Israel Philharmonic visits Abu Dhabi to bring honor

The Israeli Orchestra is present in some Arab countries – the Andalusian Orchestra in Morocco, the Jerusalem Symphony Orchestra in Dubai. But this time it was an official visit hosted by the UAE Foreign Minister at the invitation of the UAE Ministry of Culture.

There is no doubt that the moment when the orchestra began to blast the UAE national anthem (Long live my country) Aishi Bilady, followed by the Israeli national anthem Hatikva, was a moving moment.

“The Israeli-Arab conflict has been going on for 100 years and there is no solution,” said Lahav Shani, music director of the Philharmonic.

“Our performance in the Arab countries may be a small step towards the peace we all hope for. It may be a small step, but it will certainly be heart-warming. Music is a language of communication, a language that will The universal language that connects people is beyond words. The kind of connection it makes is our modest contribution.”

Honorable Emiratis in white robes and honorable Emiratis in black robes sit in the front row of the auditorium of the magnificent Emirates Palace, as Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed, the United Arab Emirates’ foreign minister, one of the founder’s sons a) The same is true of the UAE and the brother of the current president).

Seated next to him is Culture Minister Noura Al Kaabi: “It’s been a beautiful friendship that continues,” said Al Kaabi, “and I’m sure we’ll take part in many more cultural exchanges like this.” About two months ago, at a During the Zoom conversation, Al Kaabi and outgoing Culture Minister Hili Tropper further discussed cultural collaborations, including philharmonic concerts, including theater and cinema collaborations.

Before the founding of Israel, the Philharmonic toured in Cairo and Alexandria from 1937 until the 1940s. The last time the orchestra performed in an Arab country was in Cairo in 1945, and it returned after 77 years.

It is clear that this event is first and foremost a political and diplomatic event. In this context, the philharmonic and its music are a means of establishing diplomatic rapprochement, in addition to economic and security cooperation.

Unlike these collaborations, though, a concert can also move and create intimacy, and judging by the applause the orchestra receives at the end of the concert, the experience is substantial.

Traveling abroad with such a large orchestra is fascinating in itself, and there is no better way to get in touch with the inner world of this special group. When these more than 100 people of different ages walk on the stage, they will follow the same beat and become a whole, which is a magical mechanism.

This week, during the World Cup final, I got my first glimpse inside the mechanism: It turns out that most of the Israel Philharmonic’s musicians are fans of Messi and the Argentine national team. Violinists and horn players, men and women, young and old, cheered every Argentine goal and booed when France went on the attack.

Forget the serious and austere philharmonic musicians, this group jumped out of their armchairs with as much enthusiasm as any average football fan in Buenos Aires.

Another illusion shattered on this trip was the age issue. For a long time, the orchestra consisted of older, respectable, silver-haired men. Today’s Philharmonic is more feminine than ever (at least a third of its members are women), and younger than ever (nearly half of its members are under 40, many of them under 30 age).

In recent years, a whole generation of older musicians—many of them Russian immigrants from the last century—retired, and a whole generation of talented young people took their place.

These young people bring to the ensemble a very high professional standard – most of them have studied and played at the International Music Center – with energy, curiosity and openness. This means they are also flexible enough to fit into the unique style of an orchestra.

Michal Mossek, horn player and member of the orchestra’s management, said: “A good orchestra creates a unique identity. Although as musicians we have a world language, we There is still a need for a local dialect.”

This “local vernacular” of the orchestra was developed during Zubin Mehta’s nearly 50-year tenure as music director. He demanded dark sounds from wind instruments such as French horns and clarinets. He called for a “rich European sound” from the strings. And the whole orchestra has an orchestra-specific aroma: warm, condensed, rich sound, like dark red wine.

Another unique feature of the Israel Philharmonic is its flexibility. “This is perhaps the most Israeli thing about us. We are not rigid, we are open to updating our musical views and changing habits, and flexible enough to adapt to the unique style of a new conductor,” adds Mossek.

Above all, the new-look Philharmonic is an orchestra that is up to date, alert and better than ever. Interestingly, the passing of generations has not affected its characteristic sound.

How did it happen? Firstly, because change occurs gradually; above all, because the new player learns “the way of the orchestra” as he crowds under the wing of the older player of the same set of instruments.

He hears their voices, reads out specific accents, languages, intonations, and thus absorbs the character of the voices and the “spirit of the orchestra.” It’s not just talk. Orchestra veterans like to say that Daniel Barenboim agreed to be named Artistic Director of the Staatskapelle Berlin because he heard “the lovable voice of the Israel Philharmonic” in an audition with them. A voice he has known and loved since childhood.

Birnbaum indirectly influences the Philharmonic to this day, as many graduates of the orchestra he founded, the East-West Ensemble, currently play at the Philharmonic.

“Divan is the perfect school for orchestral players,” said Sharon Cohen-Milonsky, member of the 1st Violin Section. “Divan is challenging, demanding, teaches discipline and work habits, broadens musical and cultural And with a musical vision without national identity, designed to connect people directly. It’s a great school.”

Daniel Barenboim is also the mentor of 34-year-old Lahav Shani, who was appointed to the orchestra two years ago, succeeding the great Zubin Mehta music director. Shani knew the orchestra well and the orchestra knew him.

At the age of 17, he appeared with them for the first time as a solo pianist and singer. In 2013, at the age of 24, he was asked to replace conductor Kurt Mazor when he fell ill. “Are you free?” the orchestra’s director, Avi Shoshani, had asked him at the time. “Yes,” Shani replied, “but for such a short time I can only command Mahler.”

There is a reason. Earlier, Shani had won first place at the super-famous Mahler Conducting Competition in Bamberg, Germany. Before the competition, he studied Mahler’s first symphony. Shoshani agreed and Lahav Shani conducted an unforgettable concert. Unfortunately, I wasn’t there at the time, but friends say the band responded to Shani with uncharacteristic enthusiasm and precision.

This is also the symphony performed by Rahaf Shani and the Orchestra at the Emirates Palace in Abu Dhabi. This 1888 symphony by Mahler is a masterpiece. The music is very generous, easy to understand, and hits people’s hearts directly. We will not go into details, but Mahler introduced innovations in it.

For example, combining folk song material into a symphonic arrangement. Song themes have also been referenced by previous composers, such as the minuet. But for Mahler, these quotations became a key component of the overall orchestration. In the third movement, for example, there is a magnificent solo double bass from the famous French folk song Frère Jacques (“Our Brother Jacob”), and Mahler’s use of Jewish klezmer music is especially noteworthy.

What do the different audiences in Abu Dhabi know about this music and the special affinity that orchestras have for it? I do not know. But the audience’s connection to the music was clear, and the applause was especially loud. A delightful final chord to a short but captivating journey.