🕵️old klezmers🎻Oct 26, 2024

Rather a niche discovery, but in poking around among the #klezmer copyright scores I got from the US Library of Congress over the last year, I noticed that one of Max Leibowitz's 1919 submissions is a well known piece from the klez #violin repertoire commonly called Romanian Fantasy No. 3. Leibowitz was a Romanian violinist living in New York who I believe started the trend of klezmer musicians copyrighting folk melodies.

#MusicHistory #MusicManuscript #SheetMusic #FolkMusic #JewishMusic

Show threadAmgine

@carkner @carkner

I was following up on some US folk/blues, discovering somewhat the same - pieces written down and copyrighted. An explanation I only half-recall was that initial expression in a different media garnered a copyright. Ditto for substantial change, such as arrangement for orchestration.

Nearly everything I was looking for had never had the copyright renewed.

Oct 27, 2024 at 2:43pmWeb
Show thread🕵️old klezmers🎻Oct 27, 2024
@Amgine
Yeah, in the New York Jewish music context (which has been one of my research slow burns for the last year or two) they were copyrighting apparently because they thought it would make a case more solid for them alone to record a particular melody. almost never renewed either, maybe in a handful of melodies that were being re-recorded post WWII. the opening post of my blog last year deals with it but it may be TMI for someone not already interested in old klezmer
https://alte.klezmor.im/2023/08/03/golden-age-american-klezmer-copyright-scores-in-the-library-of-congress-1917-28/
Golden age American klezmer copyright scores in the Library of Congress (1917-28) – Old Klezmers – Alte Klezmorim

Show threadAmgineOct 27, 2024

@carkner

Only as wonderful music, not so much as a topic of study or politics!