Shades of Folk Klezmer Folios
by Szilvia Csaranko & Susi Evans
Co-Publishing essential klezmer folios in North America
The Klezmer Institute is delighted to be the North American distributor of the Shades of Folk klezmer folios by Szilvia Csaranko and Susi Evans!
The two-volume Klezmer Playbook series is an essential resource for anyone interested in learning to play klezmer. In addition to a thoughtfully curated collection of of tunes in each volume, the folio includes access to special playalong tracks, a complete album of the tunes performed by Csaranko & Evans, and an invitation to join the Klezmer Playbook Club, an online international learning community for everyone who has a copy of the Klezmer Playbook and wants to go deeper into playing in a klezmer style.
Fun An Altn Klezmer Heft is a delightful collection of tunes from the Klezmer Institute’s Kiselgof-Makonovetsky Digital Manuscript Project (KMDMP).
The Klezmer Institute offers a number of ways to order these folios. Please see below for descriptions of each folio and how to order for individuals and ensembles.
The Klezmer Playbook is a collection of 50 traditional klezmer tunes respectfully transcribed from historical sources and carefully arranged. This selection of melodies are klezmer “standards” that are played at klezmer sessions around the world. They are simplified for ease of reading, with minimal markings for articulation, phrasing and ornamentation – leaving space for your own interpretation and expression.
Your purchase of the Klezmer Playbook includes professionally recorded clarinet & piano playalongs for digital download in four versions: practice tempo, dance tempo each both with and without melody. You will also receive a digital bonus album featuring all 50 tunes performed on clarinet & accordion, PLUS exclusive access to the KlezmerPlaybook CLUB online workshops with Susi & Szilvia!
The Klezmer Playbook is available in six editions, for all transposing instruments and perfect for ensembles: Concert, B-flat, E-flat, Viola, Cello, Melody & Bass.
56 pages including worksheets on klezmer modes and accompaniment rhythms. Cello and Melody & Bass books are 60 pages. $40
“a great resource for klezmer sessions as there are so many classic tunes. The transcriptions are nice and clear and it also includes references to original recordings. The playalong tracks are absolutely beautiful and it’s really useful having the slower practice speed as well as the performance speed tracks.”
The Klezmer Playbook 2 is the sequel to the first Klezmer Playbook, and includes a collection of 50 additional traditional klezmer tunes (numbered 51-100) respectfully transcribed from historical sources and carefully arranged. You do not need to have to first book to enjoy the second one!
This selection of melodies are klezmer “standards” that are played at klezmer sessions around the world. They are simplified for ease of reading, with minimal markings for articulation, phrasing and ornamentation – leaving space for your own interpretation and expression.
Your purchase of the Klezmer Playbook includes professionally recorded clarinet & piano playalongs for digital download in four versions: practice tempo, dance tempo each both with and without melody. You will also receive a digital bonus album featuring all 50 tunes performed on clarinet & accordion, PLUS exclusive access to the KlezmerPlaybook CLUB online workshops with Susi & Szilvia!
The Klezmer Playbook is available in six editions, for all transposing instruments and perfect for ensembles. $40.
56 pages including worksheets on klezmer modes and accompaniment rhythms; Cello and Melody & Bass books are 60 pages.
Skvirskaya — Playalong Sample
Galician Sher — Playalong Sample
Hora Midor — Playalong Sample
“The Klezmer Playbooks are terrific new resources for those seeking excellent collections of historic klezmer tune scores. What’s really awesome is that each book includes a download to audio recordings of all the tunes in the book – both with and without the clarinet on melody, and at both regular and beginner speeds – making them the finest resource for klezmer musicians (especially newcomers) to be released to the public in quite some time”.
Fun an Altn Klezmer Heft is a tune book that presents a selection of beautiful, previously unknown klezmer melodies from the Kiselgof-Makonovetsky corpus. Many of these tunes are surprising and special, and an exciting new addition to the klezmer repertoire that survives today.
The hand-written manuscripts have been long-preserved in the Vernadsky National Library of Ukraine and recently became available to the international klezmer community through the dedicated work of the Klezmer Institute and the Kiselgof-Makonovetsky Digital Manuscript project (KMDMP).
From a treasure trove of nearly 1,400 handwritten klezmer pieces dating from the late 19th and early 20th centuries, Szilvia Csaranko and Susi Evans have carefully selected 44 melodies and recorded them on their album Fun an Altn Klezmer Heft – Beautiful Music from Old Manuscripts (available for purchase separately). All of the album’s pieces are included in this tune book. It is available in six editions, making it suitable for all instruments. $30.
PDF editions of this tune book and the digital album can be purchased at the Shades of Folk Bandcamp.
Order folios through our print partner Mixam using the button link.
If you play in an ensemble and would like to make a bulk order of Klezmer Playbooks, discounts may be available. Please email the Klezmer Institute at info at klezmerinstitute dot org or fill out the contact form here.
You can also look for Concert and B-flat editions of these folios to be available at various residential festivals such as Yiddish New York, KlezKanada, Trip To Yiddishland, KlezCummington, and similar regional events.
About The Authors
Szilvia Csaranko & Susi Evans are two exceptional musicians who are passionate about the tradition of klezmer music and over the past twenty years have become internationally recognised experts in this field. As experienced educators, they have developed innovative and creative teaching methods to make klezmer accessible for instrumentalists of all levels and backgrounds. They regularly attend klezmer sessions in London and Berlin and are well connected with the klezmer community around the world.
Based in Hannover, Germany, Susi (clarinet) and Szilvia (accordion & piano) have been performing as a duo since 2019 and have released four klezmer albums. They have taught numerous workshops at Yiddish Summer Weimar, Klezfest London, Yiddish New York, KlezKanada, Shtetl Berlin and more. The Klezmer Playbook has been sold in over 20 countries and their online Klezmer Playbook CLUB has grown into a worldwide phenomenon.
“Brilliant musicians who really know their stuff” — Simon Broughton, founding editor, Songlines.
