Pianist, composer, storyteller, Denis Cuniot is one of the main instigator of the renewal of French klezmer music. He published to this day around 20 discs, in solo, duo, trio or in a group (in particular with the Orient Express Moving Shnorers that he created in 1995 with Philippe Briegh).
From his first collaborations with the clarinet player Nano Peylet to the Yiddish songs of Bruno Girard (from the band Bratsch), from the jest of the clarinet player Yom to the rock-punk performances of the guitarist David Konopnicki,ย Denis Cuniotย explores since the beginning of the 1980โs the fertile soil of klezmer music. His goal: to make sound a vanished world, and imagining the evolution that klezmer music could have had if it had survived in its original lands ; that music becomes a source of inspiration, invention and improvisation for musicians around the world, true music standardsโฆ Like jazz.
Denis Cuniot dares to mix jazz, rock, African music or even Indian iemj.org/โฆt/biographies/denis-cuniot-1953raga with klezmer music. His unique way of playing the piano is immediately recognizable.
Denis Cuniot, the inventor of klezmer piano in the French way. An exciting program where a man reveals himself through his music…
Klezmer music pianist, composer and storyteller
Pianist of jazz and improvised music, Denis Cuniot is one of the main initiators of the revival and recognition of klezmer music in France.
With a solid background in classical music,ย Denis Cuniotย is at the same time music teacher, director of a music conservatory, and pianist of jazz and improvised music.
From 1983 on, with his encounter withย Nano Peyletย (clarinet player in the bandย Bratsch), he becomes one of the main initiators of the revival and recognition of klezmer music in France.
Yiddish is the mother tongue of his mother,ย Bluma Mรฉlรฉlat, born in Warsaw in 1929. But she did not pass the language to her son, because she wished for him integration and assimilation, linked to the need of putting in distance her pains, particularly the fact of being a hidden child and the vanishing of almost all her family. We can ask ourselves if itโs not the absence of transmission that pushedย Denis Cuniotย on the path of klezmer music (โKli-Zemerโ, literally instrument of the voice, of the singing), in order to compensate this absence. A music for people to hear Yiddish, without pronouncing it…
Main contributions to klezmer music and Yiddish musical culture
In 1984, he creates with Nano a musical showย Notes de voyages, Voyages de notesย based on a story ofย Chelmย :ย When Shlemiel goes to Warsaw, known also under the nameย Gueitzel le curieux. With this story, he discovers the genius of Yiddish literature, and meets several Yiddish teachers in order to get the translation.
After the recording of three albums, with his Peylet-Cuniot duo:ย Musique des Klezmorim et de leurs descendants,ย Musique Klezmer dโhier et de demainย andย LโAmour des Niguns, Denis Cuniot takes part to the recording of another disc:ย Nano Peylet and friends, in 1993, gathering several duos around Nano Peylet.
In 1995,ย Denis Cuniotย creates withย Philippe Brieghย the bandย Orient Express Moving Schnorers, and records the first disc of this ensemble:ย Les lendemains de la veille, in 1996.
After leaving this band in 1998, he createsย Les rendez-vous au mรฉtro Saint Paul, based on the short stories byย Cyrille Fleischman, a solo performance where he is storyteller and piano player.
In 2000, with the young virtuoso clarinet playerย Yomguihย (orย Yom) he creates a duo and records the discย The Golem on the Moon.
One must notice also that in 2005, he takes part in the creation of theย Klezmer Brass Band of Ile de France Regiongathering more than 40 musicians, amateurs and pros. The repertoire is constituted of klezmer music and Yiddish songs.
In 2007, his discย Confidentiel Klezmerย will know great success from the public and the press.
From 2008 to 2011, he participates toย Yomโs project,ย New King of Klezmer Clarinet.
With Bruno Girard in 2008, he creates the duoย YAT,ย Yiddish Atmospheric Touch, which is dedicated to Yiddish songs. Their first CDย Mir Geyenย in which we can hear the songย Brooklyn by the seaย byย Mort Shuman, translated in Yiddish, is released in 2011.
In 2012 is released his second solo disc,ย Perpetuel Klezmer.
