American pianist Richard Goode gave his first Israeli recital March 6th 2010 in the Henry Crown Auditorium of the Jerusalem Theatre. Proceeds of the recital were generously donated by the artist towards the Aldwell Center’s program which nurtures young Israeli pianists. Maestro Goode followed the recital with master classes in conjunction with the Edward Aldwell International Center, the Jerusalem Music Centre, the Arthur Rubinstein International Music Society and the Conservatory of the Jerusalem Academy of Music and Dance.
Born in New York, Goode has a varied schedule - he performs, teaches and records extensively. One of today’s leading- and most daring interpreters of Beethoven’s music, Goode has recorded the complete Beethoven Sonata cycle and ,recently in 2009, he recorded all five Beethoven piano concertos.
The Henry Crown Auditorium was alive with excitement and curiosity in anticipation of the recital. The program began with an item that was decidedly unusual for a piano recital –William Byrd’s (1543-1623) second- and third Pavan and Galliard from “My Ladye Nevells Booke” (1591), a collection of 42 keyboard pieces for the virginal. (Lady Nevell, possibly a pupil of Byrd, was Francis Bacon’s half-sister and the third wife of Sir Henry Nevell of Billingbere.) Placing emphasis on the majestic boldness of the pavans, Goode arpeggiates and ornaments them profusely, still, however, addressing the importance of perfect intervals and clean lines. He lets go in the galliards, presenting the vitality of the faster court dance as well as its hemiolas and abandon. A daring choice, but certainly well thought-out and interesting.
J.S.Bach’s (1685-1750) Partita no.6 in E minor BWV 830, composed some time between 1725 and 1730 and published in 1731, is grand both in length and in its profound expression. Goode’s reading of the opening lengthy Toccata is contemplative and spontaneous and, in his playing of it, he prepares his audience for the runs and ornamental passagework with which he is to spice his playing of the entire suite. Throughout the work, we are a witness to the artist’s amazing agility and lightness of touch, as in the Corrente, where Goode’s swift, brilliant, feather-light playing underlines key notes and syncopations. Altogether, he identifies with Bach’s taste for unusual shapes that ignore bar-lines, and his playing is intellectual and virtuosic. The relaxed and clean lines of the court dance were not of high priority.
Although leaving his native Poland at age 19, Frederic Chopin (1810-1849) began his composing with a Polonaise and ended it with a Mazurka. He composed 58 Mazurkas, bringing them to the concert stage as finely crafted miniatures that reflect his background and originality, inviting the performer to play along with their moods, modes, dissonances and textures. performing four Chopin Mazurkas, Goode’s reading of them is delicate, flexible, his attention to motifs and Slavic scales combined with spontaneity. In Mazurka Opus 50 no.4 in C sharp minor, Goode’s rich palette colors the dance with nostalgia, the various dance episodes each different in concept. He guides the listener through a texture fashioned of folk rhythms, counterpoint, modal harmonies and chromatic writing, laying bare phrases written as a single melodic line, presenting Chopin’s richness of ideas through his own magical touch.
Goode then played Chopin’s Polonaise-Fantasy Opus 61 ( published 1846). Giving this demanding and emotional “rollercoaster” a vivid and intense reading, Goode punctuates complex sections with sensitive, cantabile melodic moments that are intensely human. The Chopin content of the recital surely ties in with 2010 as the World Chopin Year.
The recital ended with the artist’s performance of Robert Schumann’s (1810-1856) “Kreisleriana” Opus 16, completed by the composer within four days in April of 1838. The title refers to the fictitious Johannes Kreisler, a brilliant and eccentric conductor, characterized in the works of E.T.A Hoffmann, but it may also refer to his future wife Clara Wieck, who had created some of the motifs used by Schumann throughout the work.. Goode’s masterful and imaginative treatment of the eight fantasias combines the typically Schumannesque stormy- and vulnerable sides; weaving weakness and strength into languishing, contemplative moments, Goode “orchestrates” the piano in a soundscape of mixed harmonies and multiple textures, his careful timing adding to the meaning of the work. His many-faceted performance of “Kreisleriana” thrilled the audience.
Wednesday, March 10, 2010
Sunday, March 7, 2010
The PHOENIX Early Music Ensemble presents J.S.Bach's "Art of Fugue"
J.S.Bach’s (1685-1750) “Art of Fugue” is clouded in mystery – the composer, himself, had discussed it with nobody. Begun in the early 1740’s he seems to have worked on it sporadically till his death, never completing it. His son, Carl Philipp Emmanuel Bach, found it in 1751 and published it in its incomplete state.
March 6th 2010 was a mild winter’s day and Ein Kerem was drenched in sunlight, its bird population singing in full throat. Stepping through the wild, succulent garden of the Eden-Tamir Music Centre, one mounts the steps to leave the outside world far behind and enter one of Jerusalem’s most unique “sanctuaries” of music-making. We were assembled to hear the PHOENIX Early Music Ensemble’s working of Bach’s “Art of Fugue”. Those performing were Yasuko Hirata-Baroque violin, Shai Kribus-Baroque oboe, oboe d’amore, recorder, Katya Polin-Baroque viola, recorder, Alexandra Polin-bass viol and founder and musical director of the PHOENIX Ensemble Myrna Herzog on bass viol. The players were using period instruments, the bowed instruments being strung with gut strings to provide the intimate, warm color and timbre evocative of Baroque chamber music. Excluding the four Canons of the collection, we heard the 14 Contrapuncti from the Simple Fugues, through the Stretto Fugues, Double- and Triple Fugues, Mirror Fugues to the final gigantic, incomplete Quadruple Fugue. Audience members were provided with a table of themes and countersubjects to guide them through Bach’s plans and fugal techniques.
With lighter, more melodic gallant style coming into fashion, Bach turns his back on convention to compose this monothematic group of pieces, all in the introverted key of D minor and he provides few clues as to its scoring. Did he have the organ or harpsichord in mind and did he see this work as a textbook on the potential and countless permutations offered of fugal writing? What is clear is that the fugue was a form that had always fascinated the composer - music of eye and mind one level, but music of the soul and the senses on another.
