American Friends of the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra

09/26/2011

Written by Peter Marck

By Peter Marck, IPO Principal Bass

The IPO has concluded their tour and are returning to Israel.  Thank you to Peter Marck for his entertaining and informative blog entries, giving us a glimpse into an IPO musician's life on tour.  Click here to see Peter's tour pictures   

Verona, the last stop (September 26, 2011)

The tour ended in beautiful Verona, not that there was much opportunity to enjoy our last day in Italy; we arrived by bus 3 hours before the concert! 

The "Spanish" program; Albeniz, Rimski-Korsakov, Debussy and Ravel was a polished success and the orchestra played an encore, Prokofiev's "Death of Tybalt."

Most of us didn't bother with unpacking, re-arranging or even opening suitcases.  After the concert suitcases went by truck to the airport in Milan: an amazing pile!  

In another 2 hours, the last bus ride to Milan, the flight home, then 5 days to get our feet on the ground before going back to work. 

Shana Tova!

Rimini and the last Mahler #5 (September 25, 2011)

The day begins in Rimini very differently than in Israel.  The sky lightens over the quiet Adriatic Sea until the sun turns the clouds a golden red and sea a grey-green. In Tel Aviv, we receive the dawn out of the dessert and mountains, the sun hot and massive; already at full strength.  The breeze from the beach brought the occasional fragrance of morning croissants from the hotels and I shared the beach with Chinese tourists looking for the magic "digital" moment.  As Rimini's day started, I thought of how in Israel, the last Sunday before Rosh HaShana was already underway.

Last night was the last Mahler Symphony of the tour, and as Zubin left the stage he said, "That's it! Now do it with someone else!"  The Mahler was a staple of the 75th anniversary year with performances starting last October in Tel Aviv, continuing in the US during the February tour, and 7 more times in Europe this summer.

At the Friday evening orchestra dinner, Zubin said his "thanks" to the "non-musical" people of the tour, Avi, Uzi, Yakov, Ofer, and his good-bye to three IPO members who are retiring from the orchestra, Naomi Enoch, Avraham Leventhal and Zeev Dorman. 

The last stop is Verona, a 3-hour bus trip and evening concert.

Queen Sofia of Spain attends IPO concert (September 22, 2011)

Her Majesty Queen Sofia attended the Thursday night concert of the Israel Philharmonic at the Auditorio National in Madrid.  At intermission she received Zubin Mehta for a private audience, congratulating the Maestro and the orchestra on their visit to Spain.

The program had an especially Spanish "flavor"; Albeniz "Iberia", De Falla "Noches en Los Jardines de Espana" ("Evenings in the Gardens of Spain"), Debussy "Iberia" and Rimsky-Korsakov "Capriccio Espagnol".  Piano soloist Javier Perianes performed De Falla's "Noches" with the orchestra. Her Majesty was greeted by applause from the standing audience and orchestra when she entered the auditorium.  She has a personal friendship with Maestro Mehta and is known to members of the IPO as a faithful supporter of the orchestra's concerts over the years. 

Queen Sofia is a great supporter of the arts and sports.  She represented Spain in its 1960 Olympics sailing team.  Two years ago she attended the Wimbledon Tennis Championship to see Rafael Nadal's victory, as well as the 2010 FIFA World Cup when Spain was crowned champion. Madrid's major museum of modern art carries her name.

The Queen who is a member of the Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg dynasty, is wife of Spain's King Juan Carlos I.

Amati at the Palace

"Are you coming to see the Amati bass at the Palacio Real?"

I didn't know of any famous bass in Madrid; I've been there dozens of times… an Amati?  It'sthe rarest of double basses from the 17^th century!  It seemed unbelievable.  "Skeptical" only began to describe my feelings.  I was sure we would find some broken-down Spanish imitation. It's the end of the tour; I'm tired, I need some time for shopping and some sleep before the concert.

"Come on, here are the photographs."

The photos from the internet weren't too convincing.

Against my better judgment, and perhaps as a compromise to Eran's youthful enthusiasm, he is about half my age, I agreed.

We set off for the Palace, and while I waited in line for tickets, Eran went to the information desk.  "We want to see the Amati contrabass."

"Yes, the King has a collection of Stradivarius violins."

"No, we want to see the bass.  It's an Amati and I have photographs."

"Well, ask for a ticket to the picture gallery."

At the head of the line we asked for "Picture Gallery".

"Only Stradivarius…"

"No, we don't want violins! We want the CONTRABAJO! (using the Spanish pronunciation.)

"No, there are "Picture Gallery" tickets only: special guided tour…this part of the Palace is not open to the public!"

Eran went back to the information desk.  The lady went to the guard and asked when the next guided tour is in English.  "They can come back at two o'clock."

"Excuse me Madam, but we are musicians from the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra…Zubin Mehta!!  We are playing for your Queen this evening and we can't come back at two o'clock!!"

