4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Extraordinary recording, September 12, 2003
This review is from: Jiddische Lieder (Audio CD)
I highly recommend this recording for several reasons:
1. the Yiddish ballads are performed with a deft and beautiful touch. At their best, the arrangements are simple and understated. "Dem Milners Trern" alone makes the album worthwhile.
2. the song choices are unusual and almost always interesting.
3. where else will you hear a German folk ensemble perform songs extolling Jewish resistance ("Shtil, Di Nacht Iz Osgesternt") against Nazi tyranny. The irony in this is simply delicious to my Jewish ear (though I wonder whether the group members were aware of this).
That being said, there are a few caveats. This is a GERMAN group performing Yiddish songs. So it is disconcerting to hear Yiddish pronouned as if it were German (which it most definitely isn't). There are many resemblances & similarities, but a non-Yiddish speaking ensemble should take more time to learn correct pronunciation.
The uptempo songs on this recording have a little too much of the German oom-pa sound to them. Lots of simple, pounding beat and not much subtlety. But even a song like "Dire Gelt," which gets the oompa treatment big time is such an interesting song that I could almost forgive the overpowering arrangement.
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