"Violets Are Blue", a recently-issued disc of music on the subject of childhood, performed by Diana Weston and Michael Tsalka on square piano and harpsichord

 

"Violets Are Blue", early keyboard artists Diana Weston and Michael Tsalka's most recent recording, takes us into the world of childhood. Drawing inspiration from Béla Bartók's "For Children", Weston and Tsalka requested works associated with childhood from four contemporary women composers. We hear the works performed on harpsichord and fortepiano.

 

Well before embarking on the "Mikrokosmos", Bartók composed "For Children" (1908-1911), a  comprehensive collection representing the research into folk-song he had carried out together with Zoltán Kodály. The first volume is based on Hungarian folk tunes, with the second, on Slovakian tunes. The pieces have descriptive titles, referring to songs or dances. Tsalka and Weston arranged and performed a few pieces from each collection. Choosing to play five from the Slovakian Folk Tunes on  square piano, Tsalka performs them with personal expression and charm, pacing each thoughtfully, signing out with the Dirge, its left-hand melody graced by the haunting, repetitive ringing of bells allotted to the right hand. For pieces based on the Hungarian Folk Tunes, Weston's playing on harpsichord is animated and dancelike, the last piece (No.25) turning to introspection. For our young pupils, the pieces, suited to what small hands can manage, offer fine study material and plenty of variety. To our adult ears, they are exquisite, whole compositions. The artists' playing of these miniatures, each perfectly fashioned and characterized by the modes and authentic rhythms of those regions, emerges transparent, convincing and fetching. 

 

Commissioned by Diana Weston, "Hopscotch" (2025) by Ann Carr-Boyd (b. 1938, Australia) sits very well on early keyboards. Weston and Tsalka give zesty expression to Carr-Boyd's articulate, accessible language and to the almost-visible chronicles in which she embraces memories of children at play, the graceful movements (and music typical) of a ballet class, and we are also invited to envisage the drift of "I Hate Spinach". 

 

"The Rain Puzzle", by Australian composer Elena Kats-Chernin (b. 1957, Uzbekistan) is a fascinating piece. Adhering to the work's harmonic course and structure, the performer is at liberty to decide on dynamics, tempo and even on the choice of keyboard instrument(s). Choosing to play this perpetuum mobile on the fortepiano, Weston's performance takes the listener beyond the lightweight pitter-patter of raindrops that taper off now and then, yet never cease. Following each basically tonal harmonic process to its port of call becomes an intricate part of probing the puzzle. 

 

By another Australian composer, Diana Blom (b.1947, New Zealand), "Ballpark" for two harpsichords offers a series of clever depictions of the actions and pace of a number of ball games. This is spirited, characterful writing for two harpsichords, here performed with meticulous precision.

 

The selection of pieces from "Märchen" (Fairytales) by Violeta Dinescu (b.1953, Romania, in Germany since 1982) presents a rich potpourri of characters, situations, descriptions and short narratives sure to fire the imaginations of young listeners and of those of us adults reluctant to leave the world of fairytale fantasy. On this recording, some pieces are played on square piano (Tsalka), some on harpsichord (Weston) and a handful on both. Dinescu does not limit her style to any one tonal system, rather, making use of tonal-, modal- and/or atonal writing in order to create each tiny, finely-etched vignette, be it a description of some strange hybrid creature, the lure of magic, of a princess in a tree, Caspar's hen laying some notes, Grandmother's music box, a puzzle, and more. Then, with the artists performing in duo on square and harpsichord, we hear several more miniatures (this time untitled) from "The Story Book of My Grandma", Dinescu again employing various compositional strategies and  including a touch of folk idiom. In keeping with the fact that this second collection includes some aleatoric elements (suggested by whimsical graphic signs), the pieces were recorded live, undergoing no editing. 

 

The art of performing miniatures is of the essence in "Violets Are Blue" - contemporary music for square piano and harpsichord.  Dr. Diana Weston (Australia) and Prof. Michael Tsalka (Israel-China) address every fine detail and gesture, reading into each piece in depth with new curiosity and commitment. Their playing is polished, exhilarating and inventive, exhibiting fine teamwork. This  delightful line-up of works calls for active listening. Recorded in Sydney, Australia, September 30th 2025 for the Wirripang label, the artists perform on a Flemish single-manual harpsichord (Marc DuCornet), a Zuckermann single-manual harpsichord and a restored square piano forte by Robertson (c.1835), Liverpool, England.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       

Diana Weston (Courtesy Thoroughbass)

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                                                                                        

Michael Tsalka (Geelvinck Muziek Musea)

Daniel Johannsen and Dror Semmel perform Schubert's "Winterreise" at the Eden-Tamir Music Center, Jerusalem

 

Daniel Johannsen (Anette Friedel)

Dror Semmel (Alex Kaplan)

The stormy, blustery weather leading up to January 10th 2026 had given way to a hazy, pallid Jerusalem sky. The ground was damp underfoot. Nature had provided the ideal setting for a performance of Franz Schubert's "Winterreise" (Winter's Journey) to take place at the Eden-Tamir Music Center. In collaboration with the Israeli Schubertiade, we heard the song cycle performed by tenor Daniel Johannsen (Austria) with Eden-Tamir Music Center artistic director Dror Semmel playing the center's recently-acquired Graf fortepiano.

