Reviews - Wedding without a Bride/Budowitz

Renaissance Man Review

Artist:   Budowitz
Album:    Wedding without a Bride - Khasene on a kale
Date of
Release: 1999, 2000, 2002
Label:    Buda Musique
Cat. No.: Buda Musique 82759-2
ASIN:
Country: Fr
Genre/s: World|Jewish|Trad.
Sub-
Genre/s: Klezmer, Yiddish
Type:     Studio
Time:     56:51
Date of
Review:   2003/02/19 (2003/01/19)
Web site: http://www.budowitz.com
Purchasing Info!

(This review is based on a review of Rubin & Horowitz's "Bessarabian Symphony", Budowitz's "Mother Tongue" and Budowitz's "Wedding without a Bride" which I originally posted to the Jewish Music Mailing List on 2003/01/19.)

Wedding without a Bride - Period Klezmer, One Step Further
"Wedding without a Bride", or Khasene on a kale in Yiddish, takes the concept of "Early Klezmer Music" or "Period Performance Klezmer", a step further than any previous such album in presenting all the essential musical components of the main wedding day of the traditional Jewish wedding as it existed in the region of Galitsia-Volhynia in the late 19th/early 20th centuries, with the repertoire and styles also drawn from that region as much as possible.
First released in 1999 on the Buda Musique label, "Wedding without a Bride" features Budowitz's second incarnation with Joshua Horowitz on tsimbl and 19th century button accordion, Merlin Shepherd on 19th c. C- and Eb-clarinets, Tamas Gombai on violin, Sandor D. Toth on violin and 3-string Bratsch (viola), Zsolt Kurtosi on cello, and special guest vocalist Majer Bogdanski.
Of course it would be impossible to include the full eight day traditional Eastern European Jewish wedding on one CD, or even a boxed set. However, Budowitz succeed in presenting a condensed album of all the essential music that would have been indispensable on the main wedding day. But forget all the technicalities and intricacies of the traditional 19th century Jewish wedding if you wish, and just enjoy the gorgeous music with its comprehensive range of emotions! Dance, laugh, cry in turn as the music would have you. Above all, revel in its sheer beauty.
A great spirituality pervades this album also, one that transcends any specific faith or even lack thereof. The listener is taken on a journey through time and space, back to a long lost somewhere, somewhen, back to a very special day. "Wedding without a Bride" is like catching a glimpse of some mythical Shangri-La through the mists of time and space.
A strong, consistent album, "Wedding without a Bride" is above all just great and immensely enjoyable music, and the ensemble's playing and musicianship are outstanding. The arrangements are by Horowitz and Shepherd, with several tracks arr. by Horowitz, and are a credit to their great skill and sensitivity.
The only minor quibble I might have is that the label saw fit (no doubt due to budgetary constraints) to print the superb liner notes at such a small point size as to make reading a bit of a strain even if you have 20-20 vision, and to definitely require a magnifying glass to supplement my reading glasses. This is not helped by the light weight of the (otherwise excellent) paper which allows the previous page to show through. But this is a very minor thing that should never stop anyone from enjoying the music. (Or even the otherwise excellent liner notes.)
Go for it - no collection of klezmer music could possibly be complete without "Wedding without a Bride"!

© 2003 Renaissance Man/Rainlore. All rights reserved.

Track List:
Tsum Badekns
1. Gliner Gasn Nign - 2:48
2. Tsum Badekns - 1:08
Kale Bazingns
3. Opshpiln Di Kale - 1:18
4. Kale Bazingns - 1:31
5. Nokhshpil - 0:39
Khosn Bazingns
6. Opshpiln Dem Khosn - 2:24
7. Khosn Bazingns - 1:52
8. Nokhshpil - 0:28
Di Khupe
9. Tsu Der Khupe - 1:21
10. Unter Der Khupe - 2:50
11. Fun Der Khupe - 2:24
Tsum Tish
12. Mekhutonim Tsu Der Vetshere - 2:05
13. Piotrkower Tish Nign - 2:53
Far Der Kale
14. Mitsveh Tentsl - 2:30
15. Bughicis Fraylakhs - 2:43
16. Novi Sacz Sirba - 1:50
Far Di Mekhutonim
17. Horowitz's Dobranoc - 3:54
18. Broyges Tants - 1:27
19. Shulem Tants Mit Variatsyes - 3:38
Tsum Tants
20. Budowitzer Sher - 5:57
Gute Nakht
21. Horowitz's Zogekhts - 3:34
22. Bney Heykhlo - 2:57
23. Gute Nakht Vals - 2:43
24. Shapiros Korohod - 1:51

Credits:
Joshua Horowitz, Tsimbl, 19th Century Button Accordion
Merlin Shepherd, 19th c. C- and Eb-clarinets
Tamas Gombai, violin
Sandor D. Toth, violin and 3-string Bratsch (viola)
Zsolt Kurtosi, cello
Special guest vocalist Majer Bogdanski

PURCHASING INFO:
Wedding without a Bride can be purchased:
Direct from Budowitz
From Jewish Music Distribution UK
From Hatikvah Music International (US)
and probably better general CD stores

All images used on review pages and artists pages kindly supplied by the artists and/or their record companies, unless otherwise stated. All such images are copyright their respective owners, and all such copyrights and/or other intellectual rights hereby acknowledged.