Herzog’s concept is to vary instrumentation from fugue to fugue in order to tie in with the differing character of pieces and to change according to tightly packed counterpoint versus freer episodes. For Contrapunctus I, she chooses strings only to express tranquility and state the main theme. Here one is aware of Bach’s deep, religious spirituality. From then on, combinations change: Contrapunctus II is played on oboe, viola and bass viols, In Contrapunctus III, the recorder (Katya Polin) joins the strings, and so on. In Contrapunctus VI, a French-style piece, the oboe (Kribus) doubling Hirata on the top line comes across rather too strident, whereas in the energetic and challenging Contrapunctus IX, Kribus playing the oboe d’amore doubles each of the strings in turn, underlining key melodies. Herzog dedicates the ensemble’s performance of Contrapunctus XI to Glenn Gould , who had recorded parts of the work on piano and others on organ. Contrapunctus XII is the odd man out, being the only fugue in triple time, with Herzog having the last word with a wonderfully fashioned ornament. In the final weighty Contrapunctus XIV, planned as a quadruple fugue, Shai Kribus doubles different voices with recorder and, later, with oboe, to show the listener through the complexities of the different sections; we hear Bach’s signature motif – B flat-A-C-B – and then, mid-phrase, the work cuts out – a wrenching moment of nothingness and alarming silence, of Bach’s unfinished business.
The PHOENIX performance of The Art of Fugue is the result of much in-depth work on detail, texture and the layers of meaning, all of these enormously challenging to the player. Herzog refers to it as an “intellectual experience – so cerebral, sophisticated and so emotional”, a “kind of farewell to Bach”. It was, indeed, a highly intelligent and professional performance, held together by accuracy, fine musicianship, the beauty and richness of Baroque instrumental timbres and a deep sense of reverence for composer and music. A live performance of this quality brings players and audience together in an experience that reaches far beyond analysis.
March 6th 2010 was a mild winter’s day and Ein Kerem was drenched in sunlight, its bird population singing in full throat. Stepping through the wild, succulent garden of the Eden-Tamir Music Centre, one mounts the steps to leave the outside world far behind and enter one of Jerusalem’s most unique “sanctuaries” of music-making. We were assembled to hear the PHOENIX Early Music Ensemble’s working of Bach’s “Art of Fugue”. Those performing were Yasuko Hirata-Baroque violin, Shai Kribus-Baroque oboe, oboe d’amore, recorder, Katya Polin-Baroque viola, recorder, Alexandra Polin-bass viol and founder and musical director of the PHOENIX Ensemble Myrna Herzog on bass viol. The players were using period instruments, the bowed instruments being strung with gut strings to provide the intimate, warm color and timbre evocative of Baroque chamber music. Excluding the four Canons of the collection, we heard the 14 Contrapuncti from the Simple Fugues, through the Stretto Fugues, Double- and Triple Fugues, Mirror Fugues to the final gigantic, incomplete Quadruple Fugue. Audience members were provided with a table of themes and countersubjects to guide them through Bach’s plans and fugal techniques.
With lighter, more melodic gallant style coming into fashion, Bach turns his back on convention to compose this monothematic group of pieces, all in the introverted key of D minor and he provides few clues as to its scoring. Did he have the organ or harpsichord in mind and did he see this work as a textbook on the potential and countless permutations offered of fugal writing? What is clear is that the fugue was a form that had always fascinated the composer - music of eye and mind one level, but music of the soul and the senses on another.
Herzog’s concept is to vary instrumentation from fugue to fugue in order to tie in with the differing character of pieces and to change according to tightly packed counterpoint versus freer episodes. For Contrapunctus I, she chooses strings only to express tranquility and state the main theme. Here one is aware of Bach’s deep, religious spirituality. From then on, combinations change: Contrapunctus II is played on oboe, viola and bass viols, In Contrapunctus III, the recorder (Katya Polin) joins the strings, and so on. In Contrapunctus VI, a French-style piece, the oboe (Kribus) doubling Hirata on the top line comes across rather too strident, whereas in the energetic and challenging Contrapunctus IX, Kribus playing the oboe d’amore doubles each of the strings in turn, underlining key melodies. Herzog dedicates the ensemble’s performance of Contrapunctus XI to Glenn Gould , who had recorded parts of the work on piano and others on organ. Contrapunctus XII is the odd man out, being the only fugue in triple time, with Herzog having the last word with a wonderfully fashioned ornament. In the final weighty Contrapunctus XIV, planned as a quadruple fugue, Shai Kribus doubles different voices with recorder and, later, with oboe, to show the listener through the complexities of the different sections; we hear Bach’s signature motif – B flat-A-C-B – and then, mid-phrase, the work cuts out – a wrenching moment of nothingness and alarming silence, of Bach’s unfinished business.
The PHOENIX performance of The Art of Fugue is the result of much in-depth work on detail, texture and the layers of meaning, all of these enormously challenging to the player. Herzog refers to it as an “intellectual experience – so cerebral, sophisticated and so emotional”, a “kind of farewell to Bach”. It was, indeed, a highly intelligent and professional performance, held together by accuracy, fine musicianship, the beauty and richness of Baroque instrumental timbres and a deep sense of reverence for composer and music. A live performance of this quality brings players and audience together in an experience that reaches far beyond analysis.
Thursday, March 4, 2010
The Jerusalem Baroque Orchestra presents a program of "Sacred and Secular Dances" and more
The Jerusalem Baroque Orchestra presented a concert of “Sacred and Secular Dances” at the Mary Nathaniel Golden Hall of Friendship of the Jerusalem International YMCA February 23rd 2010. Guest artists were conductor and violinist Walter Reiter (UK) and soprano Revital Raviv (Israel). Works were performed on strings and theorbo (Bari Moskovich), with the JBO’s musical director, Dr. David Shemer, at the harpsichord.
The program opened with Johann Heinrich Schmelzer’s (c.1629-1680) “Musikalische Fechtschule” (Musical Fencing School). Schmelzer, a highly influential Austrian instrumental composer and brilliant violinist, was the first non-Italian to be Capellmeister in Vienna. In addition to three collections of chamber music, he composed much ballet music to be used for entertainment at the court of Leopold I from 1665 to 1680. The “Musical Fencing School” was probably written as a ballet. Its programmatic content adds a whimsical layer to the dance suite: in the penultimate movement, titled “Fechtschule”, the violinists’ part suggests swordplay, with the final aria describing the bathhouse attendant! Composed in 1668 or 1669, the suite is typical of its times, in its vivid style (Musica representativa). Reiter’s reading of it was highly shaped, elegant and precise and with the crafted, fragile delicacy of string playing we were to hear throughout the evening.
