Bay Mir Bistu Sheyn: Great Songs of the Yiddish Stage,
Volume 2
Milken Archive of American Jewish Music, Naxos, (2005), $6.98
by Stephanie Persin
When hearing the Yiddish language, most people picture Hasidic rabbis with long beards and black hats
davening at Mincha services, or women with babushkas and
heavy stockings kneading dough for the Shabbat challah. “Bay
Mir Bistu Sheyn” celebrates this part
of Jewish culture with songs from vaudeville,
Yiddish radio, and Second Avenue, also known
as the Yiddish Stage.
The seventeen Yiddish songs in this collection address traditional
Jewish themes: Life in the shtetl, immigration to America, marriage,
and love. While some of the songs are secular, Jewish ideals are prevalent
throughout the collection.
Although the songs are sung entirely in Yiddish, the emotional vocals
make the album easy to understand. The melodies are catchy and easy
to pick up and, in general, the vocalists' Yiddish accents are exceptional.
The only soloist who does not shine is soprano Amy Goldstein. Her words
border on incomprehensible, her Yiddish accent is non-existent, and
her voice is unnecessarily operatic. Unfortunately, Goldstein's voice
is the only female part heard throughout the CD with the exception of
Joanne Borts in "Lebn zol kolumbus."
Still, the Vienna Chamber Orchestra and the other soloists more than
make up for Goldstein's part in the album. Bruce Adler, one of the tenors,
is especially animated in his songs, and almost all of the pieces will
have the listener tapping their foot and wanting to folk-dance around
the house.
"Bay Mir Bistu Sheyn" is more than 68 minutes long and is
part of the Milken Archive of American Jewish Music. Accompanying the
album is a descriptive booklet on the composers, the history of the
Yiddish stage, and English translations of the songs. The Milken Archive
contains a collection of American Jewish music that represents both
Jewish and secular contributions of great Jewish artists. We will be
reviewing more from this collection in the coming weeks.
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