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	`Artist: Budowitz` `Album: Wedding without a Bride - Khasene on a kale` `Date of` `Release: 1999, 2000, 2002` `Label: Buda Musique` `Cat. No.: Buda Musique 82759-2` `ASIN:` `Country: Fr` `Genre/s: World\|Jewish\|Trad.` `Sub-` `Genre/s: Klezmer, Yiddish` `Type: Studio` `Time: 56:51` `Date of` `Review: 2003/02/19 (2003/01/19)` `Web site: http://www.budowitz.com` `Purchasing Info!`
	`(This review is based on a review of Rubin & Horowitz's "Bessarabian Symphony", Budowitz's "Mother Tongue" and Budowitz's "Wedding without a Bride" which I originally posted to the Jewish Music Mailing List on 2003/01/19.)` Wedding without a Bride - Period Klezmer, One Step Further "Wedding without a Bride", or Khasene on a kale in Yiddish, takes the concept of "Early Klezmer Music" or "Period Performance Klezmer", a step further than any previous such album in presenting all the essential musical components of the main wedding day of the traditional Jewish wedding as it existed in the region of Galitsia-Volhynia in the late 19th/early 20th centuries, with the repertoire and styles also drawn from that region as much as possible. First released in 1999 on the Buda Musique label, "Wedding without a Bride" features Budowitz's second incarnation with Joshua Horowitz on tsimbl and 19th century button accordion, Merlin Shepherd on 19th c. C- and Eb-clarinets, Tamas Gombai on violin, Sandor D. Toth on violin and 3-string Bratsch (viola), Zsolt Kurtosi on cello, and special guest vocalist Majer Bogdanski. Of course it would be impossible to include the full eight day traditional Eastern European Jewish wedding on one CD, or even a boxed set. However, Budowitz succeed in presenting a condensed album of all the essential music that would have been indispensable on the main wedding day. But forget all the technicalities and intricacies of the traditional 19th century Jewish wedding if you wish, and just enjoy the gorgeous music with its comprehensive range of emotions! Dance, laugh, cry in turn as the music would have you. Above all, revel in its sheer beauty. A great spirituality pervades this album also, one that transcends any specific faith or even lack thereof. The listener is taken on a journey through time and space, back to a long lost somewhere, somewhen, back to a very special day. "Wedding without a Bride" is like catching a glimpse of some mythical Shangri-La through the mists of time and space. A strong, consistent album, "Wedding without a Bride" is above all just great and immensely enjoyable music, and the ensemble's playing and musicianship are outstanding. The arrangements are by Horowitz and Shepherd, with several tracks arr. by Horowitz, and are a credit to their great skill and sensitivity. The only minor quibble I might have is that the label saw fit (no doubt due to budgetary constraints) to print the superb liner notes at such a small point size as to make reading a bit of a strain even if you have 20-20 vision, and to definitely require a magnifying glass to supplement my reading glasses. This is not helped by the light weight of the (otherwise excellent) paper which allows the previous page to show through. But this is a very minor thing that should never stop anyone from enjoying the music. (Or even the otherwise excellent liner notes.) Go for it - no collection of klezmer music could possibly be complete without "Wedding without a Bride"! © 2003 Renaissance Man/Rainlore. All rights reserved.
	Track List: `Tsum Badekns` `1. Gliner Gasn Nign - 2:48` `2. Tsum Badekns - 1:08` `Kale Bazingns` `3. Opshpiln Di Kale - 1:18` `4. Kale Bazingns - 1:31` `5. Nokhshpil - 0:39` `Khosn Bazingns` `6. Opshpiln Dem Khosn - 2:24` `7. Khosn Bazingns - 1:52` `8. Nokhshpil - 0:28` `Di Khupe` `9. Tsu Der Khupe - 1:21` `10. Unter Der Khupe - 2:50` `11. Fun Der Khupe - 2:24` `Tsum Tish` `12. Mekhutonim Tsu Der Vetshere - 2:05` `13. Piotrkower Tish Nign - 2:53` `Far Der Kale` `14. Mitsveh Tentsl - 2:30` `15. Bughicis Fraylakhs - 2:43` `16. Novi Sacz Sirba - 1:50` `Far Di Mekhutonim` `17. Horowitz's Dobranoc - 3:54` `18. Broyges Tants - 1:27` `19. Shulem Tants Mit Variatsyes - 3:38` `Tsum Tants` `20. Budowitzer Sher - 5:57` `Gute Nakht` `21. Horowitz's Zogekhts - 3:34` `22. Bney Heykhlo - 2:57` `23. Gute Nakht Vals - 2:43` `24. Shapiros Korohod - 1:51`
	Credits: `Joshua Horowitz, Tsimbl, 19th Century Button Accordion` `Merlin Shepherd, 19th c. C- and Eb-clarinets` `Tamas Gombai, violin` `Sandor D. Toth, violin and 3-string Bratsch (viola)` `Zsolt Kurtosi, cello` `Special guest vocalist Majer Bogdanski`
	PURCHASING INFO: Wedding without a Bride can be purchased: Direct from Budowitz From Jewish Music Distribution UK From Hatikvah Music International (US) and probably better general CD stores
	All images used on review pages and artists pages kindly supplied by the artists and/or their record companies, unless otherwise stated. All such images are copyright their respective owners, and all such copyrights and/or other intellectual rights hereby acknowledged.