S I R B A O C T E T

Tantz ! Sirba Octet www.sirbaoctet.com ©

© Bernard Martine “Tantz! has its roots in the Eastern IT IS A PORTRAIT OF LIFE ITSELF! Europe of my grandparents before they emigrated nearly 100 years “It is a portrait of life itself – a lifetime T A N ago. I wanted to rediscover this of love that no longer exists to which intrinsic element of my cultural song is the only possible testimony we orientation by revisiting this music as the classical musician I am can have in the end. It encapsulates a TZ today.” whole era which used to exist and isn’t there any more but which will live on in Inspired by the migration both of the souls of those who value it and we people and of their music, the must all value it because it comes ! show forms a kind of bridge directly from the heart. between Romania, Moldova, Russia and Hungary and their That is what it is. rich, interwoven treasuries of traditional folk music. Each We must thank these wonderful carefully selected piece retains the musicians who have come together to identity and authenticity which we share and sustain this symbol of love, must protect and pass on, like Ariadne’s thread, thereby continuing the musical heritage that is an ode to life – moving, reanimating a forgotten time that is joyful and tinged with humour. ever present.

Richard Schmoucler, artistic Thank you!” director (translated from original French) Ivry Gitlis, , September 30th 2014 (translated from the original French) AN ENERGETIC AND HEARTFELT MUSICAL JOURNEY

Tantz! means dance in Yiddish and this title eludes to the emotion, elegance and vigour of the show itself. With pieces characterised by the traditional themes of Doina, Hora and Sirba, Tantz! captures the spirit of village wedding parties where travelling klezmorim and folk bands would set the celebratory mood with their music. The album was released in October 2015 on La Dolce Vita label and won a Choc Classica. The release was followed by five promotional performances at l’Espace Pierre Cardin in Paris and later went on tour. Tantz! has since been performed in leading concert halls in and abroad. The octet’s fifth album is signed and supported by the iconic, virtuoso violinist Ivry Gitlis.

Tantz ! Sirba Octet www.sirbaoctet.com PROGRAM THE MUSICIANS Traditional repertory The Sirba Octet T A N Kolomishka Richard Schmoucler 1 Fantaisie Roumaine T Z Christian Brière violin 2 Suite de Moldavie David Gaillard Doina Ciobanului / Sirba Claude Giron ! Vu bistu geven/ Bernard Cazauran bass Der yid in Yerushalaim / Batuta de la Sarata Philippe Berrod clarinet

Bessaraby Iurie Morar cymbalum

Christophe Henry piano Fantaisie Hongroise Arrangements : Cyrille Lehn Hora Dance / Hora Flacailor Duration : 1h45 (Without Oyfn Veg Shteyt A Boym / intermission) Avreml der Marvikher