In 2013, he creates a duo withย David Konopnickiย on the electric guitars, and pays tribute to todays composers of klezmer music, in particular in France and the United States.
In 2014, to celebrate his 30 years of implication in Yiddish culture and klezmer music, he performs a 6 hour long concert: theย Rรขga Klezmerย with a repertoire going through two centuries of klezmer music.
In 2016, he receives theย Max Cukierman Prizeย for his contribution in Yiddish culture
12 thoughts on “Kaminos”
Was Nicholas related to Alexander Saslavsky who married Celeste Izolee Todd?
Anyone have a contact email for Yair Klinger or link to score for Ha-Bayta?
wish to have homeland concert video played on the big screen throughout North America.
can organize here in Santa Barbara California.
contacts for this needed and any ideas or suggestions welcomed.
Nat farber is my great grandpa ๐
Are there any movies or photos of max kletter? His wifeโs sister was my stepmother, so Iโm interested in seeing them and sharing them with his wifeโs daughter.
The article says Sheb recorded his last song just 4 days before he died, but does not tell us the name of it. I be curious what it was. Iโd like to hear it.
Would anyone happen to know where I can find a copy of the sheet music for a Gil Aldema Choral (SATB) arrangement for Naomi Shemerโs โSheleg Al Iriโ. (Snow on my Village)?
Joseph Smith
Kol Ram Community Choir, NYC
Shalom Joseph. I just saw your 2024 post by chance… I’m a mostly-retired Israeli journalist and translator. In 2003 I translated into English the content (the objective was to remain true to the meaning, not to cadence or rhyme) of poems and lyrics of 48 of Israel’s most iconic songs arranged by Aldema for choirs abroad singing in Hebrew (the words in the scores are transliterated) but members of the choir lack mastery of Hebrew to ‘know’ exactly what they are saying/singing… The book was titled in English “A Merry Choir” – in Hebrew ืืงืืื ืขืืืื . See if you can find a copy in a used book store, it is priceless and apparently out-of-print – well worth the search. If not, they may have a copy at Tel Aviv Amenu Museum’s music department – write them and see if they can send it to you. Or – if you will contact me via Whatsapp – (972) 546872768 or via my email – I will try and find the book (it is not where it ‘should be’ so I have to search) and I will photograph the score with my cell and send to you as an attachment. Best, Daniella Ashkenazy – Kfar Warburg.
ืฉืืื ืฉืืขืื!
ืื ืฉืืืชื ืืืชื. ืขืืืชื ืืช ืืฉืจืื ืืคืืจืืืจ 1998 ืืื ืืืืื ืืช ืื ื ืืืืืืกื ืืงืื ืืช ืืขืืจื ืืืงืฆืืขืืช ืฉืื ืืืืชื ืงืืืืช ืื ืืืฉืจืื. ืื ืกืืคืืจ ืืืื ืขืฆืื ืืืจืื, ืืื ืื ื ืืืืชื ืืืืื ืขื ืืืฆืื ืฉืืืื ืืืชื ืืืืืชื ืืืจื ืืืื ืืฉืืืื ืืืฉื ืืืืฉื ืืืืฉืื. ืืื ืืื ืื ืื 9. ืืขืช ืืื ืื 36 ืืืชืคืงื ืืืืคื ืขืฆืืื. ื ืชืชื ืื ืืืืื ืืช ืืขืชืื ื ืืจืืื. ืืื, ืืืืช ืืืื ืืจื, ืืืืจืื ืืคืืื ืฆืืืช, ืืื ืืืื ืฆืจืืืื ืืขืืื ืืืืจืืช ืืืืืืื ืจืืื!
ืืฉื ืงืื ื
(Maurice King)
Thank you for this wonderful remembrance of Herman Zalis. My late father, Henry Wahrman, was one of his students. Note the correct spelling of his name for future reference. Thank you again for sharing this.
Tirza Wahrman (Mitlak)
amazing zchuso yagein aleinu, he wrote the famous niggun Lefichuch that is sung in almost every Israeli Yeshiva
My grandmother, Rose Ziperson, wrote the words to his music for a song called Main Shtetele, which he produced. I have the sheet music!