Heinrich Ignaz Franz Biber (1644-1704), also a celebrated violin virtuoso, was a pupil of Schmelzer. His twelve “Fidicinium Sacro-Profanum Sonatas” (c.1682) present somewhat of a conundrum. Commissioned by the Prince-Archbishop of Salzburg Maximilian Gandolph von Kuenburg, the cover of the volume reads “Music sacred and profane for stringed instruments, arranged with art for the court and for the church.” Sonata no. 1 in B minor, scored for two violins, two violas and continuo, with its imposing opening, is serious but never solemn, and brings to mind a new emphasis on harmony. Reiter and Dafna Ravid took the solo violin parts. Reiter then performed Biber’s Passacaglia for (unaccompanied) Solo Violin in G minor (c.1676). This sonata belongs to the Mystery Sonatas, most of which are violin sonatas, the basis of this passacaglia being a deceivingly simple descending tetrachord. (The four-note motif may possibly be a reference to the traditional hymn to the Guardian Angel.) Reiter’s playing puts emphasis on the personal and intimate character of the piece, its contrasts, moods and textures and he provides the “space” necessary to express them. Yes, it is certainly a showcase for virtuoso musicianship, with the passacaglia motif breaking up the 65 statements grouped into five sections, but Reiter takes an introspective approach. The audience was moved.
The subject of “Sacred and Secular Dances” sets one thinking. The question of whether a composer like Biber was concerned with the sacred or the profane was not an uncommon one of the time; the transference from one style to the other was also common practice.
The second half of the concert combined the JBO’s commemoration in the 2009-2010 season of 350 years of Purcell’s birth with the 250th anniversary of Handel’s death.
Henry Purcell’s (1659-1695) masque “The Fairy Queen” (1692) is a setting of an adaptation of Shakespeare’s “A Midsummer Night’s Dream”. In the excerpts chosen from the semi-opera, Reiter presents Purcell’s distinctive sparkle and vitality while identifying strongly with the composer’s daring musical imagination. Soprano Revital Raviv’s singing of arias boasts pleasing voval color and stability and true understanding of the style and text; her convincing expression of the words provides a fitting partner to Reiter’s elegant phrasing. Raviv’s English is decidedly British and articulate.
‘O, let me forever weep:
My eyes no more shall welcome sleep.
I’ll hide me from the sight of Day,
And sigh, and sigh my Soul away.
He’s gone, he’s gone, his loss deplore;
And I shall never see him more.’ (Plainte)
It is not known for what occasion Purcell composed his Chacony in G minor (originally for 4-part viol consort); it is, however, thought to have been written around 1678. David Shemer writes the following: “An article by our colleague, the Israeli musicologist Alon Schav, which is about to be published, corrects some long standing errors in the printed editions of the piece. We are proud to be among the first who perform the work in its corrected version.” Reiter, inviting the audience to revel in the harmonies in the Chacony, refers to Purcell as the “Schoenberg of the 17th century”. Taking a musical form that is relatively new in England, Purcell uses each of his variation techniques twice and, indeed, stretches the limits of harmonic imagination. Reiter’s dynamic range lures, involves and transports his listeners every time.
Revital Raviv performed two Italian, secular arias by Handel. Georg Frideric Handel (1685-1759) composed “Orlando” for the Royal Academy of Music in 1719. Shepherdess Dorinda’s pastoral aria “Quando Spieghi” (When You Recount Your Torments) from this opera is full of poetic phrasing and imagery, with Dorinda talking to a bird in the trees whose singing describes her own pain. Raviv’s silky cantabile hues and expressiveness are both delicate and intense. Her singing evokes the bird’s song. In “Da Tempeste” (When the Ship, Broken by Storms) from “Giulio Cesare” (1724), Raviv takes on the character of the wily, seductive and saucy Cleopatra, savoring the long phrases, melismas and ornaments of the aria with feisty joy, as did the audience. Not to be ignored in this piece is Handel’s extraordinary orchestration, addressed in detail by Reiter.
The concert ended with Handel’s Concerto Grosso Opus 6 no.4. Handel composed his 12 Opus 6 Concerti Grossi in the space of a month in the Autumn of 1739, his choice of 12 works probably reflecting a gesture of respect towards Corelli’s influential Concerti Grossi Opus 6. It is Reiter’s belief that these Handel pieces would have been performed by a large group of players. The concertino consists of two violins and a ‘cello. As throughout the evening, Reiter both conducted and played, often conducting the first notes before beginning to play. Textural, dynamic and melodic contrasts made for delightful listening.
The Jerusalem Baroque Orchestra attracts some of today’s finest soloists and conductors. Programs are fresh, balanced and alive with interest and variety, introducing concert audiences to a host of wonderful Baroque works not heard here as yet.
The program opened with Johann Heinrich Schmelzer’s (c.1629-1680) “Musikalische Fechtschule” (Musical Fencing School). Schmelzer, a highly influential Austrian instrumental composer and brilliant violinist, was the first non-Italian to be Capellmeister in Vienna. In addition to three collections of chamber music, he composed much ballet music to be used for entertainment at the court of Leopold I from 1665 to 1680. The “Musical Fencing School” was probably written as a ballet. Its programmatic content adds a whimsical layer to the dance suite: in the penultimate movement, titled “Fechtschule”, the violinists’ part suggests swordplay, with the final aria describing the bathhouse attendant! Composed in 1668 or 1669, the suite is typical of its times, in its vivid style (Musica representativa). Reiter’s reading of it was highly shaped, elegant and precise and with the crafted, fragile delicacy of string playing we were to hear throughout the evening.
