“the new world”, America, was the land of their desire. To the composer Paul Ben-Haim it was Israel.
Living in that new world either created an entirely idiosyncratic world of music. Different musical idioms merged into one that was completely new. Thus jazz and classical music blended into Gershwin’s smooth symphonic jazz and, in the music by Bloch and Ben-Haim, a rich synthesis of Jewish and West European music originated. The composers in this programme, consciously or unconsciously, were all inspired by the colourful music of Jewish tradition. From their music emerges , again and again, the call of desire for that other region, for that land where there is peace and pain has been cast off. A utopia? In their music that land does seem to exist.The piece Ale Brider, at the end of the programme, is a call for fraternization and solidarity of one human with another. Detached from any nationality or religion, sung in a lavish synthesis of different styles of music: a possible glimpse of the imagined land.....
Three Preludes - George Gershwin
Kol Nidrej - Max Bruch
Hebrew dance and melody - Joseph Achron
Three nocturnes - Ernest Bloch
Variations on a Hebrew Melody - Paul Ben-Haim
Ale Brider - Leonard Leutscher
(choice of music with reservation)