That did the trick!  She picked up the phone to the Museum director.  After a hurried explanation, she asked us to wait 2 minutes.  The call came back; the information office was closed, "Please, come with me."

We followed her into the museum, past the Chinese tourists, behind those thick red ropes that block doorways, through silent galleries, down a corridor that was being renovated, stopping at a double door with the King's crest.  "We wait here for a moment."

A guard appeared and he pulled out a key 30 cm. long which looked like it had last been used in the Inquisition. We were let in to the private instrument collection of the King: harps, pianos, guitars, string instruments, and in the second room…. Wow!...lay an absolutely gorgeous double bass looking more Amati than I could ever imagined!  The bass is preserved in a large glass case.  The photos say it all, but there's no way to convey the feeling of being in the presence of a genuinely rare and especially beautiful instrument.  Unlike the King's "Strad" quartet which is taken out every month for concerts, it never gets played…such a pity!

We had 5 minutes to see the bass and photograph before being escorted out!  What an honor! 

Eran's perseverance and his quick thinking really paid off in a big way!

Bucharest to Madrid (September 21, 2011)

Last night's concert at the Enescu Festival was even more packed than the first concert; and with good reason: a great program and a great soloist! The orchestra opened with Enescu's, "Overture on Romanian Folk Tunes."  Yefim Bronfman then joined Zubin and the IPO in Brahm's Second Piano Concerto.  "Fima" also played an encore, the Second Liszt-Paganini Etude.   After intermission the orchestra returned to play Mahler's Fifth Symphony.

In this busy week, we have three days of flights with concerts on the same day: Paris to Bucharest, Bucharest to Madrid and Madrid to Rimini. It's like flying three times to Europe, and while in the evening keeping a full concert schedule.

In my immediate surroundings on the plane, there was a variety of activities to fill the time: embroidery (watch out for Dalit's needle), reading (Teddy is reading in Romanian with a dictionary on his lap), movies on the computer (Nir and his Mac), chess (Marcel and Paulina), sleeping (head back-mouth open) , orchestra politics and/or gossip (Adi and Merrill), and of course announcements about the evenings' rehearsal before the concert (groans) and the suitcase delivery upon landing ("take your own bag if you want to be certain to get it!)  The prize for using airplane time wisely is Gadi who practices on an electronic sax using playback and earphones! (see photo)

Lunch at the hotel started at 1500, and the surprise of the day is that Zubin decided to cancel the evening rehearsal before the concert; now that's a great dessert!

Luxembourg, Paris and Bucharest (September 20, 2011)

Just as we landed in Bucharest, I turned to my neighbor Dalit, "Exactly one week from today we'll be getting on plane for the flight home!"

After Saturday night's concert in Luxembourg at the Salle der Concerts Grand-Duchesse Josephine-Charlotte (The Philharmonie) we bused over the French border to catch a fast train from Metz to Paris. We arrived at the hotel near the Arc de Triomphe by lunchtime but were already in rehearsal at the Salle Pleyel by 1800.  The concert ended with another incredible standing ovation for the Mahler Symphony.  The soloist was Vadim Repin in the Bruch Violin Concerto.  Our one day in the French Capitol was a real squeeze for visits to family and friends, and sight-seeing was out of the question.

At 0645 the next morning, the buses left for Charles DeGaulle Airport and the charter flight to Bucharest for the first concert at the Enescu Festival.  The Sala Mare Palatului normally accommodates 2,500 people, but it was standing-room only for the IPO's first concert. The aisles were packed with music lovers who wanted to hear the concert and hundreds of people stood for the entire concert to hear Zubin Mehta and the Israel Philharmonic.  Again, Vadim Repin was soloist in the all Tchaikovsky program including the Violin Concerto, "Andante Cantabile" from the second string quartet and the Fourth Symphony. 

Three great concerts in three very short days!

Rotterdam and Luxembourg (September 17, 2011)

I have never seen a cheering audience jump to its feet quicker than the audience at the Gergiev Festival in Rotterdam.  The Thursday evening performance of Mahler's 5th Symphony was one of the most energetic performances of the Israel Philharmonic and the Dutch audience responded to the excitement.

The next morning we were off for a day of trains to Luxembourg; one hour to Brussels, a two-hour stop, then an additional three hours to the little kingdom which is home to the European Community.  In Brussels there was time for a coffee or Belgium Beer; some players even made a visit to the Grand Place.

Shabbat was spent wandering around Luxembourg before the evening concert.

Keeping Track of Where You Are… (September 16, 2011)

As Maestro Mehta said, "At this point, I don't know what city I'm in when I wake up."  One solution is sleeping with the tour book open to the right page, preferably under the pillow.

