Spanish Jordi Savall is known to Israeli audiences as a prominent viol player and for the Hesperion XXI Ensemble, of which he is the director; this a group focuses on authentic performance of works from the Middle Ages to the Baroque. In the 2008 Israel Festival “The Sepharadi Diaspora”, another of Savall’s ambitious projects, presented the music of the Jews banished from Spain in 1492, their musical and cultural heritage together with the influences of style from the various countries to which they had wandered. Some of this rich collection of song, handed down from generation to generation, was for entertainment, some functional music, some secular, some of it religious. The Spanish language used by them has undergone many changes and has also adopted words from the various countries in which these Jews settled. Artists taking part in this concert were Savall himself, musicians of Hesperion XXI, Israeli oud player, teacher and researcher Yair Dalal and singer Montserrat Figueras.
The program opened with Savall in a pensive solo. A drum joined and the mood gradually changed, becoming more energetic. Pierre Hamon added a haunting flute melody. They were then joined by Figueras. Against an understated accompaniment, Figueras sang “Pregoneros van y vienen’ (Through all the City of Aragon), an anonymous song from Sarajevo. Her singing was as intense and commanding as ever as she let the story unfold, her voice interacting with the flautist. “Levantose’l Conde Nino” (The Childe Count Rose) is an old ballad from Salonica. Beautiful in its assymetrical rhythmic patterns, it begins with a psaltery solo (Begona Olivade). Figueras ornamented the melodic line, with the instrumental ensemble commenting at the end of each phrase.
“Taksim Lami” was played by Yair Dalal (oud). Highly melodic and expressive, Dalal’s improvisations brought out the exotic character of the mode. A percussionist joined in wearing ankle bells, which he used sparingly. Dalal was joined by Savall in an instrumental version of the song of the Jews of Sarajevo “El Rey Nimrod” (King Nimrod). People in the audience, familiar with the melody, hummed along. Another fine instrumental arrangement was that of “Hermoza muchachica” (Pretty Little Girl), a melody belonging to the Jerusalem Sepharadi community. The melody itself was played on recorder, with other players taking turns to improvise solos.
Figueras gave the Moroccan lullaby,”Nani,nani”, a bewitching, highly shaped reading. Instrumentation was intense but delicate. Another outstanding performance was that of the anonymous Turkish song “Por alli paso un cavallero” (There Passed That Way a Knight). It began with Olavide playing an ornamented, virtuoso solo on psaltery. Figueras’ performance of this was humorous and coquettish. Having the lyrics in the program added much to the audience’s enjoyment.
‘There passed that way a knight,
Full noble and handsome was he.
“If such be your pleasure, Sir,
You may take your pleasure with me.”
“God who is in heaven forbid
And from such deeds preserve me.
A comely wife and children have I
And for their sake must leave thee”.
“Then get thou on thy way, fine sir,
May all go ill with thee
Mayst thou find thy wife with another
And thy children turned scoundrels see.”
“El moro de Antequera” (The Moor of Antequera) (Rhodes) is one of many early ballads that tell of events between the Christian Spanish front and the Moorish empire of Granada. Figueras gave it a delicate reading.
Jordi Savall and Hesperion XXI give high quality performances and will always delight the senses. Montserrat Figueras has presence, fine diction, and an interesting mix of colors in her vocal range; above all, she breathes meaning into each song. This concert presented a collection of wonderful, flowing melodies, works so familiar and meaningful to many in the audience.
“The Sepharadi Diaspora ”
From Medieval Spain to the Eastern Mediterranean.
Jordi Savall- musical director, bowed instruments
Montserrat Figueras-voice
Hesperion XXI
The Henry Crown Symphony Hall
June 5, 2008–06–10
Showing posts with label Yair Dalal. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Yair Dalal. Show all posts
Friday, June 13, 2008
Sunday, June 8, 2008
Jerusalem - City of Peace concert, Israel Festival 2008
“Jerusalem – City of Two Peaces: Heavenly Peace and Earthly Peace”, in the 2008 Israel Festival, was a musical event that attracted a large and decidedly curious audience to the Henry Crown Symphony Hall June 4. This concert is the outcome of a research project carried out jointly by Jordi Savall (Spain) and Yair Dalal (Israel) and it aims to present many aspects of this city through the musical traditions of all three monotheistic religions….no mean task considering the religious, political and cultural complexities of a city whose history is one of destruction and war, creativity, spirituality and a yearning for peace.