 

Dr. Semmel opened the festive event with a few words about the fortepiano as being the instrument Schubert would have heard, the fortepiano symbolizing the Romantic Lied genre, its timbre and scope creating an intimate connection between music and text. Builder of historic pianos Paul McNulty (US) modelled this Graf fortepiano (the only one in Israel) after instruments played by Beethoven, Schubert and Chopin.

 

Confronting his own approaching death, Schubert found appropriate content for the "Winterreise" song cycle in the dark, melancholic poems of a Prussian contemporary - Wilhelm Müller (1794-1827) - a lyric poet who was known to openly invite collaborations with musicians. Unjustly referred to in his day as second rate, Müller had, in fact, given new expression to the literary ideals of his time. "Winterreise" presents only one speaking character and no narrator, leaving the listener unaware of the protagonist's name, his appearance (except that he has black hair), his birthplace, occupation or personal history. Of his inner life, we learn more as the cycle progresses. From the first chords of the opening song, "Gute Nacht" (Good Night), as we join the protagonist stepping away from the town, rejected by the lady he loves, the piece's fleeting recollection of better times is replaced by the piano re-establishing the bleak mood and weary pace (a feature recurring in several of the songs.) Johannsen and Semmel's deep, rigorous inquiry into the wealth of fine details and the many layers of "Winterreise" summons the audience at the Eden-Tamir Center to be more than attentive!

 

In addition to some vivid story-telling, the artists' production displayed the cycle's succession of psychological states - the protagonist's emotions and moods, those ranging from sadness, anger, despair, nostalgia, illusion and hope to resignation - the different states of mind often shifting from one to another within the blink of an eye. With the fortepiano's timbre direct and transparent, we hear the occasional divergence between the character of the words and the keyboard score, an interesting element, at times intimating that the piano is more aware of certain issues than is the traveller, at others, perhaps more distanced. And the contrasts, so many contrasts - songs of intensive, explosive energy, songs of wispy textures and eerie stillness, references to the icy European winter, to the comfort of warmth, moments of gorgeous, idyllic Viennese melodiousness and then of despair, contrasts of texture, of tempo, of gesture, and more. They were all present, not only via the contours of the singer’s melody, but also in the pictorial vividness of the piano score, set within Müller and Schubert's immense, palpably existent nature canvas.  

 

I choose to mention "Die Krähe" (The Crow), a song unique in Lied literature and one of my favourites. Imaginatively evoking the crow's call (via the word “Krähe") Johannsen portrays the wanderer speaking fondly of- and to the crow that has accompanied him from the outset of his journey, asking if it will stay with him till he dies. However, presenting the song's austere duality, the wanderer also asks whether the crow is waiting to feast on his carcass. Taking leave of gravity, Semmel's playing elevates the listener way up into the tranquillity of the sky to join the bird soaring in its airy expanses, then to finally descend smoothly into the piano's lower register to deliver Schubert's grim answer. 

 

As to "Der Leiermann" (The Hurdy-Gurdy Man), the cycle's horrific final song, announced by a drone on the piano (a feature of the hurdy-gurdy, an early instrument having several drone strings), Johannsen and Semmel's careful, deliberate pacing of its bleak, haunted content creates a sense of staticity. The artists' melancholic, intense reading of one of the most enigmatic songs in Lied repertoire was heightened by an otherworldly effect Semmel created by combining use of the Graf's double moderator with the sustaining pedal.

 

Thirty years after Schubert’s death, Joseph von Spaun wrote of attending the first performance of "Winterreise" - a private affair, in which the composer performed the song cycle for his friends. Schubert referred to the work as " a cycle of horrifying songs", adding that they had cost him "more effort than any of my other songs.” With "Winterreise" originally composed for the tenor voice (possibly to give a sense of implied youthfulness) Daniel Johannsen is utterly convincing as he narrates and emotes, enlisting his large range of dynamics and engaging in word painting, his vocal timbre warm yet variously coloured, his diction inviting the audience to savour every word, every gesture. These qualities, together with Dror Semmel's outstanding and committed reading of the richly allusive and occasionally austere piano part, made for a vital, moving and altogether engrossing musical experience. 

