Cherry Orchard Music

[Jules Levin]

At 07:39 PM 9/8/2006, you wrote:

          Although Chekhov did specify "evreiskii orkestr," it's highly 
unlikely that they played Jewish music for a Russian ball. Chekhov was not 
describing a Jewish wedding, so what we nowadays call klezmer music would 
not be appropriate. And on the other hand the standard Kammen music folios 
that were used by Jewish musicians in the United States included numerous 
Russian and Ukrainian melodies (including "Korobushka,", ""Svetit mesiats," 
"Chubchik," "Na sopkakh Mandzhurii," "Toska po rodine," 'I shumyt', i hude," 
"Stoit' hora vysokaia" etc.).



Maybe you are right Bob, but according to my admittedly skimpy research (for 
a paper on why The Cherry Orchard is a comedy) via the web and emails to 
history of klezmer people, there were three types of ethnic groups, and 3 
types of music played in provincial landowners' parties--Jewish, Gypsy, and 
Russian.  The best orchestras--remember Gaev praises this particular group, 
were able to play all three types of music on demand.  Sophisticated gentry 
would not have hired a good Jewish orchestra unless they expected to hear 
all three types.  The "enlightened" gentry were not adverse to asking for a 
Jewish tune, if only to prove how liberal they were.  And after all, WHY did 
Chekhov make a point of it being a Jewish orchestra, both in the stage 
directions and in Gaev's lines?
Jules Levin

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