KlezCalendar

A Lid Un A Tfile: An Evening of Jewish Music

A Lid Un A Tfile: A celebration of the diversity of Jewish music, with traditional doinas and Yiddish Songs as well as original music such as Osvaldo Golijov' Tenebrae, John Zorn's Kol Nidre and Sergei Prokofiev's Overture on Hebrew Themes, plus more original Yiddish songs by David Wall and Marilyn Lerner.

Performed by: David Wall & Monica Whicher (singers), David Buchbinder (trumpet), Martin van de Ven & Lori Freedman (clarinet), Marilyn Lerner & Andrew Burashko (piano), Erika Raum & Ben Bowman (violin), Steven Dann (viola), Thomas Wiebe (cello) and Jarek Obsadny (film maker).

8pm
January 18 - 19
Harbourfront, Toronto
Venue: Enwave Theatre
Tickets: $36 ($25 seniors/students) Purchase Tickets

Art of Time Ensemble, Artistic Director and pianist Andrew Burashko's innovative chamber group, is pleased to present An Evening of Jewish Music: A Lid Un A Tfile - A Song and a Prayer, January 18 & 19, 2007 at 8pm at Harbourfront Centre Theatre, 231 Queens Quay West.

This soulful and tuneful exploration of Eastern European-inspired music, new and old, features, along with the Art of Time Ensemble, the most outstanding musicians in Canada who use their Jewish roots as a springboard for their cutting-edge interpretations on the genre: David Buchbinder (trumpet), Marilyn Lerner (piano), Martin van de Ven and Lori Freedman (clarinets) and David Wall and Monica Whicher (singers). Abstract film imagery by Jarek Obsadny accompanies some of the music.

Burashko chose the subtitle - A Lid Un A Tfile, translated as A Song And A Prayer - in honor of the importance music plays in Jewish religious and secular life and to celebrate the diversity of Jewish music today. The concert explores Ashkenazi (Eastern-European Jewry) musical themes in a diverse array of compositions ranging from traditional doinas (traditional song/chant) and classical compositions such as Osvaldo Golijov's Tenebrae, John Zorn's Kol Nidre and Sergei Prokofiev's Overture on Hebrew Themes to traditional and original klezmer and folk tunes by Wall and Lerner and jazzy scores and improvisations by Buchbinder and van de Ven.

Truly, this is an evening of music not to be missed. Whether it be traditional, avant-garde or classical, each piece echoes its rich Jewish roots. One of the highlights of this evening filled with brilliance is that each half closes with a different treatment of the same Hebrew musical themes: Act One with traditional klezmer-inspired riffing from Buchbinder, Lerner and van de Ven; Act Two with Prokofiev's version of the same themes in his classical Overture on Hebrew Themes performed Burashko and the Art of Time Ensemble.

Posted by Ari Davidow at 8:00 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Kicking off their 2007 activities, Vampire Suit is performing at the Tea Lounge, one of Brooklyn's new and exciting spots for improvised music. The performance will take place on January 18th, at 9:00pm. The Tea Lounge is located at 837 Union St., Park Slope, Brooklyn.

As the group's leader and composer, Jay Vilnai brings to Vampire Suit his wide palette experiences as a musician in New York, having shared the stage with such diverse figures as Klezmer great Frank London, Brazilian percussionist Jorge Martins and saxophonist Roy Nathanson, and having played anything from traditional jazz to Balkan music, Klezmer to Schoenberg, free improv to cabaret shows.

"The music has enduring beauty that touches on the heart of the Middle East's musical culture while exhibiting western flair. Open improvisations and the spirit of the belly dance coexist, encouraging the traditional undulated hip movements as a supplement to the solid instrumentation....—Frank Rubolino, Cadence Magazine

Also in play is Vilnai's unique musical heritage as a Russian-Romanian-Polish descendant raised in Jerusalem around a mix of contemporary and traditional Jewish and Arab music, with a soul for rock n'roll and a BFA in jazz. Couple that with a passion for Bartok and Stravinsky and you end up with all original music that draws on all those influences to create something akin to traditional music for a generation that hails from so many traditions. Balkan and Middle-Eastern rhythms are prominent, backed by 20th century composing concepts and jazz improvising.

"If Bram Stoker's imaginary Transylvania had a jazz scene, the music might sound something like this."—Jazz Review

Posted by Ari Davidow at 9:00 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)