With the hall plunged into darkness, the event began with a startling, intense fanfare played on seven shofars (with some players in the gallery), early wind instruments and percussions, issuing in the first section of the concert under the category of “Heavenly Peace: The Prophets of the Apocalypse and of the Last Judgement”. This began with a piece from the 3rd century based on Jewish sources and Aramaic music. With the everyday world suddenly left behind us, we found ourselves drawn into the inebriating world of the music of this region, with the ever expressive, fresh voice of Montserrat Figueras against a gentle instrumental drone punctuated by men’s voices of La Capella Reial de Catalunya responding in parallel octaves.
In addition to the above mentioned vocal quartet, Jordi Savall’s Hesperion XXI group of early music instrumentalists was joined by Israeli players, artists from Armenia, Greece and Turkey as well as the very fine Al-Darweesh Sufi group from the Galilee
In “Jerusalem, a Jewish City (1000 BC – 70 AD)”, we heard Israeli singer of the Andalusian style, Lior Almalich (b.1984), intoning Psalm 122. His voice is natural and effortless, his understanding of this style of singing profound, and his performance was moving and sincere. He was joined by Delal playing imaginative, creative oud solos. Oud player and violinist Yair Dalal (b.1955) composes and teaches and is a specialist in ethnic Israeli music.
In the third section, dealing with “Jerusalem, a Christian City (326-1244)”, a Crusaders’ Song, performed by the vocal men’s quartet, was introduced by Christophe Tellart on bagpipes. This section ended with a mournful 12th century song from the 2nd Crusade, an intimate piece in the Chejaz mode, sensitively sung and accompanied on strings.
In “Jerusalem, a City of Pilgrimage (383-1250)” we heard Spanish virtuoso psaltery player and researcher Begona Olavide this time singing Judah Halevy’s (1075-1141) “Zionida: Beautiful land, delight of the world”. Olavide’s interest in the nexus between Spanish and Arabic music has taken her to Morocco, where she studied singing, qanun and the theory of Maghrebi-Andalusian music.
Turkish composer, arranger and virtuoso oud player Mutlu Torun, backed by minimal, light percussion sounds, set the scene for “Jerusalem, an Arabic City (1244-1516) and an Ottoman City (1517-1917)”. Singer Muwafak Shahin Khalil, symbolically placed apart on a raised platform at the back of the stage, presented an impressive rendering of “Mohammed Goes to Heaven after the Temple Mount”. In another solo, he stood at the front of the stage. In the Dance of the Soma Sufi Group Al-Darwish, drum and flute interacted in an intense, rhythmic duet. Usama Ghanayin Abu Ali’s brilliant flute solos dazzled and delighted the audience throughout the evening.
“Jerusalem, a Land of Refuge and Exile (15th – 20th Centuries)”, opening with Savall’s playing of a poignant string solo, was a reminder of much suffering. A candle was lit at the front of the stage. Figueras performed the tragic “Palestina hermoza y Santa” (oral tradition, Sarajevo). We then heard Manuel Forcano reading a poem by the great Jerusalem poet, Yehuda Amichai (1924-2000).
‘On a rooftop in the Old City
Washing is spread out in the evening sun:
The white sheet of a woman who is my enemy,
The towel of a man who is also my enemy,
To wipe the sweat from his brow.
In the sky above the Old City
A kite is flying
And on the other end of the string –
A child
I cannot see
Because of the wall.
We have put up many flags,
They have put up many flags
To make us believe that they are happy,
To make us believe we are happy’.
