The world premiere of Michael Wolpe's Choral Fantasy followed by Beethoven's Symphony No.9 at the Jerusalem Symphony Orchestra's 2023 Independence Day concert. Conductor: Steven Sloane

Prof. Michael Wolpe

 

It was April 25th, the eve of Israel's 2023 Independence Day and the air in the Henry Crown Auditorium of the Jerusalem Theatre was alive with joy, expectation and a touch of trepidation. The hall was packed to capacity, with concert-goers attending the Jerusalem Symphony Orchestra's festive concert honouring 75 years of the State of Israel. Conducting was JSO music- and artistic director Steven Sloane. We were to hear two large and interconnected works - the world premiere of Michael Wolpe's Choral Fantasy for choir, soloists, piano and large orchestra, to be followed by Ludwig van Beethoven's Symphony No.9 in D minor, Op.125, "Choral". The concert featured the Chamber Choir of the Jerusalem Academy of Music and Dance (director: Stanley Sperber) and the Tel Aviv Collegium Singers (director: Yishai Steckler), Tom Zalmanov (piano), soprano Ilse Eerens (Belgium), Israeli-born contralto Noa Frenkel, tenor Liviu Indricau (Romania) and British-born bass baritone Simon Bailey. 

 

 

On April 25th, Michael Wolpe (b. Tel Aviv, 1960) wrote: "This evening, on the seam between painful memorial days and the 75th Independence Day of our beloved and troubled country, against the background of all the events happening around us, a work of mine will be premiered by the Jerusalem Symphony Orchestra, the Jerusalem Academy of Music Choir and the Collegium Choir, pianist Tom Zalmanov and solo singers."  Wolpe's Choral Fantasy for choir, soloists, piano and large orchestra (2023) was clearly inspired by Beethoven's 9th Symphony, both in its grand setting - large orchestra, choir and four vocal soloists (here, with the addition of the piano) - and by the fact that it carries a strong social message. However, appearing 200 years later and composed in a location far removed from Central Europe, Wolpe's rich selection of texts by Jewish and Israeli poets is woven through the work's fabric together with the familiar music of Israeli songs and oriental dance rhythms, such as those inherent in the music of the Jews of  Yemen. In addition to texts sung by the choir and soloists, Prof. Wolpe himself added (and recited) his own spoken narrative to the multi-dimensional canvas. Falling into four sections bound together almost seamlessly, the Choral Fantasy includes texts of Russian-born Rachel Bluwstein (1890-1931), the Hebrew-language poet known as "Rachel", who immigrated to Palestine in 1909, of Tel Aviv-born poet Havatzelet Habshush (1950-1984), of Polish Hebrew/Yiddish modernist writer David Frischmann (1859-1922) and of the medieval Jewish Spanish Talmudic scholar Rabbi Shmuel HaNagid (993 AD-1056). Written in a highly accessible tonal/modal style, the huge choral and orchestral setting moved from foreboding moments to soulful, cantabile melodies, to infectious dance rhythms. The joint choir gave fine expression to Wolpe's masterful choral writing as the soloists' strong, resonant voices, mostly paired or singing as an ensemble, contended admirably with the massive forces on stage. Pleasingly handled by Tom Zalmanov, there was poetry in the piano sections, some solo, others weaving through the orchestral score. The third movement soars to a climax with the choir's vehement singing of David Frischmann's all-too-actual question: "Till when, till when, will man row with his brother?" In a work that is challenging, confronting and exhilarating, also abounding in melodiousness and associations of Israeli music, Wolpe's message comes across loud and clear, and with deep conviction. As to his rich choice of texts, the possibility of reading them as surtitles above the stage would have been advantageous to the audience.

