Musical Life in

Samuel Lewis

he land area of the State of Israel traditional folk melodies with new words musicians to leave their homelands and T(8,019 square miles) would fit over written in the . An exam- many of these musicians came to what eleven times into the area of the United ple of this is the song that became Israel’s was then still Palestine. The immigration Kingdom and with a population of National Anthem “”. The words by consisted of some of the leading classical 7,881,000 (similar to Switzerland), 75% the Hebrew poet Naftali Herz Imber, musicians of including the concert - are Jewish, 20% are Arabs, and those not express the longing of the Jewish people master of the Philharmonic Orch - identified as either, make up the remaining to return to the land of Zion. The melody estra, the composer Oedoen Partos, opera 5% of the population. In this small area is based on a popular Eastern European conductor and composer Paul Ben-Haim today, one can find four full time prof- folk melody – not to be mistaken for and composer Alexander Boskovitz. Just as essional symphony orchestras (one of Smetana’s “Vltava”. In 1895 settlers estab - writers of popular music sought a new them world renowned), three excellent lished the first western style orchestra in Hebrew style, many classical composers professional chamber orchestras, an inter - Palestine. It was a wind band located in the looked for new modes of composition that national opera house, a classical ballet town of Rishon LeZion and entertained its would give expression to their new company, three contemporary dance listeners with light classics and marches. national identity. “One cannot continue in comp anies as well as many fine classical Avraham Zvi Idelsohn, a trained cantor this country writing works which are based and modern ensembles. In the cities of and musicologist from Russia settled in on purely western concepts” wrote music , , , Beer-Sheva and Jerusalem in 1906 with the objective of critic David Rosolio. “The landscape, the Ramat Gan there are universities with studying and documenting the music of lifestyle, the environment, all require a music departments that are growing the various Jewish communities of Yemen- change and fundamentally different app - rapidly. The Ministry of Education supports ites, Hassids, Syrians and other ethnic roach”. Boskovitz in his “Semitic Suite” for 41 conservatories in towns throughout the groups living there. He meticulously doc- piano writes in a homophonic style with a country that offer programmes for all age umented the songs and musical idioms of drone accompaniment and repeated groups. these groups and made the first efforts to notes, imitating the sound of the Arabic It was in 1882 that efforts were first bring these songs to the attention of all the oud and kanun. Ben-Haim wrote “Sonata made to create a corpus of music suitable settlers aiming to create a new Jewish A Tre” for cembalo, mandolin and guitar, for a new Jewish entity that would even - musical genre. Idelsohn was later joined in which also has a distinctly Middle Eastern tually become Israel. This was the year Palestine by a few more classically trained sound. when the first wave of immigrants came musicians and ethnomusicologists who By 1935, Jewish musicians in Nazi to build a Jewish national homeland in worked to disseminate traditional ethnic Germany were faced with dismissal, Palestine. As there were no songs or music tunes and styles to the general public of persecution and expulsion. To meet the as yet written for this national movement, Palestine. pressing need to rescue these musicians, Zionist youth movements in Germany and It was in the 1930s and the rise of concert violinist Bronislaw Huberman elsewhere published song books, using Nazism in Europe that forced Jewish decided to form a symphony orchestra in Palestine – both as a safe haven and as a unique musical endeavour. Huberman recruited Jewish musicians from Europe’s Frederic Mann Auditorium leading orchestras and the newly formed Palestine Philharmonic Orchestra made its debut in Tel Aviv in December 1936 under the baton of Arturo Toscanini who was one of several conductors who refused to perform under German or Italian Fascism. Re-named the Israel Philharmonic Orch- estra in 1948, it has become a leading force in Israeli music and culture. Debuting many works by Israeli composers, it has