After a Palestinian lament, we heard the very fine Razmik Amyan (b.1982) in the Andouni Armenian Lament (1915). Amyan’s singing was beautifully phrased and nuanced, tragic and convincing. Lights were turned out and a historic 1950 recording of Cantor Shlomo Katz chanting “El male rahamim” to the memory of the victims of Auschwitz was heard. The recording was crackly and indistinct, distracting one somewhat from the drama of the moment. There was a Funeral March played on shofars and percussion, with this section of the program finishing with an anonymous Sephardic prayer “El Pan de la afliccion” sung in rich harmonies by La Capella Reial de Catalunya. Lights went on and the candle was then extinguished.
Dalal performed a meditative oud piece, providing a transition into “Earthly Peace: a Duty and a Utopia”. This was a series of prayers for peace sung in Hebrew, Arabic, Armenian Ladino and Latin, with some of the prayers performed instrumentally. The evening ended as it had begun - with a noisy, cacophonic shofar and brass improvisation. I asked myself whether this idea really needed a second airing..
Savall and Dalal’s presentation was meaningful and profound. Savall’s instrumental arrangements are always delicate, imaginative and polished; transitions from piece to piece are smooth and pleasing to the ear. His choice of artists is impeccable and he goes for authenticity of instrumentation and style; there was a strong feeling that all performers presented their contributions to the evening with a sense of deep humility. This was truly a multinational group of players and singers. Manuel Forcano, lecturer in Hebrew and Aramaic at the University of Barcelona, read various texts eloquently in Hebrew, adding interest. The evening was a veritable Jerusalem mosaic. The audience found it inspirational and showed its appreciation. If the Jerusalem Festival’s aim is to bring high quality performance and a taste of something very different, this was it!
“Jerusalem – City of Heavenly Peace and Earthly Peace.”
Jordi Savall-director
Yair Dalal-oud
Montserrat Figueras-voice and cithara
Begonia Olavide-voice and psaltery
Lior Elmalich-voice
Razmik Amyan-voice
Muwafak Shahin Khalil-voice
Hesperion XXI
Al-Darwish Sufi Group
La Capella Reial de Catalunya
Mutlu Torun-oud
The Trumpets of Jericho
Manuel Forcano-readings
The Henry Crown Symphony Hall, Jerusalem Centre for the Performing Arts
June 4, 2008
With the hall plunged into darkness, the event began with a startling, intense fanfare played on seven shofars (with some players in the gallery), early wind instruments and percussions, issuing in the first section of the concert under the category of “Heavenly Peace: The Prophets of the Apocalypse and of the Last Judgement”. This began with a piece from the 3rd century based on Jewish sources and Aramaic music. With the everyday world suddenly left behind us, we found ourselves drawn into the inebriating world of the music of this region, with the ever expressive, fresh voice of Montserrat Figueras against a gentle instrumental drone punctuated by men’s voices of La Capella Reial de Catalunya responding in parallel octaves.
In addition to the above mentioned vocal quartet, Jordi Savall’s Hesperion XXI group of early music instrumentalists was joined by Israeli players, artists from Armenia, Greece and Turkey as well as the very fine Al-Darweesh Sufi group from the Galilee
In “Jerusalem, a Jewish City (1000 BC – 70 AD)”, we heard Israeli singer of the Andalusian style, Lior Almalich (b.1984), intoning Psalm 122. His voice is natural and effortless, his understanding of this style of singing profound, and his performance was moving and sincere. He was joined by Delal playing imaginative, creative oud solos. Oud player and violinist Yair Dalal (b.1955) composes and teaches and is a specialist in ethnic Israeli music.
In the third section, dealing with “Jerusalem, a Christian City (326-1244)”, a Crusaders’ Song, performed by the vocal men’s quartet, was introduced by Christophe Tellart on bagpipes. This section ended with a mournful 12th century song from the 2nd Crusade, an intimate piece in the Chejaz mode, sensitively sung and accompanied on strings.
In “Jerusalem, a City of Pilgrimage (383-1250)” we heard Spanish virtuoso psaltery player and researcher Begona Olavide this time singing Judah Halevy’s (1075-1141) “Zionida: Beautiful land, delight of the world”. Olavide’s interest in the nexus between Spanish and Arabic music has taken her to Morocco, where she studied singing, qanun and the theory of Maghrebi-Andalusian music.