 

With its close-to-impossible technical demands and the utopian humanist idealism in the choral setting of Friedrich Schiller’s "Ode to Joy" in the last movement, Ludwig van Beethoven's Symphony No.9 in D minor, Op.125,"Choral" has sometimes been referred to as the central work of western classical music both by those who view it as the quintessence of symphonic, technical, and compositional imagination and mastery, but also by those who claim that classical music can also embrace the world outside the concert hall, the work calling for social change, hope and even political reform. No symphony has been more widely discussed, nor has any other been a greater divider of musical opinion. For me, this was an opportunity to revisit Beethoven's 9th and, familiar as the work is to concert-goers, Maestro Sloane's direction of it had the people in the Henry Crown Hall at the edges of their seats, once again stirred and unsettled by the overwhelming drama, tension and turmoil of the first two movements, their suspense and jagged utterances, their expansive  triumphant and tender statements. The JSO's wind players added some splendid solo interludes. The symphony's heartfelt, mellow slow movement (Adagio) offered contrast and repose, with its variations on two gloriously warm-hearted themes. With the choral section of the final movement issued in by the bright, warm timbre of Simon Bailey's bass solo (always an electrifying moment when the baritone first sings) Beethoven's use of solo singers and chorus emerged as revolutionary and emotional as ever in the movement’s kaleidoscope of episodes. It was a performance of passionate conviction and excellence. This was the Beethoven work set for our time!

 

 

Philippe Herreweghe conducts the Collegium Vocale Gent and the Israel Camerata Jerusalem in works of Mozart and Beethoven. Vocal soloists: Elisabeth Breuer, Olivia Vermeulen, Daniel Johannsen and Thomas E. Bauer

 

Photo: Shirley Burdick

It was difficult to assess which aspect of this program had drawn such a large audience - the line-up of outstanding artists or people's curiosity to hear seldom-performed works of Mozart and Beethoven. For me, it was both. Taking place in the Henry Crown Auditorium of the Jerusalem Theatre on April 16th 2023, "The Great Classic", a concert of the Israel Camerata Jerusalem's Instruvocal Series featured the Collegium Vocale Gent (Belgium), soprano Elisabeth Breuer (Austria), mezzo-soprano Olivia Vermeulen (Holland), tenor Daniel Johannsen (Austria), baritone Thomas E. Bauer (Germany) and eminent Belgian conductor and scholar Philippe Herreweghe. 

 

The event opened with “Calm Sea and Prosperous Voyage”, a short work for chorus and orchestra composed (1814-1815) by Beethoven to a text by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe. Beethoven loved Goethe’s poetry and set it to music repeatedly. A few years after the two met in 1812, Beethoven set Goethe’s popular pair of short poems "Meeres Stille" and "Glückliche Fahrt" as his opus 112, dedicating it to Goethe. Setting the scene for "Calm Sea", performance of the short tone poem opened with fragile, sotto voce choral timbres (the choir giving much emphasis to the various consonants) backed by plucked notes in the strings to evoke the motionlessness of a windless sea, then to be punctuated by Beethoven's startling treatment of “fürchterlich” (terrible), for example, highlighting  the word with a stinging dissonance, or of “Weite” (distances”) where, in the latter, a high soprano note in a sudden fortissimo crowns a massive  dissonant chord. Here, Beethoven enlists unorthodox procedures to convey the perilousness of sailing in such calm conditions. Issued in by a fluttering figure in the 'cellos, the journey is now underway again, with "Prosperous Journey", evoked in a massive choral and orchestral scene, rugged and fearfully joyous. Here, the audience becomes aware of Maestro Herreweghe's experiential approach to music (and poetry), with Collegium Vocale Gent (established by him in 1970) together with the Camerata players convincing in their expounding of the Romantic period's intrigue with storms and the sublimity of nature. It remains unclear why this substantive late Beethoven work has been condemned to obscurity and neglect. On completing it, the composer sent Goethe a copy, expressing that “I had united my harmony with yours in appropriate fashion.” Sadly, Goethe sent him no reply.

 

As to Ludwig van Beethoven's Symphony No.1 Op.21, the composer was 30 when it was first performed at the Burgtheater in Vienna. The Allgemeine musikalische Zeitung reported that “this proved to be the most interesting concert we have had in a long time" with Beethoven's symphony displaying "great artistry, innovation, and a wealth of ideas; except that the winds were overused, so that it was music for a band rather than for the whole orchestra.”  For me, hearing the work played by a chamber orchestra was a revelation. Herreweghe and the Camerata members brought out its fine details, nuances and colours, the work's vitality (the Menuetto is indeed a Scherzo!), its elegance, charm and sense of well-being. Add to those qualities Beethoven's audacity and teasing humour in the first- and fourth movements. Here was the music of a Beethoven not yet a burdened man, not yet a man grappling with fate. As to the criticism aired in the Allgemeine musikalische Zeitung following the symphony's premiere, the work indeed showcases the winds; the distinctive artistry and beauty of sound of the Camerata's wind players is never short of rewarding.