Coragheasca

Jalea Tiganilor / Opa Tsupa / Yom Shabes yom

A Gute Vokh

Doina clarinette / Ciganski Stakato

Ikh shtey unter a bokserboym, music Chava Alberstein

Tumbalalaika / Roumania, Roumania

Hora de Mana Pe Batai / Di Mashke

Tantz ! Sirba Octet www.sirbaoctet.com When violinist Richard Schmoucler The Sirba Octet continued to work founded the Sirba Octet in 2003, with Isabelle Georges on Yiddish he created an entirely new sound. Rhapsody, a show based on T A N With arrangers Cyrille Lehn and traditional Yiddish music but Yann Ollivo, five fellow musicians accented with elements of jazz, from the Orchestre de Paris, a salsa, musicals, rock and samba. pianist and a cimbalom player, he Commissioned by the Orchestre de TZ formed a unique ensemble with a Pau Pays de Béarn, conducted by fresh perspective on klezmer, Fayçal Karoui, Yiddish Rhapsody Yiddish and gypsy music. was unique in its staging of the octet alongside a 50-piece ! and was therefore able to In collaboration with the Orchestre perform orchestral as well as de Paris, the Sirba Octet performed chamber music. The show became Un violon sur les toits de Paris, (A their third album with Naïve, and fiddler on the rooves of Paris), at was performed with the Orchestre the Théâtre Mogador, a concert Lamoureux at the Théâtre des which they developed into their Champs-Élysées, the Orchestre de first acoustic album, A Yiddish Trier in Germany, the Liège Royal Mame, released in 2005 under the Philharmonic, the Tonkustler label Ambroisie (Naïve). With Orchester at Festspielhaus and at Slavic and Yiddish nuances, this Musikverein in Vienna. anthology of Eastern European melodies is drawn from Their albums have received critical Schmoucler’s own memories of acclaim in the press, winning happy family gatherings. notably a ‘10 de Répertoire- Classica’ for Du Shtetl à New York, SIGNIFICANT ARTISTIC the European Association for PARTNERSHIPS Jewish Culture prize and a Choc de Classica for Tantz! The group was also the subject of a documentary In 2007, as part of the Festival by Alain Duault for France 3 d’Île-de-France, the Sirba Octet entitled A day with the Sirba Octet worked with Isabelle Georges, the and Isabelle Georges. In 2011 the multi-talented singer, dancer and Sirba Octet and Isabelle Georges actress known as a ‘triple threat’, to were selected by the Victoires de la produce Du Shtetl à New York. An Musique Classique to appear array of music from the shtetl and alongside the Orchestre des Pays standards from the golden age of de la Loire conducted by John American musical theatre, via jazz, Axelrod. ragtime and lullabies composed by second generation immigrants, the show charts the journey made by Appearing regularly at leading millions of Eastern Europeans festivals in France and abroad, the from their shtetls, or villages, to Sirba Octet have performed at New York, melting pot of musical many prestigious venues including influences from all over the world. the Théâtre des Champs-Élysées, The show was inspired by Fabienne the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam Rousso-Lenoir’s documentary Du and Musikverein in Vienna with Shtetl à Broadway and celebrates longer runs at Théâtre Mogador, heredity and inheritance, an l’Européen, La Cigale et à l’Espace important foundation of the Pierre Cardin à Paris. In 2012, they Yiddish community. took part in the Festival Radio Classique at the Olympia with Isabelle Georges and, in 2013, they

appeared at Musiques en fête aux Chorégies d’Orange which was broadcast live on France 3.

Tantz ! Sirba Octet www.sirbaoctet.com Thanks to their talented arranger LATEST RELEASE – TANTZ ! Cyrille Lehn, the Sirba Octet are constantly enriching their In October 2015, the Sirba Octet T A N reperto ire, adding pieces that range released their fifth album Tantz! on from the most famous to the lesser La Dolce Volta record label. In known. Lehn worked with the November 2015, following the group on a project for which they album release, the group gave five TZ were joined for the first time by concerts at l’Espace Pierre Cardin. Catherine Lara. This new Tantz! is a journey into music you adventure led to the album Au can dance to, led by the masterly cœur de l’âme Yiddish (The Spirit musicians of the Sirba Octet and ! of the Yiddish), released on Sony in their exceptional rendition. This November 2012. Captivated by remarkable ensemble, midway their world, Catherine Lara chose between classical and klezmer eight of her most acclaimed pieces music, has revived the traditional to record with the Sirba Octet. In music of Eastern Europe, creating April 2013, they performed the new arrangements based on the album live for two concerts at principals of more scholarly music. l’Alhambra in Paris. This musical masterpiece lets you Sirba Octet’s orchestral show was wander through doina, hora, sirba one of the highlights of their 2015 and other klezmer and gypsy style season. For Sirba Orchestra! they dances. Linking Romania, once again worked with the Moldova, Russia and Hungary, Orchestre de Pau Pays de Béarn Tantz! makes an expressive conducted by Fayçal Karoui with a journey, flitting across borders and guest appearance from Nicolas expanding horizons. The great, Kedroff, the talented balalaika iconic violinist Ivry Gitlis wrote a player. The show comprised a foreword for the album and series of performances at the Palais endorses the project. Beaumont in Pau in June 2015 that were broadcast live on Radio CLASSICAL WORLD MUSIC Classique. Focussing on Yiddish and Slavic music, the show is a window on the lively and moving The vigour, intensity and musical traditions of Eastern originality of the Sirba Octet’s Europe. The group will take the arrangements bring to life the show to the Orchestre de Bretagne familiar tunes of Eastern Europe – and the Orchestre Royal a body of music characterized by Philharmonique de Liège in 2017. the wanderings of a whole population, in which sentiment and creative flair are bound together.

Unparalleled outside of the conventional circuit, the group skilfully unite genres and combine both orchestral and chamber music. Sirba Octet’s unique vision puts them in their own league as they pioneer a new genre – Classical World.