22 JANUARY-FEBRUARY 2013 MUSICAL OPINION also helped launch the careers of num- ed on the State Radio. Israeli musicians erous Israeli musicians. It was in Dec- Because of the Six began to perform abroad with increasing ember 1960 that the Israel Philharmonic frequency and European and American embarked on its first tour of the United Day War of 1967, the artist came to Israel to perform. All the States and has since played a number of latest popular Broadway Musicals with concerts that have had historic significance people of Israel came their songs and words translated into the for Israel. In 1967, immediately after the modern Hebrew language were staged at Six Day War, the late led of age. It marked the the Alhambra Theatre in Tel Aviv-Jaffo. In the orchestra on a tour to the Sinai desert, this growth of diversification, much Israeli the sight of fighting only days before. They transition from music lost its national flavour and became also performed on the Lebanese border in largely inspired by international styles. the 1980s playing to an audience of mixed Nonetheless, many Israeli musicians, both Lebanese and Israelis who gathered on adolescence to classical and popular, continued to be both sides of the border fence to listen. concerned with defining a distinctly nat- who has been the Musical maturity ional identity in their music. Although Director of the Israel Philharmonic Orch - geographically not in Europe, Israel is estra for over 40 years is now the IPO’s after the war saw a burgeoning of cultural within the European Broadcasting Area conductor for life. Regularly, the orchestra activity. Within a few years the number of and a member of the European Broad - travels the globe appearing at the most art galleries increased by a third and casting Union. ACUM (the equivalent to prestigious festivals and venues, and theatres doubled. Economic growth went the Performing Rights Society in the United Maestro Mehta ensures that the world’s from 1% per annum before the war to Kingdom) represents the interests of Israeli leading conductors and soloists are invited 13% the following year. The Israeli music composers, authors and artists. to work with his orchestra. The IPO’s scene opened up to the rest of the world. Jerusalem, Israel’s capital with a pop- permanent home is the Frederic Mann Rock music, which prior to the war had ulation of over three quarters of a million Auditorium in the centre of Tel Aviv which almost no audience was hardly ever play- is home to Israel’s largest auditorium, the was opened in 1957 when Leonard Ussishkin Auditorium at the International Bernstein conducted the inaugural concert Conference Centre with 3,000 seats. with Arthur Rubinstein as soloist. The stage When the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra is equipped with a hydraulic lift which pays their monthly visit to the capital, they raises and lowers the piano on and off the perform at this very large venue. The concert platform and each one of the Jerusalem Symphony Orchestra, which in 2,760 seats offers a full and clear view of fact is Israel’s Radio Orchestra, performs the stage. The Israel Philharmonic Orch - weekly at the 850 seat Henry Crown Hall estra is “self governing”, the General and all their concerts are relayed “live” to Secretary is Avi Shoshani and it enjoys the the nation on Israel Radio’s “Voice of support of 26,000 subscribers in Israel as Music” station. Their present musical well as many “Friends of the Orchestra” director is the French conductor Frederic throughout the world. Chaslin who shares the podium with guest The Six Day War in June 1967 marked conductors from both Israel and abroad. an important turning point in Israeli culture. Cantorial and liturgical music is prog- In the words of Viennese born historian rammed for both the Jewish Festivals as Amos (Sternbach) Alon who emigrated to well as for the Easter and Christmas Mandate Palestine in 1933, “Because of period. Jerusalem of course is home to the Six Day War of 1967, the people of many different ethnic groups comprising Israel came of age. It marked the transition Henry Crown Hall of a large Arab community and the Ultra

