The Music in Berlin: Musical Networks

Abstract This chapter is a detailed discussion of the sophisticated network relations at play in Berlin’s klezmer and Yiddish music scene. Drawing on the work of Howard Becker and Mark Granovetter, it lays out the connections that bring different musicians together, including an analysis of important network hubs and significant weak ties that enable creative links across different musical and social territories. The historical context for these networks is also discussed in detail, including the earlier roles of venues, organizations, and personalities in uniting musicians, audiences, and enthusiasts. The second half of the chapter then offers a detailed breakdown of current musical styles, positing four overlapping stylistic (and in some senses social) categories that help the reader to navigate different expressions and groupings of Berlin klezmer: pioneers, modernists, fantasists, and transformers. Each one of the taxonomies is analyzed in terms of musical approach, repertoire, and relation to other groups. These are enriched in each case by a wealth of ethnographic detail, thick descriptions of particular performances (including the author’s own reactions and responses), and informative musical examples and transcriptions. The chapter concludes by placing the city of Berlin’s klezmer musical networks within the wider international scene of which they are a distinct but related part.