Graf fortepiano (Courtesy Eden-Tamir Music Center)

 

 

Jochewed Schwarz (spinet) and Ashley Solomon (traverso) perform Baroque music on period instruments at a house concert in Jerusalem

Ashley Solomon (J.A.)

Jochewed Schwarz (Lauren Pressler)

 

In 18th-century Europe, salon concerts (some held in private homes, some within royal courts) were the main source of musical life for the aristocracy and wealthy elite. These exclusive events (coexisting with the emerging public concert scene) catered to the desire for intimate performance and social distinction, the invitees being eminent artists, writers, diplomats and other intellectuals. Gathered at a private home in Jerusalem on December 28th 2025, our gracious hostess offered us such an experience, with Jochewed Schwarz and Ashley Solomon performing on spinet and traverso (Baroque transverse flute). Taking the audience on "The Grand Tour - Baroque music from across Europe" the artists presented works of prominent composers from four European countries.

 

Starting the journey in England, Jochewed Schwarz invited the audience to experience some fine early keyboard playing with three lively, archetypal English pieces - corantos (short, dance-type pieces, characterized by short running passages) from the Fitzwilliam Virginal Book. (This pivotal historic tome includes keyboard pieces from 25 named- and anonymous composers from the late Renaissance and very early Baroque). Of George Frideric Handel, who settled in London in 1712, where he spent most of his career (becoming a naturalised British subject) the artists performed Flute Sonata in E minor (HWV 359b). Originally written for the violin, London music publisher John Walsh transposed it (and others) into suitable keys for the flute, presumably in order to improve their sales potential. Solomon reminded us that the flute was an instrument played by kings; this score was in King George II's library. Schwarz's elegant exploration of the original figured bass practice moved hand-in-glove with Solomon's melodiously lush, buoyant, expressive and tastefully ornamented playing.

 

Crossing the Channel to France, to where the transverse flute was one of the most popular instruments in the first half of the 18th century, we heard two works of Jacques-Martin Hotteterre. Of the Hotteterre family, important in the musical life of France under the "ancien régime", we know of thirteen members who were woodwind instrument makers, players and composers. Court musician Jacques-Martin was the most famous of them for his treatises, his teaching, as a composer of works for flute and recorder and as a brilliant player. Hotteterre's instruction was that his Suite No.1 be played on the transverse flute. Solomon and Schwarz gave subtle meaning to each of its different moods, with melodic lines abounding in "notes inégales" and displaying French techniques of ornamentation. Also, by Hotteterre, the artists gave wistful, embellished delivery of Hotteterre's setting of the song "Pourquoy doux rossignol" (Why, sweet nightingale.)  Exactly what François Couperin le Grand was referring to in his keyboard piece "Les Barricades Mystérieuses" (The Mysterious Barricades) remains obscure. Navigating the rondeau's course of skilfully dovetailed motifs written in the arpeggiated "style brisé" (broken style) with its driving, teasing rhythmic schemes and “unexpected” harmonies, Schwarz's playing of this small gem was captivating. French composer and renowned court flautist Michel de la Barre is recognized as being the first person to publish solo flute music. The Chaconne from his Suite "l`Inconnue" for flute and basso continuo in G major ("The Unknown Lady," the specific lady remaining unnamed, ties in with Baroque musical traditions of evocative titles rather than direct portraiture) made for a delightful concert piece. Zesty yet courtly, refined yet effervescent, rhythmically decisive and presenting a variety of different instrumental flute techniques, it was beautifully handled by both artists, with Schwarz effectuating the skeleton figured bass harmonic guidelines.

 

The artists performed works by two giants of the German Baroque. Ashley Solomon spoke of Georg Philipp Telemann as writing idiomatically for the flute. Whether the Twelve Fantasies for flute (solo) without bass were written for didactic purposes or to accommodate the virtuoso performers of his day is unclear. What is clear is that, groundbreaking as they were when written, they remain some of the most original and inventive pieces in the entire flute repertoire. Solomon chose to play Fantasie No.12 in G minor, his spontaneity calling attention to the piece's formal freedom, to the contrasting moods of its miniature movements and to the composer’s ingenuity in creating "false" polyphony and interior dialogues. Sharing the same tonality, we heard what has been known as Johann Sebastian Bach's Sonata in G minor BWV 1020. (Current scholarship now names the author as Johann Sebastian’s son C.P.E. Bach.) The artists underscored the charm and beauty of the work, presenting the depth and equal interest written into both instrumental roles, their dialogue real, subtle and engaging, with a lovely sense of balance between the parts. Their sparing use of flexing and rubato added to the sense of spontaneity.