from adolescence to maturity”. The period Orthodox Jewish (Hasidim) comm- ▼

MUSICAL OPINION JANUARY-FEBRUARY 2013 23 establishments: a-capella choirs, Arabic Tel Aviv Performing Arts Center music and early music. The story and history of Opera in Israel began in 1923 when a Russian “opera buff” from Moscow named Mordechai Golinkin arrived in Palestine. His ambition was to create an opera company in pre- state Israel and in the same year he arrived, succeeded in putting together a group of singers for a performance of Jerusalem Academy of Music & Dance Verdi’s La Traviata. As no opera house was in existence at that time in Tel Aviv and unity so an effort is made to please as which was still partly sand dunes, Golin - and most welcome guest conductor. This many as possible. The Israel Camerata kin’s Palestine Opera had to perform on coming season 2012-2013, their reper- Jerusalem, an outstanding chamber orch - the small stage of a cinema acc omp anied toire includes Berg’s Wozzeck, Benjamin estra, is one of Jerusalem’s jewels with a by an old Bechstein upright. In 1940, the Britten’s The Turn of the Screw and very fine international reputation. It was composer Marc Lavry and conductor Mussorgsky’s Boris Godunov. Mos cow’s founded in 1983 by Avner Biron who has George Singer established the Palestine Bolshoi Opera with its Soloists, Orchestra & been its musical director and permanent Folk Opera and by 1945 they had succ- Chorus will be coming to Israel for the first conductor ever since. They give more than eeded in staging sixteen productions, time in 2013 to give twelve performances a hundred concerts a year both in Israel among them the first opera ever to be of Tchaikovsky’s Yevgeni Onegin. The and abroad and their repertoire ranges written in the Hebrew language, Dan the ’s resident orchestra, the Israel from Baroque to Contemporary Music. Guard by Marc Lavry. A major change Sym phony Orchestra also give a series of John Tavener was recently commissioned came in 1945 when American soprano symphony concerts both at the Tel Aviv to write his “Prayer for Jerusalem” for the Edis de Philippe came to make her home Opera House and at the Municipal Aud - Camerata. In Tavener’s words, “My Prayer in pre-state Israel. She built her very own itorium in the city of Rishon LeZion, their for Jerusalem is an Invocation to the one company which was to become in 1948 home base. God of Islam, Judaism and Christianity – the Israel National Opera. De Philippe’s The question of staging a Wagner opera Allah, Adonai, Kyrie”. There are two other company performed nightly all over the or performing his music in Israel arises very important musical institutions in country in halls large and small, good and time and time again. The public is able to Israel’s capital city that must be ment- bad – as long as the public could have the purchase CDs, DVDs and can subscribe to ioned. They are the Jerusalem Academy of opportunity of listening to, in her words, the French Culture TV Channel “Mezzo” Music & Dance which is situated on the “The Wonderful World of Opera”. Her that regularly relays Wagner’s music. The campus of the Hebrew University and the company was so successful that she was Israeli Opera does not plan to stage any Jerusalem Music Centre. Since its opening able to attract young and rising inter- Wagner works at this present moment of in 1973, The Jerusalem Music Centre national stars to spend time working for time. One must understand that there are (whose president is the pianist Murray her. One Spanish tenor spent three years still people living today in Israel who Perahia) has been providing music educ- here in the 1960s. It was in Tel Aviv that he managed to survive the Nazi Holocaust ation to communities all over Israel with learned the basic tenor repertoire before but who have both vivid and horrific the services of a world-class national embarking on an out standing inter national memories of having to listen to his music resource centre, dedicated to encouraging career. His name? … Placido Domingo. Tel while their kith and kin were being the country’s finest talents, bridging the Aviv today now has a state-of-the-art opera murdered. But Richard Strauss’s music is distance between Israel and the rest of the house at the Tel Aviv Performing Arts now regularly performed and broadcast music world, and initiating and implem - Center which opened in 1994. Led by today. Strauss was head of the German enting much needed programmes and General Director Hanna Munitz and its State Music Bureau for several years under projects that the education and culture Artistic Administrator Michael Ajzenstadt, it the Third Reich but it was later revealed establishment cannot provide. The JMC now enjoys the support of almost 20,000 that he detested the Nazis and only operates to some extent as a laboratory. subscribers and mounts an average of conformed to help protect his Jewish Free from the rule of rating and bureau - nine productions each season featuring daughter-in-law and grandchildren. cracy, they can afford to explore and great artists from all over the world To anyone reading this article who has experiment. But at the same time they together with leading Israeli artists. All heard the following “joke” before, I do beg cooperate regularly with practically all the Israeli Opera productions are sung in their your indulgence but I simply can’t resist leading organisations of music and music original language with Hebrew and English repeating it. The year is 1990 and the education in Israel – the Music Academies, surtitles. The present musical director of scene is Ben-Gurion International Airport Orchestras, the Israeli Opera and the the Israeli Opera is David Stern, the son of near Tel Aviv after yet another plane has Ministry of Education & Culture. They pay the late violin virtuoso . Daniel just landed from the former . special attention to areas of music that are Oren, one of Israel’s most successful As the passengers disembark from the neglected or marginalised by mainstream international opera conductors is a regular aircraft onto the tarmac, a member of the