Heinrich Ignaz Franz Biber (1644-1704), also a celebrated violin virtuoso, was a pupil of Schmelzer. His twelve “Fidicinium Sacro-Profanum Sonatas” (c.1682) present somewhat of a conundrum. Commissioned by the Prince-Archbishop of Salzburg Maximilian Gandolph von Kuenburg, the cover of the volume reads “Music sacred and profane for stringed instruments, arranged with art for the court and for the church.” Sonata no. 1 in B minor, scored for two violins, two violas and continuo, with its imposing opening, is serious but never solemn, and brings to mind a new emphasis on harmony. Reiter and Dafna Ravid took the solo violin parts. Reiter then performed Biber’s Passacaglia for (unaccompanied) Solo Violin in G minor (c.1676). This sonata belongs to the Mystery Sonatas, most of which are violin sonatas, the basis of this passacaglia being a deceivingly simple descending tetrachord. (The four-note motif may possibly be a reference to the traditional hymn to the Guardian Angel.) Reiter’s playing puts emphasis on the personal and intimate character of the piece, its contrasts, moods and textures and he provides the “space” necessary to express them. Yes, it is certainly a showcase for virtuoso musicianship, with the passacaglia motif breaking up the 65 statements grouped into five sections, but Reiter takes an introspective approach. The audience was moved.
The subject of “Sacred and Secular Dances” sets one thinking. The question of whether a composer like Biber was concerned with the sacred or the profane was not an uncommon one of the time; the transference from one style to the other was also common practice.
The second half of the concert combined the JBO’s commemoration in the 2009-2010 season of 350 years of Purcell’s birth with the 250th anniversary of Handel’s death.
Henry Purcell’s (1659-1695) masque “The Fairy Queen” (1692) is a setting of an adaptation of Shakespeare’s “A Midsummer Night’s Dream”. In the excerpts chosen from the semi-opera, Reiter presents Purcell’s distinctive sparkle and vitality while identifying strongly with the composer’s daring musical imagination. Soprano Revital Raviv’s singing of arias boasts pleasing voval color and stability and true understanding of the style and text; her convincing expression of the words provides a fitting partner to Reiter’s elegant phrasing. Raviv’s English is decidedly British and articulate.
‘O, let me forever weep:
My eyes no more shall welcome sleep.
I’ll hide me from the sight of Day,
And sigh, and sigh my Soul away.
He’s gone, he’s gone, his loss deplore;
And I shall never see him more.’ (Plainte)
It is not known for what occasion Purcell composed his Chacony in G minor (originally for 4-part viol consort); it is, however, thought to have been written around 1678. David Shemer writes the following: “An article by our colleague, the Israeli musicologist Alon Schav, which is about to be published, corrects some long standing errors in the printed editions of the piece. We are proud to be among the first who perform the work in its corrected version.” Reiter, inviting the audience to revel in the harmonies in the Chacony, refers to Purcell as the “Schoenberg of the 17th century”. Taking a musical form that is relatively new in England, Purcell uses each of his variation techniques twice and, indeed, stretches the limits of harmonic imagination. Reiter’s dynamic range lures, involves and transports his listeners every time.
Revital Raviv performed two Italian, secular arias by Handel. Georg Frideric Handel (1685-1759) composed “Orlando” for the Royal Academy of Music in 1719. Shepherdess Dorinda’s pastoral aria “Quando Spieghi” (When You Recount Your Torments) from this opera is full of poetic phrasing and imagery, with Dorinda talking to a bird in the trees whose singing describes her own pain. Raviv’s silky cantabile hues and expressiveness are both delicate and intense. Her singing evokes the bird’s song. In “Da Tempeste” (When the Ship, Broken by Storms) from “Giulio Cesare” (1724), Raviv takes on the character of the wily, seductive and saucy Cleopatra, savoring the long phrases, melismas and ornaments of the aria with feisty joy, as did the audience. Not to be ignored in this piece is Handel’s extraordinary orchestration, addressed in detail by Reiter.
The concert ended with Handel’s Concerto Grosso Opus 6 no.4. Handel composed his 12 Opus 6 Concerti Grossi in the space of a month in the Autumn of 1739, his choice of 12 works probably reflecting a gesture of respect towards Corelli’s influential Concerti Grossi Opus 6. It is Reiter’s belief that these Handel pieces would have been performed by a large group of players. The concertino consists of two violins and a ‘cello. As throughout the evening, Reiter both conducted and played, often conducting the first notes before beginning to play. Textural, dynamic and melodic contrasts made for delightful listening.
The Jerusalem Baroque Orchestra attracts some of today’s finest soloists and conductors. Programs are fresh, balanced and alive with interest and variety, introducing concert audiences to a host of wonderful Baroque works not heard here as yet.
Sunday, February 21, 2010
Le Masque presents Baroque music at the Jerusalem Music Centre
Three members of Le Masque Baroque Music Ensemble from France performed a concert at the Jerusalem Music Centre February 17th 2010. Founded in Strasbourg in 1996 by Marc Hervieux, the ensemble includes several instrumentalists and singers involved in the performing of European music of the 17th- and 18th centuries. Those performing at this concert were Marc Hervieux (recorders), Lisa Erbes Baroque (‘cello) and Eva Valtova (harpsichord). The program focused on Italian aspects of Baroque style, Italian musicians having been at many of the courts of Europe in the 18th century. In their program notes Le Masque sets the scene for its audience by quoting German composer, flautist and teacher Johann Joachim Quantz’s description of the Italians as “unrestrained, sublime, lively, expressive, profound, free, daring, bold, extravagant…”
The evening opened with Michel Blavet’s ((1700-1768) Sonata in D minor “La Vibray”. A French court composer, flautist and bassoon player, Blavet was famous for his flute playing – his singing tone and brilliant technique set new technical standards throughout Europe. The Le Masque trio’s reading of his Sonata in D minor was gently swayed, with attention to ornamenting and dissonances, Hervieux bringing out the expressive quality of the piece. During the evening we also heard sonatas for recorder and basso continuo by Handel and Corelli. In the lively acoustic of the Jerusalem Music Centre’s auditorium, the ‘cello was occasionally a little too powerful.
An unusual item on the program focused on two of William Babell’s (c.1685-1723) transcriptions for harpsichord of pieces by Georg Friedrich Handel. Babell, an English church organist, violinist and harpsichordist in King George’s “Private Musick” was known as a brilliant improviser. His transcriptions of parts of Handel’s “Rinaldo” bristle with extravagant ornaments, leaving room for very few additions by the player. Handel, who had been Babell’s composition teacher, commented that Babell’s embellishments were so difficult that only Babell himself was capable of playing them! Czech-born Eva Valtova took up the challenge of performing the two pieces, presenting the rich textures and virtuoso passagework with mostly clean precision and energy. Seldom heard in the concert hall, these pieces made for fine listening.
