Out with the old and in with the new? Well, sometimes it’s actually better to bring together the best of them which in this case resulted in a wonderful evening of klezmer, performed by Susi Evans and Szilvia Csaranko – a klezmer clarinet and accordion duo – with support from the Michael Kahan Kapelye, in the beautiful surround of this former Spanish and Portuguese Synagogue.
Evans and Csaranko perform tunes from old manuscripts, collected in Jewish villages in Ukraine between 1912-1914 and only recently rediscovered in Kyiv. With no defined chords, these are melodies played by generations of klezmer musicians at Jewish weddings and other celebrations, contemporaneous with the likes of Beethoven and undoubtedly influencing the operatic opus of Offenbach and Verdi, and these informed their opening set.
In contrast, in the second half of their set, they showcase the music of legendary klezmer clarinettist Dave Tarras – ‘the Jewish Benny Goldman’ – who emigrated to New York from Ukraine in the 1920s and created a distinct American Yiddish sound by blending traditional klezmer with swing and other jazz styles of the time.
It is quickly apparent that Evans and Csaranko are exceptional musicians with the necessary chemistry and understanding of each other to combine harmoniously. The absence of notation and title from the discovered musical manuscripts also allows them the freedom to interpret the work and their good-humoured approach to the evening as they present then perform the pieces underlies their obvious passion for what they do.
Whilst a Freylikhs and Dobriden offered a distinct nod to traditional klezmer values, the lively and upbeat melodies from a wealth of discovered material offered an insight into a musical diaspora that embraced influences as diverse as the hornpipe and wider European folk traditions, whilst hinting at its own influence on later musical forms including pop and jazz, with the segue into the latter superbly done in the second half. With a wealth of material available, this was an evening of something truly wonderful with sounds that I have never experienced let alone imagined before, and words can barely do justice to the overwhelming sense of enjoyment and pleasure their performance unveiled.
Joining them on the evening was The Michael Kahan Kapelye, the 15th cohort of klezmer students from The University of Manchester, consisting of Rishi Bhalla; Rosie Edwards; Lily Fowke-Green; Jim Gibson; Lois Hunt; Gabriel Longbotham; Jowan Mankel; Trisha Mathews; Yunhan Potter; Marcus Renshaw; Ben Salwey; Susie Tucker; and Charlie Whelan-Hicks.
Co-directed by Daniel Mawson and Richard Fay, the group have only been playing klezmer since last October although you would not have guessed this was their first performance as they effortlessly and enthusiastically took us through A Nakt en Gan Eydn, Flatbush Waltz, Sirba, Yiddishe Mame, Mekhutonim Tsum Tish, and Tumbalalaika, demonstrating strong dexterity with an array of instruments as well as some fine vocal. It’s great to see the latest incarnation performing and hopefully this is the prelude to more events of this kind at this venue.
Klezmer Old and New is promoted by Modalways CIC (intercultural musicking) and supported by SEED Social Responsibility Catalyst Fund (The University of Manchester).
Manchester Jewish Museum is a place to experience and explore how we are different, together. In doing so it looks to spark reaction and change and to make real the knowledge that there is more that binds us together than separates us. For more information https://www.manchesterjewishmuseum.com/
The Michael Kahan Kapelye was founded in spring 2011 by Richard Fay and Ros Hawley as an ongoing Klezmer ensemble at The University of Manchester. Further details https://sites.manchester.ac.uk/klezmer/
Susi Evans & Szilvia Csaranko are a klezmer clarinet and accordion duo from London and Hannover who have been playing together since 2019 and have recorded two albums as well as appearing at numerous festivals. Further information at https://www.shades-of-folk.com/
Klezmer Old and New is promoted by Modalways CIC (intercultural musicking) and supported by SEED Social Responsibility Catalyst Fund (The University of Manchester).https://www.danielmawson.com/modalways
Reviewer: Mark Davoren
Reviewed: 12th March 2025
North West End UK Rating: