performed by The Klezmorim.
key: G freygish
mode: G Ab B C D Eb F
melody: (DI) R m f si l t d r m'
form: dance, AABB
meter: duple
English function names: tonic subtonic
Tagg (modified): home counterpoise (away)
Riemann: T ???
Scale degrees: I vii
Chords: G Fm
G Fm
|:/ / |/ / |/ / |/ / |
Fm G
|/ / |/ / |/ / |/ / :|
G
|:/ / |/ / |/ / |/ / |
G
|/ / |/ / |/ / |/ / |
Fm
|/ / |/ / |/ / |/ / |
Fm G
|/ / |/ / |/ / |/ / :|
More klezmer dance tunes for your listening, dancing, and playing pleasure. As mentioned in the post on Ohridska Devetorka Oro (not a klezmer piece, but possibly a piece that didn't have a name until people started recording it), klezmer pieces didn't really have names other than their function in a wedding, so there are many recordings now named "Lebedik," "Freylekh," or "Lebedik un Freylekh" and the only way to tell them apart is by listening. I've probably missed some choice recordings because they have been named something other than "Lebedik un Freylekh."
A freylekh (compare to German fröhlich, joyful, happy) is a circle dance, usually mid- to up-tempo duple meter. Zev Feldman notes in his book Klezmer, the same style of dance had different names in different Jewish communities throughout eastern Europe: "hopke, redl (circle), karahod (from Russian khorovod, round dance), drejdl (top), kajlexiks (circle), rikudl, and so on…" [p276] He goes on to say that "freylekh" tends to be used in the southeastern areas (formerly known as Galitsia and Bessarabia, which spans what are now several different countries roughly across the eastern Carpathians) and "redl" tends to be used in the northeastern areas (what is now Belarus, Lithuania, Poland).
other recordings:
Yid Vicious, Amaze at the Plant Hypnotist, Giant Clam Records. D freygish.
Die Haiducken, Di Nakht Iz Do Tsum Tanzn, 1229225 Records DK. D freygish. (0:00-0:42)
Abe Schwartz & His Orchestra, Yiddish Klezmer Music vol 2, Golden Century Records. F# freygish.1
My guess is that it’s really F or G freygish, but because it’s from an old 78rpm shellac disc, the pitch is a bit off. Klezmer transcription experts, feel free to pipe up…