Of particular interest was French composer Jean-Baptiste Barriere’s (1707-1747) Sonata for ‘Cello and Basso Continuo in B flat major. Barriere, originally a viol player, took up the ‘cello when it was fast becoming the more fashionable instrument in France, becoming a brilliant exponent of it. His ‘cello sonatas, combining Italian style with French taste, are technically highly demanding. Lisa Erbes’ performance addressed the many mood changes, humor and capriciousness of the piece, never allowing her technical virtuosity and ease to overshadow articulacy and the meaning of the music.
Hervieux and Erbes chose to play two of Domenico Scarlatti’s (1685-1757) keyboard sonatas on recorder and ‘cello. In the E minor Andante (K 291) Hervieux spelled out the mellow tones of the upper line on the voice flute; in the D minor tri-partite sonata (K89) Hervieux played the alto recorder, lavishing the middle Grave movement with much beautiful ornamentation.
Marc Hervieux performed one of Joseph Bodin de Boismortier’s (1689-1755) Solo Suites for Flute Solo opus 35 (1731), originally written for the Baroque transverse flute. Boismortier was one of the forerunners of the Italian style on French music. Hervieux’s performance of it was brilliantly presented, intense and alive and with ornaments, finger vibrato and invention – a veritable tour-de-force. Throughout the evening, the audience enjoyed Hervieux’s inspiring and stylistic recorder playing; he is a true master of the instrument and its literature, his tone mellifluous, his technique and ideas ever serving the musical plot.
The evening opened with Michel Blavet’s ((1700-1768) Sonata in D minor “La Vibray”. A French court composer, flautist and bassoon player, Blavet was famous for his flute playing – his singing tone and brilliant technique set new technical standards throughout Europe. The Le Masque trio’s reading of his Sonata in D minor was gently swayed, with attention to ornamenting and dissonances, Hervieux bringing out the expressive quality of the piece. During the evening we also heard sonatas for recorder and basso continuo by Handel and Corelli. In the lively acoustic of the Jerusalem Music Centre’s auditorium, the ‘cello was occasionally a little too powerful.
An unusual item on the program focused on two of William Babell’s (c.1685-1723) transcriptions for harpsichord of pieces by Georg Friedrich Handel. Babell, an English church organist, violinist and harpsichordist in King George’s “Private Musick” was known as a brilliant improviser. His transcriptions of parts of Handel’s “Rinaldo” bristle with extravagant ornaments, leaving room for very few additions by the player. Handel, who had been Babell’s composition teacher, commented that Babell’s embellishments were so difficult that only Babell himself was capable of playing them! Czech-born Eva Valtova took up the challenge of performing the two pieces, presenting the rich textures and virtuoso passagework with mostly clean precision and energy. Seldom heard in the concert hall, these pieces made for fine listening.
Of particular interest was French composer Jean-Baptiste Barriere’s (1707-1747) Sonata for ‘Cello and Basso Continuo in B flat major. Barriere, originally a viol player, took up the ‘cello when it was fast becoming the more fashionable instrument in France, becoming a brilliant exponent of it. His ‘cello sonatas, combining Italian style with French taste, are technically highly demanding. Lisa Erbes’ performance addressed the many mood changes, humor and capriciousness of the piece, never allowing her technical virtuosity and ease to overshadow articulacy and the meaning of the music.
Hervieux and Erbes chose to play two of Domenico Scarlatti’s (1685-1757) keyboard sonatas on recorder and ‘cello. In the E minor Andante (K 291) Hervieux spelled out the mellow tones of the upper line on the voice flute; in the D minor tri-partite sonata (K89) Hervieux played the alto recorder, lavishing the middle Grave movement with much beautiful ornamentation.
Marc Hervieux performed one of Joseph Bodin de Boismortier’s (1689-1755) Solo Suites for Flute Solo opus 35 (1731), originally written for the Baroque transverse flute. Boismortier was one of the forerunners of the Italian style on French music. Hervieux’s performance of it was brilliantly presented, intense and alive and with ornaments, finger vibrato and invention – a veritable tour-de-force. Throughout the evening, the audience enjoyed Hervieux’s inspiring and stylistic recorder playing; he is a true master of the instrument and its literature, his tone mellifluous, his technique and ideas ever serving the musical plot.
Sunday, February 14, 2010
Tafillalt explores Jewish traditional music at Confederation House in Jerusalem
The Tafillalt Ensemble was formed in 2000 by three young Israeli musicians - Yair Harel (vocals, percussion, tar), Nori Jacoby (Viola, melodica, vocals) and Yonatan Niv (‘cello, vocals), students of Professor Andre Hajdu and members of Ha’oman Eighteen, a contemporary musical ensemble reflecting the style of the Radical Jewish Music projects in New York. At a recent concert in Jerusalem, the three artists were joined by Eitan Kirsch (double bass) and Yarden Erez (accordion, oud, keyboard, percussion). Tafillalt uses texts and melodies from Jewish prayer, sacred songs and texts of contemporary Israeli poets. A broad canvas of material, stemming from the Jewish traditional music from North Africa, the Middle East, Eastern Europe to those of Israel today, forms the basis for the detailed reworking of traditional melodies, for original compositions and improvisations based on old and new. Inclement, icy weather did not deter a curious crowd from attending the concert presented by Tafillalt February 4th 2010 at Jerusalem’s Zionist Confederation House.
From the first faraway, nostalgic strains of a melodica, the audience is transported to the personal and spiritual world of Jewish prayer and thought. The program opens with Yair Harel singing “Yachid Ram” (One and Most High”) a traditional Iraqi melody to verses by the liturgical poet and kabbalist Yisrael Najara, the text based on a Midrash description of the creation of the world. Rhythmically enticing yet articulate, its verses are punctuated with small instrumental solos. Harel’s singing is delicate, his Hebrew enunciation always in accordance to the melody’s ethnic tradition.
“Pli’ah” (Wonder), to a Hassidic melody, takes its text from Psalm 139. The instrumentalists provide an almost church-organ-effect of fluid chords, tinged with extra colors, the viola adding the occasional Hassidic motif. Harel takes time in pacing the text, expressive in his awe of each word.
‘Such knowledge is too wondrous for me; it is beyond me. I cannot attain it.
Where can I escape from your Spirit? Where can I flee from Your presence?
