Benkshaft,
Yiddishe lider
I-C-U-B4-T, CUP 8013
Benkshaft is the
Yiddish term for longing, and that is what the music on this CD reflects.
The songs about an unrequited love, about a Jewish soldier in the trenches at
the front, yearning for after wife and children, about the longing for "gefilte
fish", or the deep wish for peace. These are songs that cover an era from
the 19th century till the end of World War II. The selected songs vary in contents,
tempo and dynamics, but also in instrumentation.
Jacques accompanies
Mariejan on the grand piano, the cymbal and the accordeon. Furthermore one song
was arranged for piano and string quartet, and three other tracks were recorded
with violaplayer Vladimir Mendelssohn. Jacques made all the arrangements, and
added six compositions of his own to this CD.