 

And to Italy, known as the "land of the violin." The bulk of Pietro Antonio Locatelli's oeuvre consists of sonatas and concertos for his own instrument, the violin. Of  Locatelli's virtuosity on the instrument, a contemporary of his, Charles Henri de Blainville, remarked that he "was able… to make a caged song bird fall from its perch in a swoon of pleasure." Like those he wrote for the violin, Locatelli's Flute Sonatas Op 2 (published in Amsterdam, where the music publishing industry was lucrative) make considerable demands on the soloist's technique. Boding the emerging “style galant”, they contributed much to the genre of the solo sonata, which was now gaining prominence over the trio sonata. There was much to enjoy in the artists' performance of Sonata in C major - fine teamwork, virtuosic playing, the music's variety of expression, its rhythmic manoeuvres and the small surprises it (and the artists) had in store, these including, for example, just a few small, suspenseful halts in the 3rd movement. Many of us have played Francesco Barsanti's Recorder Sonatas Op 1. In 1735, the Italian composer and wind player left Italy in 1714 for London, where he played in Handel’s opera orchestra. In 1735, he moved to Edinburgh for eight years. There, he produced "A Collection of Old Scots Tunes", settings he dedicated to a certain young Lady Charlotte Erskine. The evening's program ended with Jochewed Schwarz and Ashley Solomon performing three pieces from the collection, their delivery appealing, charmingly sentimental and songful, the pieces indeed stylistically very Scottish coming from the pen of an Italian composer! 

 

It was an evening of warm hospitality, interesting explanations and fine music. For many in the audience, it was their first encounter with this repertoire and with period instruments. The artists very much enjoyed the audience’s curiosity, their attentive listening, the questions they asked and the genuine dialogue with them. Jochewed Schwarz (Israel) played an exquisitely beautiful spinettino built by William Horn, inspired by a 16th-century Italian trapezoidal spinet in the Kunsthistorisches Museum (Vienna).  Ashley Solomon (UK) brought with him two flutes - a boxwood flute by Rod Cameron after J.Denner (Germany, 1720) and an ebony flute by Martin Wenner after C.Palanca (Italy, 1750).

 

The Italian trapezoidal spinet (William Horn)

 

At the Jerusalem International YMCA, Maayan Licht (male soprano) and Matan Dagan (violin) solo at the 2025 Christmas concert of the Israel Camerata Jerusalem (conductor: Avner Biron)

 

Maayan Licht © Filip Adamus

Surrounded by the sparkling Christmas illuminations dominating the precincts of the Jerusalem International YMCA on the evening of December 24th 2025, crowds of people were enjoying a concert of Christmas carols and other melodies played by Professor Gabi Scheffler on the YMCA's 36-bell carillon. The event in the auditorium, Concert No.4 of the Israel Camerata Jerusalem's InstruVocal Series, was conducted by Camerata founder/music director Maestro Avner Biron. SOPRANO SENZA MASCHERA featured soloists Maayan Licht (male soprano) and Matan Dagan (violin).

Opening the festive event was Ms. Wendy Aryeh, chair of the board of the Jerusalem International YMCA. She spoke about the YMCA's work and of its new projects. As to the concert's title, "Senza maschera" (Italian) translates as "without a mask" or "unmasked", meaning to reveal one's true self, face, or identity, removing any disguise or pretence. Maayan Licht (b.Israel,1993) has wasted no time in soaring high into the international concert scene, performing male soprano roles, many of which are integral to Baroque opera. This was Licht’s first concert in Jerusalem.

The program commenced with the French-style overture to G.F.Handel's opera "Agrippina". With its emphasis on the oboe as a solo instrument, the Camerata's playing was fresh, rich in ideas and certainly much more convivial than the opera's various corrupt, greedy, and depraved characters! A major part of the program consisted of solo vocal numbers from works of Handel. From "Rinaldo", we heard "Lascia ch'io pianga" (Let me weep), with Licht evoking Almirena's despair, his singing beautifully ornamented in the repeated section, then to his exciting, virtuosic performance of the aria "Venti turbini" (Winds and tempests) with bassoon obbligato. As the evening progressed, the audience became progressively more aware of Maayan Licht's well-anchored, flexible singing, his rich vocal colour, dynamic range and fine phrasing, his theatrical expressiveness, his faultless memory and the astonishing technical prowess he engages to incorporate all of these elements. Take, for example, his performance of "Un pensiero nemico di pace" (A thought that is an enemy of peace) from Handel's oratorio "Il trionfo del tiempo e del disinganno" (The Triumph of Time and Truth), the aria’s frenetic outer sections brimming with melismatic runs, contrasted with the intimate, reflective middle section in which the voice duets with the 'cello. Licht also performed excerpts from operas of Vivaldi and Geminiano Giacomelli. The first performance of Giacomelli's opera "Merope" must have been a grand event in the Venice Carnival season of 1734, featuring the two most celebrated castrati singers of the time - Farinelli and Cafarelli. The opera itself then fell into complete oblivion, save for one aria, “Sposa, non mi conosci” (Spouse/Wife, you don't know me) sung by the character Epitide (written for Farinelli). Licht's performance of the aria highlighted its pathos, suspense and sudden outbursts of vehemence, his ornamenting and melismatic passagework keeping the audience at the Jerusalem YMCA at the edge of their seats.

