By Sandy Golden
SAN DIEGO — Good vs. Evil: Over the past several days we have seen and heard increasing evidence of both, as a result of the horrific happening after the Boston Marathon—-the vicious, vindictive planning that went into the destruction and deaths that resulted –and –the display of heroism, compassion and selfless acts of so many to attempt to rescue and save other human beings——strangers —-who needed assistance……
- This thought was foremost in my mind as a resounding voice in faultless Hebrew boomed out periodically during different parts of the narration of the Western Hemisphere Premiere of “GENESIS” a Symphonic Poem for Reader and Orchestra. Particularly noteworthy was G-d’s conversation with Noah in which he lamented the wickedness in Man, and Noah’s response to the Lord.
That booming and sometimes gentle and/or questioning voice was that of Simon Ordever, a relative newcomer to San Diego, who had been selected to serve as Narrator for this original composition, which was the brainchild of Israeli-born Baruch Berliner, and which illustrated the origin and development of good vs. evil since Adam and Eve.
British-born Ordever, who had very quickly immersed himself into various aspects of the San Diego Jewish community when he moved to San Diego about a year ago, had lived and worked in Israel for 20 years, and spoke Hebrew like a sabra.
His fluent and expressive Hebrew, his diction, and his ability to connect with the full-house audience, added much to the understanding of the music. In a full-throated voice, Ordever spoke each line of the original words of The Bible, as the composer’s symphonic poem unfolded and in 38 minutes presented the composer’s seven crucial points of the world’s creation.
Dr. Berliner (he has a Ph.D in Math from the University of Zurich) and his wife had flown in from their home in Tel Aviv to be at the debut of his 7-part composition, which started with “The Beginning” and moved through passages entitled: “The Creation of Adam and Eve,” “Driving Out”, “Cain and Abel”, “Noah”, “The Flood” and concluded with “The Token of the Covenant”, the covenant of the rainbow.
Under the direction of Maestro David Amos, the 75 volunteer members of the Tifereth Israel Community Orchestra (TICO), now in its 38th year, performed admirably, receiving standing ovations after the conclusion of “Genesis”.
Also receiving equally enthusiastic standing ovations, was soloist Yukiko Sekino, a Gold Medalist of the 2006 International Russian Music Piano Competition. Dr. Sekino, a graduate of Harvard, Julliard, and The State University of New York, is currently on the faculty of the New England Conservatory Preparatory School. She was introduced and brought to San Diego by a very well-known name in San Diego’s Jewish and Music circles, Eileen Wingard, also San Diego Jewish World’s music columnist, and an outstanding musician and musicologist in her own right.
The accomplished pianist concluded this outstanding musical program with a dazzling rendition of Rachmaninoff’s Piano Concerto No. 2 in C Minor, Opus 18.
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Golden is a freelance writer based in San Diego