If I ascend to heaven You are there; if I make my bed in Sheol (Hebrew: depths) behold, You are there.’…
Jerusalem-born poetess Rivka Miriam’s (b.1952) “Make Me a River” is the text for Yonatan Niv’s own musical setting. Sung by Niv himself, it is an introspective piece, its melody evocative of those of the Ladinotradition. Harel’s use of the tar – a 6-stringed, waisted Persian instrument plucked with a small metal plectrum - adds a contrast of timbre to the intensity of the melody.
A high point of the evening was “Hatikkun” (Amendment), a piece created from a penned note found by Niv in the streets of Jerusalem. The letter, expressing despair, is that of a person whose life has led him to drugs. The person hopes to replace drugs with a life of Torah, the “healing drug” that “makes the person happy”. Theatrical in concept, the work is a miniature drama. Harel both speaks and sings the text, the instrumentalists swinging from oriental melody to sheer sound effects, the strings vehemently joining and supporting the singer in his expression of confusion and despair.
And to 12th century Egypt, to “Moshe”, the earliest Jewish musical work known today. This piyyut (sacred poem) was found in the Cairo Genizah. A “screen” of sound based on a drone sets off Harel’s ornamented, devotional performance of the text. Harel is a singer whose profound study and knowledge of traditional Jewish and middle eastern music is matched with spirituality, passion and humility.
Tafillalt’s artists are young, their work based on strong musical background; they show a fine understanding of the many facets of Jewish music. Their performance is superbly coordinated, detailed and polished, imaginative, yet remaining within the bounds of good taste; together with that, their style allows for individuality and spontaneity. The ensemble’s use of instruments is delicate, tasteful and flexible. Instrumental backings refer to the ethnic style and modes of each piece, with colors, textures and timbres creating the rich scenery of Jewish traditional music. Their performance is high quality, thought-provoking and uplifting; it touches and moves the spirit.
From the first faraway, nostalgic strains of a melodica, the audience is transported to the personal and spiritual world of Jewish prayer and thought. The program opens with Yair Harel singing “Yachid Ram” (One and Most High”) a traditional Iraqi melody to verses by the liturgical poet and kabbalist Yisrael Najara, the text based on a Midrash description of the creation of the world. Rhythmically enticing yet articulate, its verses are punctuated with small instrumental solos. Harel’s singing is delicate, his Hebrew enunciation always in accordance to the melody’s ethnic tradition.
“Pli’ah” (Wonder), to a Hassidic melody, takes its text from Psalm 139. The instrumentalists provide an almost church-organ-effect of fluid chords, tinged with extra colors, the viola adding the occasional Hassidic motif. Harel takes time in pacing the text, expressive in his awe of each word.
‘Such knowledge is too wondrous for me; it is beyond me. I cannot attain it.
Where can I escape from your Spirit? Where can I flee from Your presence?
If I ascend to heaven You are there; if I make my bed in Sheol (Hebrew: depths) behold, You are there.’…
Jerusalem-born poetess Rivka Miriam’s (b.1952) “Make Me a River” is the text for Yonatan Niv’s own musical setting. Sung by Niv himself, it is an introspective piece, its melody evocative of those of the Ladinotradition. Harel’s use of the tar – a 6-stringed, waisted Persian instrument plucked with a small metal plectrum - adds a contrast of timbre to the intensity of the melody.
A high point of the evening was “Hatikkun” (Amendment), a piece created from a penned note found by Niv in the streets of Jerusalem. The letter, expressing despair, is that of a person whose life has led him to drugs. The person hopes to replace drugs with a life of Torah, the “healing drug” that “makes the person happy”. Theatrical in concept, the work is a miniature drama. Harel both speaks and sings the text, the instrumentalists swinging from oriental melody to sheer sound effects, the strings vehemently joining and supporting the singer in his expression of confusion and despair.
And to 12th century Egypt, to “Moshe”, the earliest Jewish musical work known today. This piyyut (sacred poem) was found in the Cairo Genizah. A “screen” of sound based on a drone sets off Harel’s ornamented, devotional performance of the text. Harel is a singer whose profound study and knowledge of traditional Jewish and middle eastern music is matched with spirituality, passion and humility.
Tafillalt’s artists are young, their work based on strong musical background; they show a fine understanding of the many facets of Jewish music. Their performance is superbly coordinated, detailed and polished, imaginative, yet remaining within the bounds of good taste; together with that, their style allows for individuality and spontaneity. The ensemble’s use of instruments is delicate, tasteful and flexible. Instrumental backings refer to the ethnic style and modes of each piece, with colors, textures and timbres creating the rich scenery of Jewish traditional music. Their performance is high quality, thought-provoking and uplifting; it touches and moves the spirit.
Labels:
Eitan Kirsch,
Nori Jacoby,
Yair Harel,
Yarden Erez,
Yonatan Niv
Tuesday, February 9, 2010
American pianist Richard Goode to give a recital and master classes in Jerusalem
On Saturday March 6th 2010, the illustrious American pianist Richard Goode will be presenting his first Israeli recital. The concert will take place at 8:30 at the Henry Crown Auditorium of the Jerusalem Theatre. Goode will be the guest of the Edward Aldwell Center of the Jerusalem Academy of Music and Dance and the Arthur Rubinstein Society. Born in New York in 1943, Richard Goode studied with several great musicians, among them pianists Rudolf Serkin, Claude Frank, Nadia Reisenberg, Mieczyslaw Horszowski and Karl Ulrich Schnabel; he made his New York debut in 1962. Goode’s repertoire is broad – he plays much chamber music, concerti, solo recitals and accompanies singers. He records extensively. Together with Mitsuko Uchida, he now serves as co-musical director of the Marlboro Music School and Festival.
Richard Goode’s approach to performing goes well beyond brilliant technique and musical ability: music-making, for him, revolves around the musical score, observation of constructional dimensions of a work, listening, the character and style of the composer and communicating both the composer’s- and his own ideas. He is a highly respected Beethoven interpreter, having performed and recorded the whole cycle of Beethoven sonatas, recently recording all five Beethoven Concertos. Insightful and open-minded, Goode’s modesty and generosity are ever present in his playing and teaching. The artist is performing his Jerusalem recital as a benefit concert for the nurturing of outstanding young pianists in Israel. The concert program will include works by W.Byrd, J.S.Bach, Chopin and Schumann.