It was time to catch one's breath! J.S.Bach's fascination with- and his supreme mastery of the Italian concerto style is heard in Violin Concerto No.2 in E Major BWV 1042. Camerata concertmaster Matan Dagan performed the solo role at the Jerusalem concert. His reading of it was ordered and sincere, the outer movements unmannered, indeed, played in accordance with the stipulations as to the individual’s expression within the hierarchy of the princedom. The Adagio (2nd movement), featuring a long-drawn-out ostinato, with the violin's intricate musings and free-flowing, doleful solo melody, emerged graceful and introspective.

With the concert taking place on Christmas Eve, Arcangelo Corelli’s Concerto grosso No. 8 - more commonly known as the Christmas Concerto - fitted the bill. Biron and the Camerata players gave a splendid reading of the concerto, highlighting both its joy and its mystery. Having played out its contrasts, its dissonances and counterpoint with precision and verve, the delicate beauty of the Pastorale, subtitled "Fatto per la notte di Natale" ("Made for Christmas Night") drew the work to a close in hushed contemplation. 

Following a joyous, carefully controlled, elaborate and beautifully contrasted performance of "Rejoice Greatly, O Daughter of Zion" from Handel's "Messiah", Maayan Licht had a surprise in store for those attending the concert - not another dazzling Baroque aria, but the Habanera from Bizet's "Carmen". Candid, theatrical and arresting, the artist thrilled the audience with his lavish singing, his facial expression and body language, creating his own connection with the unrestricted, fierce, mercurial and playfully alluring gypsy character, as she imparts her lesson on seduction in this aria.

Maestro Biron and the Camerata instrumentalists addressed the works on the program attentively, endorsing the meaning of each with careful detail, elegance and precision.

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THE WORLD IS A STAGE - Assaf Bènraf conducts the Jerusalem Symphony Orchestra, the Jerusalem A-Cappella Singers, the Jerusalem Oratorio Chamber Choir and soloists in a program of opera favourites

 

Tali Ketzef,Assaf Bènraf,David Goldberg,Tamara Navoth (Courtesy Tamara Navoth)

THE WORLD IS A STAGE - This was no understatement regarding the concert that took place at the Jerusalem Theatre on December 21st 2025 to a packed Henry Crown Auditorium. In this, the second of "The Chorus Line" series, Maestro Assaf  Bènraf conducted the Jerusalem Symphony Orchestra, the Jerusalem A-Cappella Singers and the Jerusalem Oratorio Chamber Choir. Soloists were Tali Ketzef (soprano), Tamara Navoth (mezzo-soprano), David Goldberg (tenor), Dmitry Lovtsov (baritone) and Ziv Sabag (tenor). Jerusalem mayor Moshe Lion opened the festive event.

 

Assaf Bènraf and the musicians took the audience on a whirlwind opera tour to destinations throughout Europe and into Restoration England, with opera excerpts from the late 17th- to the early 20th centuries. And what more delightful way to start the evening rolling than with the Overture to W.A.Mozart's "Marriage of Figaro", performed with fleet lightness, wit, freshness and charm, its every gesture alluding to the opera's playful, mischievous plot. This was followed by a splendid reading of the chorus "Giovani liete fiori spargete" (Young ladies, happily scatter flowers).  