24 JANUARY-FEBRUARY 2013 MUSICAL OPINION airport ground staff shouts to his fellow Art and the Jerusalem Music Center. Their orchestra boasts 46 musicians of which workers:- “Look lads, that chap over there coming season 2012-2013 repertoire two thirds are immigrants from the former must be a pianist. He’s not carrying a violin includes works by Gyorgy Ligeti, Benedict Soviet Union together with young music - or a cello case”. The statistics aren’t that Mason, John Cage and the Israeli comp- ians who have fulfilled their compulsory one-sided, but they are striking. Of the oser Benjamin Yusupov. Hateiva (the military services in the orchestras of the 600,000 Russians who have come to live Center for Electronic and Digital Art) is yet Israel Defence Forces. In common with in Israel since 1989, 3% described them - another very successful project of Dan most orchestras throughout the world selves as artists and 65% said they were Yuhas where composers can collaborate today, it is not unusual for an orchestra to musicians. They did not enter into an with technologists and work with the latest give a serious classical concert one day entirely alien system, because in Israel the electronic equipment. It also brings and the following day to accompany a Government is the main agency that helps together different kinds of artists and visiting “Pop” star on TV. Their musical émigré musicians find jobs. About 500 composers from all over the world. Work- director is one of Israel’s outstanding Russian musicians have been placed in shops in cross-cultural and interdisciplinary young conductors Omer Wellber who orchestras by the Absorption Ministry and collaborations including music, video art, shares his time with orchestras both in the Ministry of Arts & Culture, 350 were and dance have established connections Florence and Valencia. placed in semi-professional ensembles with important studios abroad such as the No story about Israel would be and 800, after attending the government’s Centre Pompidou in Paris as well as complete without mentioning the word intensive Hebrew language schools called studios in the and Germany. ‘Kibbutz’ but I’m afraid it would require “Ulpanim”, were given music teaching Today, Hateiva also serves as a meeting every page of the magazine Musical posts. These are indeed large numbers for place for different media and has a small Opinion to tell the whole history. The word such a small population. The reason why concert hall where young composers and ‘Kibbutz’ means gathering (or clustering) so many chose to immigrate to Israel is performers are given a chance to perform. and the word ‘Kibbutzim’ is the plural. It is because the changed its Many young musicians and composers a collective community in Israel that was policy of treating Soviet as refugees who return to Israel after studies overseas traditionally based on agriculture but today, and allowing unlimited immigration, have a possibility to perform there and the farming has been partly supplanted by where as Israel was willing to receive them opportunity to reconnect to musical life in other economic branches including indust- unconditionally. Until the United States Israel. The space serves also as a “lab- rial plants and hi-tech enterprises. Kibb- closed their gates in the 1980s, some oratory” for young choreographers and utzim began as utopian communities, a 600,000 Soviet Jews immigrated there. composers who can work together to combination of socialism and , but The which is create new works. This is the only place in in recent decades the Kibbutzim have based in Tel Aviv-Jaffo is primarily funded Israel where such conditions prevail. been privatized and enormous changes by the Tel Aviv Municipality and the An orchestra that was also created in have been made in their communal Ministry of Education. Founded back in 1991 as part of the programme designed lifestyle. It is estimated that today there are 1965, the late Romanian born conductor to assist with the absorption of immigrant approximately 210 Kibbutzim in Israel. The was its musical director for ten artists is the Raanana Symphonette Orch - Kibbutz movement also has its “musical years. Since Bertini’s death, , estra. Co-sponsored by the Raanana life”. It has its own orchestra, choirs and , , Municipality and the various government dance companies (both classical and cont- and have all led the departments dealing with immigration and emporary) and many of Israel’s compos - orchestra. Philippe Entremont, the French also very fortunate to have Orit Fogel, a ers, musicians, dancers, singers and writers pianist/conductor was musical director first class manageress at the helm, the were born and grew up on Kibbutzim. The from 1995 to 1998 and remains the ICO’s Kibbutz Artzi (National) Choir was founded conductor laureate. ’s Roberto Pater- in 1958 and has earned a reputation as nostro is now the ICO’s musical advisor No story about Israel one of the finest choirs in Israel. Its mem - and chief conductor. Many of the ICO bers, selected from Kibbutzim throughout musicians are Israeli born and are joined would be complete the country meet for intensive weekly by some fine instrumentalists who left the rehearsals and not only perform with the former Soviet Union in the 90s. without mentioning Israel Kibbutz Orchestra but are invited by The Israel Contemporary Players was the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra and all established in 1991 with the aim of the word ‘Kibbutz’ other orchestras when choral works are performing the best 20th century classical programmed. Since 1990, Yuval Ben-Ozer chamber ensemble repertoire – most of but it would require has been their Musical Director and their which had never been performed in Israel outstanding a-capella performances have before. The Artistic Director is the Israeli taken them all over the world. To compete composer Dan Yuhas and the Hungarian, every page of the with the many fine orchestras in today’s Zsolt Nagy is its chief conductor. The music scene, the Kibbutz Orchestra has ensemble regularly commissions works magazine to tell the been obliged to also “commercialise” and from Israeli composers and perform whole history. now engages top professional musicians monthly both at the Tel Aviv Museum of who are not members of the Kibbutz ▼