 

Accessible as it is to the listener, W.A.Mozart's Mass in C minor (Grand Mass) K.427 presents a number of unanswered questions. As to the task of completing it, Mozart wrote to his father on January 4, 1783: ."It is quite true about my moral obligation... I made the promise and hope to be able to keep it"...The fact remains that Mozart never completed the work. What is known is that it was first performed on August 25 1783 in St Peter’s Church, Salzburg. It is likely that Mozart's wife Constanze sang the high-lying first soprano part. Mozart himself may have presided at the organ. What is not known is how or, in fact, whether the missing sections were filled in at the Salzburg performance. And there is also no consensus on why Mozart wrote the C minor Mass. A perfect combination of all the genres and styles known in the late 18th century, from early polyphony to the galant style, it is nevertheless a wonderfully balanced musical unity, in spite of its incompleteness. Reconstructions of this tremendous creation only began in the early 20th century, instigated by the efforts of German musicologist Alois Schmitt. His pioneering edition has since been superseded, most significantly by that of American scholar H. C. Robbins Landon (and by several others, those including Robert Levin, Frieder Bernius/Uwe Wolf and Helmut Eder.) The version performed at the Israel Camerata Jerusalem concert was that of Robbins Landon. The work, featuring a double choir at the centre of each of its two halves, is a celebration of choral writing and Maestro Herreweghe and his very excellent Collegium singers certainly did not disappoint. The grandiose "Qui tollis" in G minor, probably the climax of the piece, with its haunting dotted rhythms, grating dissonances, chromaticism and extreme dynamic changes, emerged imposing and humbling. The lion's share of the solos belongs to the female singers. Enlisting her outstanding technical skills, soprano Elisabeth Breuer gave delicate and deeply moving portrayals of the “Christe eleison” in the “Kyrie” (taking on its two octave-and-a-half leaps with ease), then executing the coloratura passages of the composition’s vocal centrepiece "Et incarnatus est" with brilliance and poignance, the piece's intimate setting involving three solo instrumental lines at the hands of Muki Zohar (oboe), Mauricio Paez (bassoon) and Esti Rofe (flute). For the "Laudamus te", Olivia Vermeulen, her voice warm and finely-anchored, contended admirably with the dynamics, the shaping and melismatic course of the movement. Tenor Daniel Johannsen is no new face (indeed, no new voice!) to Israeli audiences. His profound understanding of sacred works always shines through his textual and musical delivery. The "Quoniam tu", featuring Breuer, Vermeulen and Johannsen, resounded radiant and exhilarating, indeed, constituting a highlight of what was altogether a sparkling performance. It was H.C.Robbins Landon who had referred to the last month of the year 1791 as "the greatest tragedy in the history of music" with the premature death of the thirty-five-year-old Mozart. 

 

"A Viennese Morning" - the Jerusalem Piano Duo performs works of Mozart and Schubert at the Eden-Tamir Music Center

 

The Jerusalem Piano Duo - Dror Semmel, Shir Semmel (Dan Porges)

"A Viennese Morning - Piano 4 Hands" could not have been a more fitting title to the concert performed by the Jerusalem Piano Duo - siblings Shir Semmel and Dror Semmel - at the Eden-Tamir Music Center, Ein Kerem, Jerusalem, on March 23rd 2023. Dr. Dror Semmel, artistic director of the Eden-Tamir Center, spoke briefly of the four-hand genre and the works on the program. 

 

The piano duet – four hands sharing one keyboard – was once an important part of musical activity, to be enjoyed at home and in the cultural salons of Europe during the 19th and early 20th centuries. In more modest times, the initial motivation to compose for piano four hands was not so much the medium’s creative potential, but rather for the opportunity it presented for enjoying proximity with one’s playing partner at a time when such things were otherwise frowned upon. The piano duet became increasingly popular as the modern piano was developing and being manufactured more cheaply, thus becoming the “must have” instrument for the home. Composers and especially music publishers capitalized on this by producing a wealth of sheet music for amateur pianists to enjoy. Of course, the abundance of piano duet material for pianists of all levels constitutes an important part of student=teacher repertoire. Music that is too much for one player is easier with more hands helping. Then followed works for four hands that were highly challenging and complex, catering to outstanding amateurs and professional players, today taking what began as domestic and salon music onto the concert platform. 