Turkish composer, arranger and virtuoso oud player Mutlu Torun, backed by minimal, light percussion sounds, set the scene for “Jerusalem, an Arabic City (1244-1516) and an Ottoman City (1517-1917)”. Singer Muwafak Shahin Khalil, symbolically placed apart on a raised platform at the back of the stage, presented an impressive rendering of “Mohammed Goes to Heaven after the Temple Mount”. In another solo, he stood at the front of the stage. In the Dance of the Soma Sufi Group Al-Darwish, drum and flute interacted in an intense, rhythmic duet. Usama Ghanayin Abu Ali’s brilliant flute solos dazzled and delighted the audience throughout the evening.
“Jerusalem, a Land of Refuge and Exile (15th – 20th Centuries)”, opening with Savall’s playing of a poignant string solo, was a reminder of much suffering. A candle was lit at the front of the stage. Figueras performed the tragic “Palestina hermoza y Santa” (oral tradition, Sarajevo). We then heard Manuel Forcano reading a poem by the great Jerusalem poet, Yehuda Amichai (1924-2000).
‘On a rooftop in the Old City
Washing is spread out in the evening sun:
The white sheet of a woman who is my enemy,
The towel of a man who is also my enemy,
To wipe the sweat from his brow.
In the sky above the Old City
A kite is flying
And on the other end of the string –
A child
I cannot see
Because of the wall.
We have put up many flags,
They have put up many flags
To make us believe that they are happy,
To make us believe we are happy’.
After a Palestinian lament, we heard the very fine Razmik Amyan (b.1982) in the Andouni Armenian Lament (1915). Amyan’s singing was beautifully phrased and nuanced, tragic and convincing. Lights were turned out and a historic 1950 recording of Cantor Shlomo Katz chanting “El male rahamim” to the memory of the victims of Auschwitz was heard. The recording was crackly and indistinct, distracting one somewhat from the drama of the moment. There was a Funeral March played on shofars and percussion, with this section of the program finishing with an anonymous Sephardic prayer “El Pan de la afliccion” sung in rich harmonies by La Capella Reial de Catalunya. Lights went on and the candle was then extinguished.
Dalal performed a meditative oud piece, providing a transition into “Earthly Peace: a Duty and a Utopia”. This was a series of prayers for peace sung in Hebrew, Arabic, Armenian Ladino and Latin, with some of the prayers performed instrumentally. The evening ended as it had begun - with a noisy, cacophonic shofar and brass improvisation. I asked myself whether this idea really needed a second airing..
Savall and Dalal’s presentation was meaningful and profound. Savall’s instrumental arrangements are always delicate, imaginative and polished; transitions from piece to piece are smooth and pleasing to the ear. His choice of artists is impeccable and he goes for authenticity of instrumentation and style; there was a strong feeling that all performers presented their contributions to the evening with a sense of deep humility. This was truly a multinational group of players and singers. Manuel Forcano, lecturer in Hebrew and Aramaic at the University of Barcelona, read various texts eloquently in Hebrew, adding interest. The evening was a veritable Jerusalem mosaic. The audience found it inspirational and showed its appreciation. If the Jerusalem Festival’s aim is to bring high quality performance and a taste of something very different, this was it!
“Jerusalem – City of Heavenly Peace and Earthly Peace.”
Jordi Savall-director
Yair Dalal-oud
Montserrat Figueras-voice and cithara
Begonia Olavide-voice and psaltery
Lior Elmalich-voice
Razmik Amyan-voice
Muwafak Shahin Khalil-voice
Hesperion XXI
Al-Darwish Sufi Group
La Capella Reial de Catalunya
Mutlu Torun-oud
The Trumpets of Jericho
Manuel Forcano-readings
The Henry Crown Symphony Hall, Jerusalem Centre for the Performing Arts
June 4, 2008
Labels:
Jordi Savall,
Montserrat Figueras,
Yair Dalal
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