 

Leaving the world of opera buffa, the program took the audience to operas based on myth or history, those exploring profound human emotions, downfall and sorrow, starting with "Ah, se intorno a quest'urna funestra" (Ah! If around this mournful urn) from C.W.Gluck's "Orfeo ed Euridice", the choral role's lush, lyrical intensity interwoven with Orfeo's grief-stricken solo utterances (Tamara Navoth). Navoth's poised singing and tasteful ornamentation of Dido's Lament from "Dido and Aeneas" (Purcell) brought out the simplicity of this grand lament, followed by the choir's gentle request that cupids scatter rose petals on Dido’s tomb. For me, a highlight of the evening was the chorus introducing the 4th act of G.Verdi's “Macbeth”, "Patria oppressa" (Oppressed land of ours), in which Scottish refugees bemoan the misery of their own country. Expressive, meticulously detailed and with a fine balance between instrumental- and choral forces, Bènraf conveyed the bleak, menacing scene. This was followed by a pleasurable performance of the much-loved chorus from Verdi's "Nabucco" "Va, pensiero" (Chorus of the Hebrew Slaves), a reminder of Babylonian captivity following the destruction of Solomon’s Temple in Jerusalem (586 BC). Then, plummeting to the program's gloomiest depths, we heard the scene from M.Mussorgsky’s "Boris Godunov" that includes the Holy Fool's aria, a pivotal moment in the opera and a scene heavy in social commentary and psychological drama. Alongside praiseworthy singing on the part of the choir (with tenor Ziv Sabag as Shulsky) young Israeli tenor David Goldberg, commanded fine vocal control, his richly-timbred voice displaying the requisite pathos to portray the Holy Fool lamenting Russia's dark future. An outstanding and convincing performance of this challenging material.   

 

There was much enjoyment from the selection of pieces performed from G.Bizet's "Carmen", beginning with the Overture, its rousing march style including the Toreador Song. Joined by two choir member soloists, the chorus "A deux cuartos!" (For two cuartos!), a foil to the impending grim melodrama, was stirring, presenting festive celebrating of the crowd and merchants outside the bullring. Performing one of the best-known arias of operatic repertoire, we heard Tamara Navoth (her Carmen a less promiscuous gypsy than some) singing the Habanera, “L’amour est un oiseau rebelle” (Love is a rebellious bird), the performance characterized by attentive balance of solo voice, choir and orchestra.

 

And to the world of light opera, of sweet sentiments of love and happy endings, starting with "The Merry Widow" by Franz Lehár. Performing the Vilja-Lied, in which the affluent widow Hanna delights her guests with a tale about a woodland fairy who bewitches hunters, soprano Tali Ketzef captured the piece's sentiments of longing and desire, of nostalgia and hope, her delicate rendition at times overshadowed by the orchestra. Ketzef and Navoth's voices blended and matched in their fetching performance of  "Belle nuit, ô nuit d'amour" (Beautiful Night, Oh Night of Love), the daintily lilting Barcarolle from Jacques Offenbach's opéra fantastique "The Tales of Hoffmann". For the opera's Finale, Ketzef, Navoth, Goldberg and Lovtsov (the latter's voice easeful, resonant and of warm timbre) sang the opening, then to be joined by the choir, with the JSO brass- and percussion sections contributing to the mighty, final tutti.  And what more jovial way to end the concert than with soloists, choir and orchestra raising a glass to indulgence and merriment in the iconic "Champagne Song" from Johann Strauss II's operetta "Die Fledermaus"? But it seems that yet another toast was in order, with a hearty performance of "Libiamo ne 'lieti calici" (Let's drink from the joyful cups) from G.Verdi's "La Traviata".

 

It was a sparkling evening of variety and of first-class, polished performance on the part of the JSO players, choirs and soloists, indeed, an evening of opera magic, despite there being no staging. Maestro Bènraf drew together these forces with precision, eloquence and clarity, his lively explanations adding interesting background information as to the works and their times. 

 

"Last Words" - the Israel Contemporary Players perform works of Dror Binder, Martijn Padding, Louis Andriessen and John Adams. Conductor: Christian Karlsen. Soloist: Hillel Zori

Maestro Christian Karlsen (Karl Gabor)

 

Prof. Hillel Zori (Courtesy Keshet Eilon)

"Last Words", Concert No.2 of the Israel Contemporary Players' 35th season, took place in the Zucker Hall of Heichal Hatarbut, Tel Aviv, on December 6th. 2025. Guest conductor was Christian Karlsen (Sweden). The soloist was Israeli 'cellist Hillel Zori.

 

The program opened with the world premiere of  "Long Exposure" by Israeli composer Dror Binder (b.1993). Binder is currently based in Vienna. Commissioned by the Israel Contemporary Players, "Long Exposure", scored for 12 instrumentalists, opened with short utterances of breathy, whistling (and other) sounds, moving into longer sections of changing timbres and fuller settings. Unconventional use of the piano and percussion instruments (also the sound of crinkling paper) elicited a myriad of associations in the listener's mind, the performance also providing visual interest in the process of music-making. The eclectic range of music  to which Binder was exposed as a child, and over recent years, filters through into the compositions he writes, bringing about his distinctive, personal musical style. The composer was present at the event.

