Customer Reviews

In the Fiddler's House [VHS]

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In this delightful PBS video, Itzhak Perlman, hailed by many as America's greatest violinist, leaves the classical concert hall to go on a personal search for the roots of klezmer, the Jewish celebration music that his own parents knew and loved in Eastern Europe. Perlman's journey takes him to the streets of Poland and the cafes of New York, to music festivals, weddings, and modern klezmer groups such as Brave Old World, Kapelye, The Klezmatics, and the Klezmer Conservatory Band.

This is not your usual documentary. It's a very personalized, heartfelt video, with delightful scenes of Perleman jamming with the various klezmer bands. Klezmer has been called "Jewish jazz," and these jam sessions give a feel for how the music is improvised from the depths of the Jewish soul. Plus, there's a great vaudeville number performed by Feyvish Finkel, who explains that every stage play in the old Yiddish theater had a wedding scene, and what would a Jewish wedding be without klezmer? Red Buttons also makes an appearance -- he, too, got his start in Yiddish vaudeville.

There's plenty to dance to here, but the film has it's solemn moments, too. One of the most moving is a scene of Perleman playing alone in a Kracow synagogue, a beautiful building now empty of worshippers. One can almost hear the walls weep for joy as they reverberate once again with contemplative strains of Jewish music.

On the technical end, there's a minimum of canned narration, allowing the story to unfold naturally, through reality-based conversations and interactions with the performers. Most of the conversation is in English, and those scenes in Yiddish are subtitled. But that most universal of languages --- music --- comes shining through from beginning to end. Approach this video as a live concert rather than a history lesson, and you will enjoy it again and again.

IN THE FIDDLER'S HOUSE opens with Itzhak Perlman inviting us to join him on a personal journey of discovery and, in fact, that's just what we do. This is not yet another dry documentary laced with condescending commentary by smug mavens seeking to enlighten us, the benighted viewing public. This is a real "simcha," a wonderful personal and communal celebration of klezmer music and Yiddishkeit, the Eastern European Jewish folk culture from which it sprang.

I think we all can agree that Itzhak Perlman is one of the greatest classical violinists of our time. Yet, unlike so many other "superstars," he's not some egocentric "prima donna", but, rather, a real "mentsh"-- Yiddish for a "stand-up-kinda-guy." The "heimish" (homey) personal warmth and humility Itzhak conveys here is clearly not some scripted affectation. Rather, it's the genuine expression of a man who is thrilled to have the opportunity to present his people's music and culture to the rest of the world.

Of course, the music presented here is fantastic. One of my favorite scenes was Fyvush Finkel's delightful rendition of an old Yiddish vaudeville number, ICH BIN A BORDER BY MEIN WIFE, with great backing by members of KAPELYE, one of the foremost bands of the modern klezmer revival. However, the real powerful moments for me were the segments shot in Poland, especially the meeting between Leopold Kozlowski, the last Polish Jewish composer, and Itzhak's father on his first visit back to his native Poland since emigrating in 1930.

All in all, this is one of the best documentaries I've ever scene. I highly recommend it!

What a joyous celebration of Klezmer and the beauty of Yiddishkeit this video is!

This video is full of joy and I find it very satisfying to view and enjoy because of the wonderful heartwarming collection of Klezmer music. The video is full of talented renditions by such great entertainers as: Red Buttons, Fyvush Finkel, Leopold Kozlowski, Brave Old World, Kapelye, The Klezmatics, The Klezmer Conservatory Band, and, of course, Itzhak Perlman!

The narration of the video is well done and more importantly, not overdone. The focus of the video is on Klezmer music. At the same time, Itzhak Perlman describes some of his experiences with Klezmer music and some of the history of the art. Interspersed throughout the video are small interview / jam sessions with various Klezmer music groups, a trip to a Jewish Ghetto in Poland and a Klezmer concert there, and pieces of Itzhak's daughter's wedding (accompanying a section describing how Klezmer was so very popular at Eastern European weddings) among other parts of the video.

The visit to Poland (Itzhak travels with a Klezmer music group to Poland and visits an old Klezmer artist and friend of the family who is one of the few remaining Jewish residents of the Polish ghetto) is sad, solemn, and yet poignantly hopeful in a subtle way. The concert on the streets of Poland is a wonderful affirmation of rebirth and revitalization of a culture that was nearly destroyed. Overall, I find the video very upbeat and when I watch it, the video makes a delicious warm feeling well up within me. I often watch it when I'm down to pep myself up and remember how wonderful life is and can be.

If you love Klezmer music or are even curious about it then this video is a wonderful buy. I highly recommend it. I would have bought mine, but I recieved mine as a Channukah gift from a favorite aunt.

Enjoy a little Mama Losha and a little Yiddishkeit with this wonderful video!

This video brings klezmer's best together to collaborate on the greatest songs of Jewish life. The music does what it should; it speaks to your soul. Truly a wonderful and moving video. END