Tantz ! Sirba Octet www.sirbaoctet.com RICHARD SCHMOUCLER DAVID GAILLARD Viola Violin & artistic director TH

The son of a rock guitarist and a Member of the Orchestre de Paris since storyteller, David Gaillard came to music E 1998, Richard Schmoucler trained at the through oral transmission and under Gérard improvisation. He was named top Poulet, Maurice Moulin, Devy Erlih and musician of his year in Jean Sulem’s viola Alexis Galpérine for violin and Bruno class at the CNSM in Paris, winning the Pasquier and David Walter for chamber Premier Prix by unanimous decision with music. In 1990 he was awarded first prize the congratulations of the jury, as well as diplomas both in violin and chamber the Premier Prix in harmony by music. He continued to study under Ivry unanimous decision and Second Prix in Gitlis and also with Maya Glézarova at the counterpoint, then entered the Moscow Conservatory, Tibor Varga and postgraduate course where he was taught MU Myriam Solovief. Schmoucler has been by Hatto Beyerle, , and awarded prizes by the Fondation Bruno Pasquier. He was appointed Bleustein-Blanchet and the Fondation de professor at the CNSM de Paris in 2009. France and is a regular soloist for the He is principal viola of the Orchestre de Auvergne and Toulouse Chamber Paris, and also appears in chamber music SI , the and with such artists as Christoph the Orchestre Lamoureux. From 2010 to Eschenbach, Menahem Pressler, Olivier 2014 he was first violin for the ensemble Charlier, and Marc Coppey, and is a Musique Oblique. In 2003, Schmoucler member of the Les Dissonances quartet formed the Sirba Octet and has been the with , Hans-Peter Hofmann, driving force behind the group’s and Xavier Phillips. He still retains a keen CI interest in improvisation that has led him progression and the production of their five albums. He has given various to join the quartet of Jean-Philippe Viret, masterclasses and performances, notably which has appeared at the Paris Jazz at the Académie Festival des Arcs, PESM Festival, among other venues. de Bourgogne and the Academy of Music AN in Bydgoszcz in Poland. At his request, Kaija Saariaho composed Frises for violin and electronics and November 2012 saw CLAUDE GIRON Cello the world premiere of the piece, which was dedicated to Schmoucler, at the Borusan S Art Centre in Istanbul. In 2011 he became the director of studies at the Orchestre Atelier Ostinato. In 2016 he began teaching competition preparation at the Conservatoire à Rayonnement Régional in

Paris. After receiving Premiers Prix from the CNSM of Paris in cello and chamber

CHRISTIAN BRIERE Violin music in the classes of Roland Pidoux and Michel Strauss respectively, Claude Giron set out at the age of twenty-one for further study with at Yale University, where she was awarded a Master of Music and an Artist Diploma.

In 1994 she joined the Orchestre Christian Brière was awarded a Premier philharmonique de Radio France, moving Prix in violin and chamber music at the to the Orchestre de Paris in 1998. Claude CNSM in Paris. He then went on to study Giron also plays in quartet and chamber the Romantic repertory with Christian orchestra repertory (with the European Ferras and Gérard Jarry, and worked with Camerata and the Octuor de Paris among Jean Hubeau on neglected works by others), and has recorded a CD with the French composers. He joined the jazz pianist Ahmad Jamal. She frequently Orchestre de Paris in 1983 and was soon toured Europe and the United States promoted to a first-desk position. He has between 2000 and 2007 as a member of appeared in concert as guest leader with the American group Pink Martini. the Philharmonia Orchestra, Erwartung, the Orchestre de Chambre Jean-François Paillard, and the Orchestre Française de Musique Légère, with which he participated in 1992 in a production of Tantz ! Stravinsky’s L’Histoire du Soldat directed Sirba Octet and performed by the actor Jean Rochefort. With Simon Schembri he forms www.sirbaoctet.com a violin-guitar duo that explores the repertory for that combination, from Jacques Ibert to Astor Piazzolla. He was formerly leader of the Orchestre Lamoureux, and also appears with the tango ensemble Carrasco ‘H’ Quartet.

