Gegna Taksim from Sofreh Tisch by Ladom Ensemble

Jacob “Jascha” Gegna was born into a successful family of klezmorim (Jewish musicians) of the 19th century. His birthplace, early life, and musical training were in what is now Ukraine, and he is regarded as one of the pinnacle klezmer violinists, whose recordings are still studied and interpreted by klezmer musicians today. His father, Chaim Meyer Gegner, was also hailed as a great violinist and composer, but of course, the early recordings of the 1910’s have rather immortalized his son’s sound in his prime. Jacob Gegna recorded extensively in 1913, including a collection of klezmer violin pieces that probably come from his family’s repertoire. The following year he emigrated with his brother to the United States, where he continued his musical career in New York and later Los Angeles.

In many cultures surrounding the eastern Mediterranean, a taksim is an improvisation that usually functions as an introduction or interlude. Jacob Gegna originally recorded this to proceed a freylekhs in G Freygish*, and it has been lifted to be played on cello in D Freygish to introduce Brandwein’s piece in this context.

* Freygish is a Yiddish distortion of the mode “Phrygian”, and refers to a Phrygian scale with a raised third. Freygish mode is sometimes also referred to as Ahava Raba, its name in prayer and cantorial chant.

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