In addition to his recital, Goode will be conducting master classes at the Edward Aldwell Center and at the Jerusalem Music Centre. Goode and the distinguished American pianist, scholar and teacher Edward Aldwell were colleagues – several Israeli pianists have been students of both Aldwell and Goode at the Mannes College of Music (New York). I talked to Yuval Cohen, the Edward Aldwell Center’s associate artistic director, who, when studying with Edward Aldwell, also took lessons with Goode. Cohen spoke of the “Young Piano Artists” program, whereby the Aldwell Center trains gifted young pianists from age 12 to 18 from all over Israel, several of whom will be taking part in the Goode master classes. The Edward Aldwell International Center for Piano Performance and Musicianship was established in Jerusalem by Lea Agmon, also a former student of Aldwell, who today serves as its artistic director.
Yuval Cohen, who teaches piano, jazz and theory at the Jerusalem Academy of Music and Dance and at the Conservatory, spoke of Goode as a teacher. Goode has a great sense of commitment to his teaching, requiring his students to inform him ahead of time as to what work they will bring to the lesson for study. A session usually lasts for a solid three hours and consists of Goode and the students exploring ideas together. For Goode, the student’s suggestions are discussed along with his own. The lesson will often end with the teacher lending the pupil one of the many books piled up in his music room, books not necessarily on the subject of music! Goode is passionate about literature and the arts in general.
Tickets for the March 6th concert can be purchased from the Jerusalem Theatre box office (02-5605755, or on-line). Students can buy tickets at greatly reduced prices.
For more information, contact Yuval Cohen (054-9439593) or Shuly Haberman of the Arthur Rubinstein Society (03-6856684).
Richard Goode’s approach to performing goes well beyond brilliant technique and musical ability: music-making, for him, revolves around the musical score, observation of constructional dimensions of a work, listening, the character and style of the composer and communicating both the composer’s- and his own ideas. He is a highly respected Beethoven interpreter, having performed and recorded the whole cycle of Beethoven sonatas, recently recording all five Beethoven Concertos. Insightful and open-minded, Goode’s modesty and generosity are ever present in his playing and teaching. The artist is performing his Jerusalem recital as a benefit concert for the nurturing of outstanding young pianists in Israel. The concert program will include works by W.Byrd, J.S.Bach, Chopin and Schumann.
In addition to his recital, Goode will be conducting master classes at the Edward Aldwell Center and at the Jerusalem Music Centre. Goode and the distinguished American pianist, scholar and teacher Edward Aldwell were colleagues – several Israeli pianists have been students of both Aldwell and Goode at the Mannes College of Music (New York). I talked to Yuval Cohen, the Edward Aldwell Center’s associate artistic director, who, when studying with Edward Aldwell, also took lessons with Goode. Cohen spoke of the “Young Piano Artists” program, whereby the Aldwell Center trains gifted young pianists from age 12 to 18 from all over Israel, several of whom will be taking part in the Goode master classes. The Edward Aldwell International Center for Piano Performance and Musicianship was established in Jerusalem by Lea Agmon, also a former student of Aldwell, who today serves as its artistic director.
Yuval Cohen, who teaches piano, jazz and theory at the Jerusalem Academy of Music and Dance and at the Conservatory, spoke of Goode as a teacher. Goode has a great sense of commitment to his teaching, requiring his students to inform him ahead of time as to what work they will bring to the lesson for study. A session usually lasts for a solid three hours and consists of Goode and the students exploring ideas together. For Goode, the student’s suggestions are discussed along with his own. The lesson will often end with the teacher lending the pupil one of the many books piled up in his music room, books not necessarily on the subject of music! Goode is passionate about literature and the arts in general.
Tickets for the March 6th concert can be purchased from the Jerusalem Theatre box office (02-5605755, or on-line). Students can buy tickets at greatly reduced prices.
For more information, contact Yuval Cohen (054-9439593) or Shuly Haberman of the Arthur Rubinstein Society (03-6856684).
Sunday, February 7, 2010
"From the Depths" - works of J.S.Bach and Heinrich Schutz performed by The New Israeli Vocal Ensemble and the Barrocade Collective
The New Israeli Vocal Ensemble (musical director Yuval Ben Ozer) joined the Barrocade Collective Tuesday January 26th 2010 at St Andrews Scots Memorial Church in Jerusalem for a concert of mostly Bach works titled “From the Depths”. Guest conductor was Frieder Bernius. Born in Germany in 1947, Bernius has become one of the leaders of the historically informed performance movement, focusing on the balance between vocal and instrumental forces.
The concert opened with J.S.Bach’s (1685-1750) Motet BWV 226 “Der Geist Hilft” (The Spirit Comes to Aid our Weakness) composed for the funeral of the Thomasschule rector J.H.Ernesti in 1729. Composed for double choir, Bach’s scoring calls for strings doubling the first choir and reeds doubling the second. In this performance, however, we heard mostly strings, with Amir Backman on Baroque oboe, with the continuo part (Yizhar Karshon-organ, Alon Portal-violone) providing a solid bass for the motet. The New Israeli Vocal Ensemble’s singing was fresh and flexible, with detached notes making for more articulate enunciation (no mean feat in the acoustics of Scottish Church.)
It was viol-player Amit Tiefenbrunn’s idea to have the Barrocade Ensemble perform a number of J.S.Bach’s fifteen Three-Part Inventions (Bach actually called them Sinfonias), his reason being that they could be played by whatever different instrumental combinations there were present for any given concert. Composed for keyboard for pedagogical use, the Three-Part Inventions first appeared in 1722 together with the Two-Part Inventions in the Clavier Buechlein compiled for Bach’s then young son Wilhelm Friedemann Bach, composed for the purpose of teaching the mastering of the “cantabile style” and as studies in counterpoint, motivic writing and more. Not merely for students, these small gems are worth hearing at the hands of professional musicians. We heard five of them played on strings, theorbo, organ and oboe; articulately drawing out each melodic voice, the play of timbres, textures and light ornamentation created colors and dynamics in elegance and good taste.
In Heinrich Schutz’ (1585-1672) Motet SWV 37, “An den Wassern zu Babel” (By the Waters of Babylon) Psalm 137,for double choir and basso continuo, we heard beautifully crafted phrases and a nice juxtaposition of sections, a reminder that Schutz’s profound approach to sacred texts rides on emotional fervor.