MUSICAL OPINION JANUARY-FEBRUARY 2013 25 Tel Aviv Opera House

with conductor Valerie Gergiev not “yet” become Bingo Halls. In the early regularly spend the New Year at 70s, the Haifa Symphony Orchestra invited the Red Sea International Music me to manage their orchestra which had Festival. They obviously much sadly hit a bad patch. At my first meeting prefer the warm temper ature in with its board of directors, I told these Eilat as opposed to their below gentlemen loud and clear that the simple zero home base of St. Petersburg. solution (but not so simple to be honest) Two prestigious International to the orchestra’s problems was to look for Competitions take place trienn - a star conductor. I got news that the ially. They are the Arthur Rubin - conductor of the Moscow Radio Sym - stein International Piano Comp- phony Orch estra, Yuri Ahronovitch was in etition and the International Harp Vienna having defected from the Soviet Contest. Young artists come from Union after a European tour and, with the all over the world to participate help of a former member of the Moscow before a renowned board of Radio Orchestra now living in Israel, was jurists. The winner of the most able to make contact with him and thus recent piano competition was the was able to promote his first appearance 21-year old Russian Daniil Tri - in Israel. I will never forget his first rehearsal fonov. As a result, he can already when, within minutes, he made the HSO be seen seated at the piano in play Beethoven’s Coriolan Overture the front of the world’s greatest way Beethoven would surely have wished. orchestras. The programme for his Israel and Haifa movement. This year, the City of Netanya Finally, I would like to tell you about an debut included a Bach violin concerto took them under its wing and thus it has orchestra in the beaut iful port city of Haifa brilliantly played by a 13-year old boy been renamed the Netanya Kibbutz Orch- in the North of the country. The Haifa named Shlomo Mintz and Tchai kovsky’s estra. They perform regularly to audiences Symphony Orchestra was founded in Fourth Symphony which left the Haifa large and small in Kibbutzim throughout 1950 by a group of mostly German audience spellbound. To be fair, Yuri the country under their cond uctor Yaron refugees. In the late 50s many Romanians warned me that he was looking for a Gottfried. took the opportunity of escaping comm- European orchestra and as expected, he Israeli society not only celebrates relig- unism to make their home here and this certainly found one. But at least he did ious festivals. The Israel Festival takes place wave of immigration included the cond - make his permanent home in Israel and annually for three weeks during the month uctor Sergiu Comissiona. He left his took citizenship. I am delighted to say that of June in Jerusalem. Dance groups, class - position as Musical Director of ’s today the City of Haifa has a beautiful ical and popular ensembles and solo “Romanian National Opera House” and modern auditorium and indeed very fine performers are invited to appear in upon his arrival in Israel was appointed the orchestra. All thanks must go to their Jerusalem’s theatres and public parks to conductor of the Haifa Symphony Orch- musical director and principal conductor entertain both adults and children. During estra. Many excellent Romanian musicians Noam Sheriff, undoubtedly one of Israel’s the month of September, the Jerusalem were absorbed into the HSO which quickly finest living composers and conductors. ■ International Chamber Music Festival takes acquired a fine reputation in the musical place with various ensembles performing life of Israel. But in 1968 Comissiona was nightly. The Musical Director is the pianist attracted to the “green pastures” of the born Samuel Lewis, a found - Elena Bashkirova (a.k.a. Mrs. Daniel United States where he had the opp ort - ing member in 1951 of the London Barenboim) and this year their violinist son unity of building a fine international career Schools Symphony Orchestra was a Michael will be joining her. All these for himself. Back in 1960, I first visited violin pupil of Neville Marriner at the concerts are broadcast “live” on Israel Israel as a member of the viola section of Royal College of Music. After National Radio. Masada, the ancient fortress built by the London Symphony Orchestra. We Service with the Royal Artillery Orch- King Herod the Great atop a lofty natural were on a 14 day concert tour conducted estra, Woolwich having switched to plateau overlooking the Dead Sea has by Antal Dorati and performed in Tel Aviv, viola, played for seven years in the become a most popular venue for festive Jerusalem and Haifa. During our three day London Symphony Orchestra during occasions, opera performances and con- stay in Haifa I befriended the leader of the which time he also attended the certs during the summer months and it HSO and, as I had a free morning, was Guildhall School of Music can accommodate a seated audience of invited to join his quartet to play Mozart class. Having conducted West End over seven thousand. Yet another both Quintets at his home. We remained in musicals for five years, he decided on historic and festive concert venue is the contact thereafter. After seven years with a career in management. Today, 6,500 seat Caesarea amphitheatre built the LSO, I became involved in London’s Samuel Lewis represents in Israel 2,000 years ago. In the southern city of theatre world and also managed the most of the world’s great music Eilat on the banks of the Red Sea, the orchestras of a chain of large theatres publishers. Mariinsky Theatre and Orchestra together throughout the United Kingdom which had

26 JANUARY-FEBRUARY 2013 MUSICAL OPINION