarlozn hobn mir dokh undzer heym.
Oh, imagine what became of us!
We understood all is lost.
Our pleas were of no help,
Asking for someone to rescue us;
We had deserted our home.
Lloica Czackis
Concentration Camp Music
“Civilized” camp concert
1st concentration camp work song
Orchestra at Auschwitz
Band “welcoming” slave workers
at Auschwitz
Orchestra at Janowska
Concentration Camp Music
Sculpture commemorating Artur Gold & his trio at Treblinka
Concentration Camp Music
Sculpture commemorating Artur Gold & his trio at Treblinka
Tangos as Totentanzen
“Ta ostatnia niedziela” (“This is Our Last Sunday”) or “Our Last Shabbas”
Gold & Petersburski original: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N-hg58QQmdc
Chorus
To ostatnia niedziela
dzisiaj się rozstaniemy,
dzisiaj się rozejdziemy
na wieczny czas.
To ostatnia niedziela,
więc nie żałuj jej dla mnie,
spojrzyj czule dziś na mnie
ostatni raz.
This is the last Sunday
Today we part,
Today we are absent
the eternal time.
This last Sunday,
so I do not regret it for me,
look down lovingly at me now
the last time.
Tangos as Totentanzen
“Ta ostatnia niedziela” (“This is Our Last Sunday”) or “Our Last Shabbas”
Chorus
Hebrew version recorded in Germany, 1933 using Shabbas instead of Sunday:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5ha92yBAB-c
To ostatnia niedziela
dzisiaj się rozstaniemy,
dzisiaj się rozejdziemy
na wieczny czas.
To ostatnia niedziela,
więc nie żałuj jej dla mnie,
spojrzyj czule dziś na mnie
ostatni raz.
This is the last Sunday
Today we part,
Today we are absent
the eternal time.
This last Sunday,
so I do not regret it for me,
look down lovingly at me now
the last time.
Tangos as Totentanzen
“Ta ostatnia niedziela” (“This is Our Last Sunday”) or “Our Last Shabbas”
Gidon Kremer’s Tango Nuevo version:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OWaLhLcfBF8
Chorus
To ostatnia niedziela
dzisiaj się rozstaniemy,
dzisiaj się rozejdziemy
na wieczny czas.
To ostatnia niedziela,
więc nie żałuj jej dla mnie,
spojrzyj czule dziś na mnie
ostatni raz.
This is the last Sunday
Today we part,
Today we are absent
the eternal time.
This last Sunday,
so I do not regret it for me,
look down lovingly at me now
the last time.