The cities are going by in a blur; Bonn, Cologne, Milano, then bus to Torino for a concert at the Agnelli Building, the old Fiat Factory. Today, the orchestra flew to Rotterdam for an evening concert at the "Doelen."

For anyone who had hald an hour, Turin was beautiful; Piazza San Carlo, Piazza della Repubblica and "La Madama," and with vast pedestrian malls like via Garibaldi in the older part of the city.

We said goodbye to our sax players Gan and Yanir, but will meet up with them again in Verona for the last "Bolero".

Yesterday there were Palestinian flags outside of the hall and today we already have warnings about a possible demonstration.

The “Tour” Begins in Earnest (September 13, 2011)

The third week of the European Festival tour is underway: 13 concerts in 14 days.  While staying at the hotel in Bonn, we did a run-out to Cologne, 50 minutes down the Rhine River.  Zubin spared us a rehearsal before the performance, but we were all guests for a short beer party immediately after the concert.  The beer was the local favorite, a "kölsch" - light but strong!

The party did not end at night: the next morning at Bonn airport, Zubin stocked up on 100 cups of Ben and Jerry's coconut chocolate ice cream for the in-flight service to Milano.  It was a great improvement over our Lithuanian airline chartered service with intermittent toilets and no overhead space.

Unfortunately for the orchestra, we landed at lunch time for the Milan baggage handlers which meant a lost hour by the conveyor belts.  We made up the hour by standing through lunch at the hotel… not enough chairs… and what a weird hotel!  It was the back-lot set for Fellini's "La Strada" - isolated, silent, and seemingly uninhabited until the arrival of the orchestra; early 60's décor, somewhere between a government hospital and an Olympic village.

Quick sleep and off to the concert.

The Teatro Degli Arcimboldi was built 12 years ago to accommodate the company of the La Scala Opera House during the 2-year renovation of their 18th century theatre in the downtown.  Since then it has held its place as a concert hall, theatre and auditorium for shows.  The concert of Liszt and Mahler was broadcast live on Italian radio and was attended by the Israeli ambassador his wife, Mr. and Mrs. Gideon Meir.  They were guests backstage at intermission; a very welcome demonstration of support for Maestro Mehta and the orchestra! 

9/11 Concert in memory of Herman Sandler (September 11, 2011)

The Israel Philharmonic dedicated its 9/11 tour concert in Bonn, Germany to the memory of Herman Sandler, Former Chairman of the Board of the American Friends of the IPO.   Herman's life was cut short 10 years ago today in the attacks on the Twin Towers.  Zubin Mehta spoke for all the musicians when he recalled Herman's generosity and enthusiasm for the IPO.

As is often the case, the orchestra was welcomed by the director of the Beethovenfest.  We were reminded that this summer is the 40th anniversary of the first visit of the Philharmonic to Germany, the first concert having taken place in Bonn.

At intermission of the concert which was held in the Beethovenhalle, Zubin was presented with the Furtwangler Award for life work in music.  It was presented by Peter Jonas, Zubin's friend and general director during his years at the Bayrischen State Opera.

The morning began with an early flight from Dresden into rainy Bonn.  Because of the early arrival, most of the hotel rooms were still not ready.  One by one over the next 2 hours, first musicians with critical parts in the evening's concert, then senior members and finally the new members and extras, received their keys rooms became available.

Dresden (September 10, 2011)

"Florence on the Elbe" was Dresden's nickname; for its setting on the Elbe River, its beauty, its art museums, and it's wealth as the Saxony's principal city.  The Philharmonic performed in the Semper Opera House, the landmark of this city which was destroyed in the Second World War.  The center of the city has been nearly rebuilt to its former beauty since the unification of Germany.  The most striking example is the Church of our Lady, Dresden's oldest Church which until 1990 was a pile of stones with weeds growing out of the rubble.

IPO on a Historic Stage (September 9, 2011)

The IPO performed Mahler's 5th symphony at one of the most important locations for Israeli history, the Musiksaal in Basel, Switzerland.  From this very stage Dr. Theodor Herzl conducted the first Zionist Congress in August 1897.   Before the afternoon rehearsal began, orchestra members visited the "Three Kings Hotel", where Herzl stood on the balcony, and posed for photographs by the plaque in the hall where the Congress took place.

Ironically, outside, two protesters passed out anti-Zionist pamphlets.

The London Proms protest continues to make waves.  It was announced today in the Jewish Chronicle that a musician who tried to disrupt the Proms pre-concert event presented by three members of the IPO was suspended from her job in the London Philharmonic Orchestra indefinitely.  She had tried to read a protest letter signed by 26 London musicians. The session had effectively ended and she was disregarded by the audience by the time she started to "rant."

The Lucerne Festival (September 8, 2011)

For two months every summer, Lucerne becomes the crossroads for the world's great musicians and orchestras.  The IPO joined the Vienna Philharmonic, the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, the Philadelphia Orchestra and the Concertgebouw; appearing with 2 programs: an all-Tchaikovsky concert with soloist Vadim Repin and a "Spanish" program of Albeniz, De Falla, Debussy and Ravel with pianist Javier Perianes.

