Music from “The Book of the Rejoicing Soul”.

Description: The source of these pieces is an Ashkenazi songbook, credited to Rabbi Elkhanan Kirchen and published in Bavaria towards the beginning of the 18th century and containing songs of morality for the Jewish home. The language of the songs is an antique version of Yiddish. The scoring is economical, but strongly hints at a unique musical pastiche, spanning pure Baroque counteproint to typically spicy Jewish and European folk tunes. No texts but summaries of the contents and references of each song. Di Tsaytmashin.