 

Composed by Dutch composer Martijn Padding (b.1956), "Last Words" (2010) is actually a 'cello concerto in three movements. From the initial notes of the first movement (Preambulum), Padding introduces us to a different, changing relationship between orchestra and soloist. In this movement of high energy, of many colourful, spirited ideas and timbres, including some whimsical gestures, 'cellist Hillel Zori joins the conviviality with easeful, clean, dazzling playing. The second movement (Aria) is a mood piece (perhaps night music with insect sounds or bird calls?), its sparse scoring made up of small, delicate motifs, with the 'cello playing pizzicato. Dancelike and of good humour, the third movement (Foforlalana) takes us back to the brisk character of the Preambulum, as Zori engages in fast runs through all 'cello registers against vivid playing of the ensemble and frictious sounds from the keyboard. Fine, attentive performance on the part of all, with plenty of interest in the percussion section, kept the audience at the edge of its seats.

 

Then to a work by Louis Andriessen (1939-1921). Producing a staggering output, Andriessen was considered the most influential Dutch composer of his generation. He was one of the founders of the Hague School, an avant-garde minimalist movement active in the second half of the 20th century. (Padding was a pupil of Andriessen.)  A commissioned work (1994), "Zilver" calls for a mixed instrumental septet of flute, clarinet, violin, cello, vibraphone, marimba and piano. The title refers to the two silver instruments – flute and vibraphone.  Andriessen saw the work as a chorale variation, as Bach had written for the organ. The ensemble divides into two groups, with the winds and strings playing the sustained melody in chorale-like four-part harmony; the vibraphone, marimba and piano form the second group. From the initial small bursts of sound, as flute and vibraphone descend an altered major scale together, Andriessen's design remains clear throughout, as the subtle variations in timing draw the listener into the process. The music proceeds to a faster, motoric pace, with both groups suddenly engaging in larger intervals. Winding down from the dancelike climax, the quartet bows out, as the work concludes with a single musical strand. A demanding piece, splendidly handled by conductor and players.

 

For me, the opportunity of hearing a work by John Adams (b.1947), a composer in a class on his own in the world of American music, is one not to be missed. The concert concluded with "Son of Chamber Symphony". This work, commissioned by Stanford University, Carnegie Hall and the San Francisco Ballet, had its first performance in 2007. (Choreographed by Mark Morris, the dance version, titled "Joyride", was premiered in 2008.)  "Son of Chamber Symphony" shares the similarly nimble character of its predecessor, the Chamber Symphony (1992). Indeed, it is as difficult as the original chamber symphony, if not more so. The rhythmic restiveness inherent in "Son of Chamber Symphony" is partly due to its choreographic intent. Including some jazzy elements, a pizzazzy pulse launches the first movement, as it offers a rich, imaginative mix of timbres. Mostly calmer in mood, and offering an opportunity to hear woodwind- and other players in some beautiful solos, the second movement floats a long, meandering melody over gentle chords. Back in hectic Adams mode, the last movement presents a busy scene, the bass instruments playing alternating major and minor thirds, with the upper voices threading polyphonic utterances through the pulsing fabric. 

 

Christian Karlsen (b.1985) is one of Scandinavia's most outstanding and innovative conductors. Having quickly established himself as one of Europe's foremost conductors of contemporary music, he is equally at home in  traditional repertoire and is renowned for his interpretations of Mozart and Haydn. Maestro Karlsen is no new face to the Israel Contemporary Players and their audience. At the Tel Aviv concert, Karlsen and the ICP's fine musicians joined in what was seamless teamwork,  performing the program's four works with dedication and true excellence. 

At St. Andrew's Scots Memorial Church, Jerusalem, the Israeli Vocal Ensemble (music director: Yuval Benozer) performs works based on biblical texts.

The Israeli Vocal Ensemble, Maestro Yuval Benozer back far right (Doron Oved)

 

The Bible has provided (and continues to provide) an inexhaustible source of inspiration to musicians, especially when it comes to choral repertoire. The Israeli Vocal Ensemble opened its 33rd concert season with "After These Things…Bible Stories in Voices". Taking place at St. Andrew's Scots Memorial Church, Jerusalem, on November 28th 2025, the concert was conducted by IVE founder/ music director Yuval Benozer. Joining the ensemble were  pianist Janna Kopelev and Itamar Leshem (horn). The program included works from the 16th- to the 21st centuries and from several countries.