Two J.S.Bach cantatas formed the centerpiece of the concert. The funeral cantata “Actus Tragicus” BWV 106 (God’s Time is the Very Best Time), one of the best known of Bach’s early cantatas, was probably composed in 1707 in Muhlhausen, where the composer served as organist for two years. The texts, consisting of Bible verses and chorale strophes, were drawn together by an anonymous compiler. Bach’s scoring for four-part chorus, two recorders (Katya Polin, Reuvena Hod), two viola da gambas and basso continuo create the soul-searching (but not continuously tragic) soundscape for this unique work. Bernius produced a pleasing and moving performance of the cantata, the intertwining of vocal solos and choral phrases articulate, expressive and richly colored, choir and instruments wedded in a fine balance. David Nortman’s golden vocal color and musicality go hand in hand. Soprano Avigail Gortler’s delightful, stable vocal performance glittering with a touch of ornamentation pleased the audience, as did Noa Doron’s rich, bright alto voice. Outstanding Israeli baritone Yair Polishook, a versatile singer and musician with good stage presence, gave an impressive and compelling reading of the texts. (Polishook’s German pronunciation needs some work.)
Bach’s Cantata BWV 131 “Aus der Tiefen” (Out of the Depths Have I Called), also composed in 1707 or 1708, was composed at the request of Georg Christian Eilmar, the Archdeacon of St. Mary’s in Muhlausen, and a close friend of the composer. It is thought that Eilmar may have been the author of the texts, which are based on Psalm 130 and which include a chorale by Bartholomaus Ringwaldt. Bernius’ tempi allow for word-painting and clear expression of all melodic strands, with languishingly haunting superimposed chorale passages set against arias. Tenor Tal Koch, an musician involved in theatre, composition and original performance, was convincing in expressing the soul’s yearning for the morning.
‘My soul waits for the Lord
From one morning watch until the next.’
The New Israeli Vocal Ensemble is attractive to the listener in that it balances blend with individual vocal color. Frieder Bernius, working with the NIVE and the creative, high quality Barrocade Collective as well as with young Israeli soloists, produced a Baroque concert of beauty and meaning. Baroque oboist Amir Backman’s performance throughout the evening was impressive.
The concert opened with J.S.Bach’s (1685-1750) Motet BWV 226 “Der Geist Hilft” (The Spirit Comes to Aid our Weakness) composed for the funeral of the Thomasschule rector J.H.Ernesti in 1729. Composed for double choir, Bach’s scoring calls for strings doubling the first choir and reeds doubling the second. In this performance, however, we heard mostly strings, with Amir Backman on Baroque oboe, with the continuo part (Yizhar Karshon-organ, Alon Portal-violone) providing a solid bass for the motet. The New Israeli Vocal Ensemble’s singing was fresh and flexible, with detached notes making for more articulate enunciation (no mean feat in the acoustics of Scottish Church.)
It was viol-player Amit Tiefenbrunn’s idea to have the Barrocade Ensemble perform a number of J.S.Bach’s fifteen Three-Part Inventions (Bach actually called them Sinfonias), his reason being that they could be played by whatever different instrumental combinations there were present for any given concert. Composed for keyboard for pedagogical use, the Three-Part Inventions first appeared in 1722 together with the Two-Part Inventions in the Clavier Buechlein compiled for Bach’s then young son Wilhelm Friedemann Bach, composed for the purpose of teaching the mastering of the “cantabile style” and as studies in counterpoint, motivic writing and more. Not merely for students, these small gems are worth hearing at the hands of professional musicians. We heard five of them played on strings, theorbo, organ and oboe; articulately drawing out each melodic voice, the play of timbres, textures and light ornamentation created colors and dynamics in elegance and good taste.
In Heinrich Schutz’ (1585-1672) Motet SWV 37, “An den Wassern zu Babel” (By the Waters of Babylon) Psalm 137,for double choir and basso continuo, we heard beautifully crafted phrases and a nice juxtaposition of sections, a reminder that Schutz’s profound approach to sacred texts rides on emotional fervor.
Two J.S.Bach cantatas formed the centerpiece of the concert. The funeral cantata “Actus Tragicus” BWV 106 (God’s Time is the Very Best Time), one of the best known of Bach’s early cantatas, was probably composed in 1707 in Muhlhausen, where the composer served as organist for two years. The texts, consisting of Bible verses and chorale strophes, were drawn together by an anonymous compiler. Bach’s scoring for four-part chorus, two recorders (Katya Polin, Reuvena Hod), two viola da gambas and basso continuo create the soul-searching (but not continuously tragic) soundscape for this unique work. Bernius produced a pleasing and moving performance of the cantata, the intertwining of vocal solos and choral phrases articulate, expressive and richly colored, choir and instruments wedded in a fine balance. David Nortman’s golden vocal color and musicality go hand in hand. Soprano Avigail Gortler’s delightful, stable vocal performance glittering with a touch of ornamentation pleased the audience, as did Noa Doron’s rich, bright alto voice. Outstanding Israeli baritone Yair Polishook, a versatile singer and musician with good stage presence, gave an impressive and compelling reading of the texts. (Polishook’s German pronunciation needs some work.)
Bach’s Cantata BWV 131 “Aus der Tiefen” (Out of the Depths Have I Called), also composed in 1707 or 1708, was composed at the request of Georg Christian Eilmar, the Archdeacon of St. Mary’s in Muhlausen, and a close friend of the composer. It is thought that Eilmar may have been the author of the texts, which are based on Psalm 130 and which include a chorale by Bartholomaus Ringwaldt. Bernius’ tempi allow for word-painting and clear expression of all melodic strands, with languishingly haunting superimposed chorale passages set against arias. Tenor Tal Koch, an musician involved in theatre, composition and original performance, was convincing in expressing the soul’s yearning for the morning.
‘My soul waits for the Lord
From one morning watch until the next.’
The New Israeli Vocal Ensemble is attractive to the listener in that it balances blend with individual vocal color. Frieder Bernius, working with the NIVE and the creative, high quality Barrocade Collective as well as with young Israeli soloists, produced a Baroque concert of beauty and meaning. Baroque oboist Amir Backman’s performance throughout the evening was impressive.
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