 

Franz Schubert left a large legacy of music for piano four hands, extending to some sixty works. Largely little-known today, most of these works were composed for domestic use at the Schubertiades hosted by the composer’s Viennese friends. The Ein Kerem concert opened with Schubert's much-loved Fantasy in F minor D.940, a work of four movements combined into one. As to its title, the work relates both to the act of "fantasieren" (German: improvise) and to "Fantasie" (imagination.) It was dedicated to Karoline Esterházy, one of the students Schubert taught on the Esterházy estates in Zseliz in 1818 and 1824. Legend has it that the dedication to Karoline Esterházy is indicative of a possible love affair between teacher and student. Opening with one of those heaven-sent Schubertian melodies, one occupying a fragile place between nostalgic, sad reminiscence and bliss, the artists gave expression to the manner in which the epic Fantasy unfolds, as it shifts between major and minor, contrasting shadow and light, sadness and happiness, with the artists (primo: Dror Semmel) displaying control, articulacy, clean, unblurred textures and subtlety, also exercising gentle flexing of tempi and giving articulate explication to its fugal writing and hearty tutti. 

 

Schubert's Allegro in A minor D.947 "Lebensstürme" (Storms of Life) was written in May 1828, the last year of his life. This title was not given by the composer but by Anton Diabelli who published it in 1840, presumably with an eye to the market. However, the stereotyped sobriquet does little to prepare the listener for the depth and breadth of what is in store. Possibly Schubert's star four-hand composition, written only a month after the Fantasy, it offers us more than a glimpse into Schubert’s inner life. The Jerusalem Duo artists probed the highly dramatic work, with its extensive use of chromaticism and Neapolitan sixth chords, a single-movement work which, by turns, is turbulent, passionate, tragic and blissful. They brought out some rapturous moments of floating, otherworldly fragility, their sensitively-shaped phrasing and powerfully built climaxes (in the fugue) emerging with conviction. 

 

Mozart was one of the pioneers of works for piano four hands, undoubtedly encouraged to do so through his music-making on the harpsichord together with his sister Maria Anna (Nannerl), as depicted in the famous family portrait by Johann Nepomuk della Croce (c.1780). As his musical career progressed, Mozart created a small repertoire of masterful four-hand piano compositions that remain among the most admired and performed of this genre. Sonata in F, K. 497, showing the composer exploiting the opportunities inherent in this distinctive style of writing, was a pioneering work, leading to impressive results. It is Mozart’s largest-scale four-hand sonata and the most ferociously difficult of them. Shir and Dror Semmel gave rhythmic spontaneity to the opening movement, a quest into imagination with its enthralling exchange of musical ideas, not to speak of the many moments echoing Mozart's operatic writing. The artists' performance of the Andante movement brimmed with invention and noble gestures, to be followed by their joyful but carefully paced playing of the final Allegro with its delightful series of interwoven sonorities. Ten months after completing the F major Sonata, Mozart finished his last full-scale foray into the genre of piano for four hands with Sonata in C major K 521. Instead of the tight interweaving of the four hands of K 497, Mozart establishes a more competitive relationship between the two performers, with many passages in which they imitate each other (with deviations). With Shir Semmel in the primo role, the artists launched into the extended opening Allegro with zest and freshness, navigating its dazzling dialogue with charm and fine contrasting. Following the full, virtuosic texture of the Allegro, they balanced the Andante's pared-down lyrical, dream-like outer sections with its more intense and contemplative middle section, taking on the sonata's final movement, a good-humoured Allegretto, at a moderate pace.

 

Performance by two pianists simultaneously sharing a single piano requires not only a level of intimacy unique to chamber music; it also presents its own set of technical challenges. Once again, Shir and Dror Semmel's performance brought home that the four-hand genre has qualities that can’t be found in any other form of collaborative playing, characterizing a melding of two players and four hands into one musical organism. Their performance was finely detailed, rich, polished and rewarding. Despite the fact that the four-hand piano repertoire is primarily associated with domestic music-making, the size and intimate ambience of the Eden-Tamir Music Center’s hall makes for a good second!

Mozart Family portrait painted by Johann Nepomuk della Croce