 

Opening with a solo (Stefan Blochwitz), "Absalom, my son" (2 Samuel 18:33), composed by Michael Barrett (b.1983, South Africa) offered a marvellous mix of textures, modality, autumnal harmonies and pedal points, taking the listener from the narrative to the personal, emotional pain of David (as do all the works using the same text.). And to one of the supreme examples of late Renaissance repertoire, five ensemble members performed Thomas Tomkins' "When David heard". The singers, their rendition unmarred by vibrato, were attentive to each other, as they presented the blend of polyphony, harmonic content and emotion of this small gem. Ensemble member Dor Magen conducted the same text (in Spanish) as composed by Joaquin Rodrigo "Triste estabael Rey David" (1950). Taking it at a relaxed pace, Magen's direction gave expression to the fine details of this sombre work, its contrasting melodies, the convergence of vocal lines and the psalm-tone timbre (with grace notes) creating the lamentation's specific Spanish sound world.

 

For me, one of the highlights of the concert was the performance of "Da Jakob vollendet hatte" (When Jacob had finished the instructions to his children, Genesis 49:33 & 50:1) by Johann Hermann Schein. This piece belongs to the 1623 "Israelis Brünnlein" (Fountains of Israel) collection, composed by Schein in the Italian madrigal style, most of the texts taken from the Old Testament. From the motet’s densely chromatic opening, Benozer and singers gave articulate, meticulously-phrased expression to its remarkable images of grief and to the word painting woven into this piece, indeed, one of the most extraordinary documents of the early German Baroque.

 

The program included a number of Israeli compositions. Tastefully accompanied by Janna Kopelev, tenor Daniel Portnoy performed "In the Beginning" (lyrics: Haim Hefer, melody: Sasha Argov), his rendering clean, genial and communicative, as he presented the narrative with freshness and good humour. In Israeli composer/conductor Tzvi Sherf's splendid arrangement of "In the Beginning (Genesis)" (music/lyrics: Don McClean, 1978), the ensemble gave a coherent, colourful delivery of the song's upbeat, richly-detailed verbal- and musical text. As to "Vayimalet Kayin" (And Cain Fled), the IVE's male singers conveyed the rhythmic, muscular energy of Yehezkel Braun's distinctive setting of Yaakov Shabtai's poem. The text tells of Cain (soloist: Michael Bachner, portraying a self-pitying Cain), having murdered his brother Abel, wandering the earth and finding no respite. Again, on the theme of family tragedy, Canadian-born Israeli composer Aharon Harlap's "Bat Yiftach" (Jeptha's Daughter, Judges 11:29-39) relates the story of Jephtha willing to sacrifice whoever comes forth from the doors of his house on his return from war, if God grants him victory in battle. It is his daughter, who dances out to greet him. Harlap's score calls for SATB choir, French horn solo and two vocal soloists. With the French horn's sound traditionally associated with destiny, Itamar Leshem's playing is majestic, setting the fateful scene, also concluding the work. Harlap's writing, stringent, chromatic and uncompromising, entrusts the choir with the narrative. Baritone Dov Antin made for a gripping Jephtha, with Liron Givoni' giving an emotional portrayal of his daughter. 

 

Born in Estonia in 1935, Arvo Pärt's deep Christian faith has shaped his globally celebrated compositions. "Which Was the Son of" was commissioned by the city of Reykjavík for its European Capital of Culture 2000 program.  Inspired by Iceland’s tradition of reciting family names, the composer sets a passage from the Gospel of Luke that lists the order of Jesus’ descent and his lineage. At the Jerusalem concert, we were presented with a fascinating (indeed, mesmerizing) performance of the work. This was no monotonous listing of names. Indeed, Maestro Benozer led the singers through a high-energy reading of the work, its different sections employing chordal and melodic elements, dynamic variety and fluid interchanges of voices, ultimately arriving at a multi-voiced polyphonic section, in which the names of Adam and God are highlighted. With precision and fine diction, the singers undertook the pronunciation of Scripture proper names as indicated in the score's table of signs.  An outstanding performance of this unique work!

 

The Israeli Vocal Ensemble's repertoire includes a number of Afro-American spirituals. These works constitute splendid concert fare. We heard American composer/arranger Mark Hayes' jazzy, finger-snapping setting of "Go Down Moses" (Solo: Ronen Ravid), a dose of whimsy added by Hayes to the original Gospel song.  "Shadrack" (Robert MacGimsey, arr. Charles R. Casey), brimful of foot-tapping dance rhythms and vocal effects endorsing the song's quirky style of narrative, was followed by Moses Hogan's rich, sophisticated vocal writing in his arrangement of "The Battle of Jericho", and splendidly performed. 

 

Ronen Ravid's eloquent reading of some of the song texts added an extra dimension to this concert of fine programming and consummate performance.  

 

For an encore, the ensemble gave a colourful rendition of Matti Caspi’s “Farewell to Noah’s Ark” (lyrics: Nurit Zarhi, arr. Tzvi Sherf.)