German Goldenshteyn
Encyclopedia
German Goldenshteyn, or Goldenshtayn (2 September 1934 – June 10, 2006) was born in the Bessarabia
n shtetl
of Otaci
, then in Romania
, now in Moldova
. He was a clarinetist and musicologist who brought his native region's klezmer
tradition to the USA. In 1994 he arrived with nearly a thousand klezmer tunes (many previously unknown) that he had transcribed over the years. This repository of tunes, together with the many concerts and workshops he gave, made a significant contribution to the klezmer revival in North America as it was one of the biggest collections of klezmer music.
Goldenshteyn was a featured performer in the Center for Traditional Music and Dance
's Soviet Jewish project called "Nashi Traditsii" or "Our Tradition" between 1998 and 2002. He also appeared at workshops organised by the New England Conservatory of Music
and Poland
's Borderland Foundation.
"You felt it in his playing, in his presence, in his whole being, that he was a bridge to — a repository of — this entire culture," Michael Alpert, another klezmer musician and musicologist, told The New York Times
. "He's the closest thing that the klezmer revival has had to a Woody Guthrie
or a Leadbelly
."
He recorded a CD of his music in December 2005 at Klezkamp
, backed up by a group of notable younger klezmorim
. Another CD recorded separately is planned for release.
Goldenshteyn died of a heart attack
in Long Island
, New York
in 2006. He was 71 years old.
Bessarabia
Bessarabia is a historical term for the geographic region in Eastern Europe bounded by the Dniester River on the east and the Prut River on the west....
n shtetl
Shtetl
A shtetl was typically a small town with a large Jewish population in Central and Eastern Europe until The Holocaust. Shtetls were mainly found in the areas which constituted the 19th century Pale of Settlement in the Russian Empire, the Congress Kingdom of Poland, Galicia and Romania...
of Otaci
Otaci
Otaci is a town on the South-Western bank of the Dniester River, which at that point forms the northeastern border of Moldova....
, then in Romania
Romania
Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeastern Europe, on the Lower Danube, within and outside the Carpathian arch, bordering on the Black Sea...
, now in Moldova
Moldova
Moldova , officially the Republic of Moldova is a landlocked state in Eastern Europe, located between Romania to the West and Ukraine to the North, East and South. It declared itself an independent state with the same boundaries as the preceding Moldavian Soviet Socialist Republic in 1991, as part...
. He was a clarinetist and musicologist who brought his native region's klezmer
Klezmer
Klezmer is a musical tradition of the Ashkenazic Jews of Eastern Europe. Played by professional musicians called klezmorim, the genre originally consisted largely of dance tunes and instrumental display pieces for weddings and other celebrations...
tradition to the USA. In 1994 he arrived with nearly a thousand klezmer tunes (many previously unknown) that he had transcribed over the years. This repository of tunes, together with the many concerts and workshops he gave, made a significant contribution to the klezmer revival in North America as it was one of the biggest collections of klezmer music.
Goldenshteyn was a featured performer in the Center for Traditional Music and Dance
Center for Traditional Music and Dance
The Center for Traditional Music and Dance is a leading folk/traditional arts organization based in New York City. Originally established as the Balkan Arts Center in 1968, CTMD assists the city's ethnic and immigrant communities in maintaining their traditions and cultural heritage...
's Soviet Jewish project called "Nashi Traditsii" or "Our Tradition" between 1998 and 2002. He also appeared at workshops organised by the New England Conservatory of Music
New England Conservatory of Music
The New England Conservatory of Music in Boston, Massachusetts, is the oldest independent school of music in the United States.The conservatory is home each year to 750 students pursuing undergraduate and graduate studies along with 1400 more in its Preparatory School as well as the School of...
and Poland
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
's Borderland Foundation.
"You felt it in his playing, in his presence, in his whole being, that he was a bridge to — a repository of — this entire culture," Michael Alpert, another klezmer musician and musicologist, told The New York Times
The New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
. "He's the closest thing that the klezmer revival has had to a Woody Guthrie
Woody Guthrie
Woodrow Wilson "Woody" Guthrie is best known as an American singer-songwriter and folk musician, whose musical legacy includes hundreds of political, traditional and children's songs, ballads and improvised works. He frequently performed with the slogan This Machine Kills Fascists displayed on his...
or a Leadbelly
Leadbelly
Huddie William Ledbetter was an iconic American folk and blues musician, notable for his strong vocals, his virtuosity on the twelve-string guitar, and the songbook of folk standards he introduced....
."
He recorded a CD of his music in December 2005 at Klezkamp
Klezkamp
KlezKamp is the world's oldest and largest program dedicated to the continuity of traditional Yiddish folk culture.Founded in 1985 by ethnomusicologist and award winning record and radio producer Henry Sapoznik, the program was designed to create an innovative and intensive environment where senior...
, backed up by a group of notable younger klezmorim
Klezmorim
Klezmorim can refer to:*Musicians who play klezmer, a style of music originating with the Ashkenazi Jews of Central and Eastern Europe*The Klezmorim, a klezmer band...
. Another CD recorded separately is planned for release.
Goldenshteyn died of a heart attack
Myocardial infarction
Myocardial infarction or acute myocardial infarction , commonly known as a heart attack, results from the interruption of blood supply to a part of the heart, causing heart cells to die...
in Long Island
Long Island
Long Island is an island located in the southeast part of the U.S. state of New York, just east of Manhattan. Stretching northeast into the Atlantic Ocean, Long Island contains four counties, two of which are boroughs of New York City , and two of which are mainly suburban...
, New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
in 2006. He was 71 years old.