BERNARD CAZAURAN Bass CHRISTOPHE HENRY Piano TH

After training at the Conservatoire de

E Bernard Cazauran has been a member of Paris with a series of first prize diplomas the Orchestre de Paris since it was formed under Alain Planès for piano, Michel in 1967, and was principal double bass Chapuis for organ, Bruno Pasquier for from 1979 to 2012. He was a prize winner chamber music and Jean Koerner for at the Geneva Competition. He has often accompaniment, Christophe Henry appeared in chamber music, notably with honed his skills alongside Menahem , but also in the field of Pressler at the Banff Arts Festival in jazz with Basse Fusion and tango with the Canada. As both a pianist and organist he Carrasco ’H’ Quartet. He taught for 15 has performed with the Orchestre years at the CNSM in Lyon. Philharmonique de Radio-France, Orchestre National de France, Orchestre MU de Paris, Orchestre de Lyon and the

Radio-France Choir at some of the greatest concert halls in Beijing, Tokyo, PHILIPPE BERROD Clarinet Seoul, Paris and Vienna and at the

Roman Theatre of Orange. In 2009, he SI was recorded playing Charles-Valentin Alkan’s pedal piano, a one-of-a-kind instrument displayed at the Musée de la Musique in Paris. In 2011 he played with the Quatuor Ludwig and in 2012 he CI appeared as a soloist with the chamber First clarinet for the Orchestre de Paris choir at the Mozarteum as part since 1995, Philippe Berrod also plays of the Salzburg Festival. A multitalented regularly with other ensembles as a guest keyboardist and passionate jazz fan, he soloist. His repertoire ranges from plays with and learns from pianist Emil Mozart’s clarinet concerto to Dialogue de Spanyi, vibraphonist Philippe Macé and AN l’ombre double by P.Boulez. He was drummer Georges Paczinski. awarded a first prize diploma from the Conservatoire de Paris where he was IURIE MORAR Cymbalum tutored by Guy Deplus. He has also won a number of international competitions. He S became a clarinet tutor at the Conservatoire de Paris in 2011. Berrod has released a number of recordings including Les Vents français on Sony Classical – Indésens and the album Art of Clarinet as well as two complete collections of chamber music for woodwind by Saint-

Saëns and Poulenc respectively. These Iurie Morar trained at the National were well received in the press and Conservatoire of Moldova in Chisinau nominated for Victoires de la Musique (USSR) and won the Stefan Neaga awards in 2011. Since 2010, Berrod has competition there before continuing his been artistic advisor for the French training in France at the Conservatoire de woodwind instrument manufacturer Henri Strasbourg under Detlef Kieffer. Selmer-Paris. Performing with various ensembles he has appeared with popular groups as well CYRILLE LEHN Arranger as symphony and chamber orchestras alongside artists such as Laurent Korcia, Sarah Nemtanu (with whom he has released a CD) and Gilles Apap (with whom he released the album Transilvanian Lointain Boys). In 2010 he

Trained as a pianist and composer at the made a guest appearance with the Strasbourg Conservatoire and the CNSM Orchestre de Paris to perform Stèle, de Paris, Cyrille Lehn soon found himself György Kurtag’s Opus 33, conducted by attracted to improvisation, which he . Morar is also an arranger practises in very varied forms: recitals, and conductor and in 2012 formed Le accompanying silent films, concerts, and Grand Orchestre for whom he has musical shows. His compositions have composed and directed two shows – been featured on the programme of such Tzars, which is centered around Tantz ! notable venues as the Théâtre du Châtelet, Caucasian and Eastern European music the Festival de Radio France et de and dance, and Atmosphère, which Sirba Octet focuses on film music from Chaplin’s www.sirbaoctet.com Montpellier, and the Festival de l’Emperi. He is fascinated by folk music and jazz, and silent era to the Hollywood greats. He has collaborated with the Sirba Octet since plays a cimbalom made by the Hungarian it was founded. Cyrille Lehn is professor of manufacturer Bohak. harmony at the CNSM de Paris and teaches improvisation at the Conservatoire du 14e Arrondissement.

A YIDDISHE MAME CATHERINE LARA AU Label : Naïve Ambroisie CŒUR DE L’ÂME Production : Sirba Octet YIDDISH DI Release date : 2005 Duration : 74 min Label : Sony Music Production : Sony Music Release date : 2012 Duration : 35 min S CO

G R A

P H DU SHTETL A NEW YORK Label : Naïve Ambroisie Production : Sirba Octet Release date : 2008 TANTZ ! Duration : 63 min Label : Dolce Volta Y Production : Dolce Volta Release date : 2015 Duration : 66 min

YIDDISH RHAPSODY Label : Naïve Ambroisie Production : Sirba Octet Release date : 2009 Duration : 71 min

Tantz ! Sirba Octet www.sirbaoctet.com