By Eileen Wingard
SAN DIEGO–During the past three weeks, four outstanding young Israel-born artists performed in La Jolla. Three of the young men call themselves Israelis and had their early training in the music schools of Israel. The fourth, an Arab, born in Nazereth, calls himself Palestinian, and received his early training with private teachers in Jerusalem. All were outstanding musicians.
On Tuesday evening, February 25, Beth Israel’s sanctuary was filled to capacity to hear the piano duo, Amal. The duo consists of Israeli pianist, Yaron Kohlberg and Palestinian pianist, Bishara Haroni. The two joined forces when they first played at a peace concert in Oslo, Norway in 2011. The concert’s success helped forge their permanent partnership. They now both reside in Berlin. Amal is the Arabic word for “hope,” and the duo aims not only to perform beautiful music together, but to spread the message for peace within the context of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
Their opening work was a Schubert Fantasie for four hands whose initial reoccurring theme, with its repeated leap, seemed to be a musical metaphor of the yearning for peace. The middle section, a more jovial interlude, was like the happiness and well-being peace could bring.
A syncopated, jazz-infused work by the Israeli composer, Dorfman, followed, and the concert concluded with a virtuosic rendition of a two-piano Suite by Rachmaninoff. The two young men, dressed in silk suits, were charming and played with meticulous ensemble and heartfelt passion.
Rabbi Michael Berk, senior rabbi of Congregation Beth Israel, in his introduction and conclusion, emphasized the prayers for peace by religious practitioners of all faiths. He expressed appreciation for the beautiful music and the important message which Duo Amal conveyed.
Duo Amal was brought to Beth Israel by the San Diego Opera Company as part of their 50th Anniversary celebration. Ann Campbell, San Diego Opera administrator and longtime member of Congregation Beth Israel, introduced the program. Opera Board members, Moses Urbano and Eckard Weber, were responsible for arranging the concert.
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Wednesday evening, March 12, a clubhouse on Alta La Jolla Drive was crowded with supporters of the America-Israel Cultural Foundation who came to hear two of the organization’s fine young prodigies, Violinist Asi Matathias and Pianist Andy Feldbau. The two had just appeared with the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra in Mendelssohn’s Double Concerto for Violin and Piano.
Their program began with an incisive reading of Brahms Scherzo from the F-A-E Sonata. This sonata was a collaboration between three composers, Robert Schumann, whose idea it was, Albert Dietrich, Schumann’s student, and the young Johannes Brahms. It was dedicated to the great violinist, Joseph Joachim, who premiered it on October, 1853 with Robert’s wife, Clara Schuman. at the piano. The initials, F-A-E, from Joachim’s favorite aphorism, “Frei aber Einsam (free, but lonely),” served as the motif for each movement.
Matathias and Feldbau performed the seldom-heard Grieg Sonata with deep insight, plumbing the beauty of the lyrical passages and the dance-like finale.
Feldbau displayed his solo artistry in a Prelude by Rachmaninoff, and the recital concluded with Sarasate’s Romanza Andeluza, a work the gifted violinist played with virtuosic flair.
July Galper was responsible for bringing these AICF prodigies to San Diego. Since the local chapter has been disbanded, she has, single-handedly, taken it upon herself to bring outstanding young Israeli artists to our area. Matithias has appeared here several times before, but this was Feldbau’s San Diego debut. Both artists currently live in New York City.
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Eileen Wingard is a freelance writer specializing in the arts. She may be contacted via eileen.wingard@sdjewishworld.com
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