Belf'S Romanian Orchestra

about

Belf’s Rumanian Orchestra (aka Rumynski Orkestr Belfa, aka Rumanian Orchestra under the Direction of Kapellmeister V. Belf) recorderded several dozens of 78 rpm records with European klezmer music, around 1911-1914, location unknown. The instruments were usually clarinet (the band leader), two violins (doubling the melody and playing support chords) and piano (playing bass notes and chords). Except for the clarinettist the musicians don't seem te be virtuosos or to know the tunes very well. Still the recordings have a catchy, spontaneous, lively atmosphere. Not much is know about the orchestra or the Kapellmeister V. Belf. These recordings became very influential twice: first from 1915-1930 when larger klezmer bands in the USA rerecorded the tunes that the Jewish immigrants liked so much, secondly from 1990 until now, when musicians studying the European roots of klezmer music found the recordings again and learned from the repertoire and style. Some of the recording were rereleased on compilation CD's from 1980 on. User-contributed text is available under the Creative Commons By-SA License; additional terms may apply.

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