Yiddish Baroque Music

A very special first recording: Yiddish music from the Baroque era! the Book of the Rejoicing Soul is an ancient Ashkenazi songbook, written by Rabbi Elkhanan Kirchen and published in the beginning of the 18th century in Bavaria. It contains songs of morality for the Jewish home, describing in witty rhymes the customs of Jewish holidays, the Jewish traditions and the joy of believing in God. The music notation is sparse and diverse, spanning from pure Baroque polyphony to spicy Jewish folk tunes. On this new recording we hear arrangements by the band leader Avishai Fisz, who created an irresistible instrumental ensemble of violin, theorbo, cello, harp, recorder, krummhorn, guitar, double-bass and percussion instruments, Avishai Fisz himself singing the solo voice. A fascinating evocation of rich Jewish life and culture, played and sung with obvious zest and enjoyment by the Isareli group Di Tsaytmashin. Excellent liner notes and a description of each song are included in the booklet.