The Lucerne Culture and Convention Center is a superb concert hall.  The sound of the orchestra was absolutely glorious and the setting, on the shore of Lake Lucerne is magnificent.  The mountains are reflected in the quiet waters of the lake, the only ripples caused by swans gliding by.  Of course, Switzerland with its order, cleanliness and wealth is impressive in itself.  The overvalued Swiss Franc made a cup of coffee 26 NIS ($7 US) and a simple dinner 250 NIS ($68 US)!

The orchestra was accompanied in Switzerland by veteran "Yedioth" reporter (and music lover) Smadar Perry. Although she is the Middle East editor, it was her chance to take a break from the turmoil of the Arab world and enjoy more harmonious sounds with the Philharmonic. (Hopefully the London concert will be an exception!)  For an unusual evening, she presented a lecture on the Middle East situation created by the "Arab Spring."  It was "unusual" because musicians don't generally seek-out intellectual stimulation on tour, and forty orchestra members attended.  The glimpse into the intimate world of Husneh Mubarak, who she knew for 30 years, was revealing and fascinating. 

Her article about the tour, including an interview with Maestro Mehta will be featured in Friday’s newspaper.

A Weekend in the Alps (September 4, 2011)

It's pouring rain in the Swiss Alps. Anyone who planned to walk, ride, shop or swim on this, our only free day of a month tour is now keeping warm in the hotel. Grey clouds are rolling in over the mountains and up the green valley. The smell of fried onions and toast are entering my room, perhaps from musicians who prefer picnicking in the room instead of braving the weather for dinner.

Last night we preformed at the Menuhin Festival in Gstaad with cellist Sol Gabbetta. The rains had started during our rehearsal and the festival tent was like a sauna. The orchestra sweated its way through Debussy, the Saint-Saens cello concerto and Tchaikovsky #4. The Swiss audience loved the orchestra; hot and humid!

Zubin Mehta made his first statement about the concert at the Proms by thanking the orchestra for "keeping its cool". Of course it had been Zubin who had waited patiently, completely un-ruffled; first by the protests, then by the audience cheering each expulsion of a protester, and finally by the friendly chants of "out…out…out!" On Saturday night, the orchestra acknowledged Zubin's leadership with its applause for its music director.

In today's age of instant communication, news of the protest had appeared on an orchestra member's Facebook page before the second piece was completed, the orchestra blog was updated with a report and photograph an hour after the concert ended, and member of management Yoel Abadi had given a statement to a Ynet reporter the next morning at Heathrow Airport.

Gstaad is in the center of the Vaudoises Alps, and most of the orchestra was housed nearby Les Diablerets, a resort village. Before the weather became rainy, one group of adventurous musicians took the cable car up to 3,000 meters to walk on the Glacier Diableret, and others hiked the surrounding hills. There were also bikers and runners who took advantage of some free time. 

Protests fail to disrupt concert (September 1, 2011)

A pro-Palestinian protest failed to detract from the Israel Philharmonic's appearance at the BBC Proms Festival tonight; what could have been a total disaster turned into a total victory.

Chants of "Free Palestine," and "End the Occupation" during Anton Webern's "Passacaglia" passed for most of the audience as a clever musical addition, and didn't realize that anything was amiss.  Only when Gil Shaham joined the orchestra for Bruch's Violin Concerto did the vocal protest actually hold up the beginning of the piece.  The Albert Hall which was full to capacity became the scene of a struggle between ushers and protesters who displayed flags and signs before being ejected.  When the hall was finally quiet, Gil Shaham played a heart-felt Bruch which brought cheers from the enthusiastic audience.  He continued to play the prelude from Bach's E Major Partita as an encore.

Protesters shouting "Free Azza" disrupted the second half, but an unperturbed Zubin Mehta waited them out patiently and the audience was soon chanting "Out…Out…Out…" to the protesters.  When they were cleared out, the concert proceeded with an all-Spanish second half and again "Capriccio Espagnol" was received by a cheering, friendly audience.  It was certainly a Proms Concert that will not be forgotten!

There were hints of what protesters were planning for the concert at a Pre-Proms event for the audience. Three IPO members, Yigal Meltzer, Iris Regev and Peter Marck were interviewed about their experiences in the orchestra and introduced the repertoire of the concert.  Before the conclusion, an attempt was made to read a protest letter, disguised as a question about the program, calling for a boycott of the IPO; but the protester was shouted down by the audience.

The Concerts Begin (August 31, 2011)

The first concert of the IPO European Festival Tour in Stresa was a huge success.   The program of Webern, Liszt and Tchaikovsky was greeted by a full-house of music lovers celebrating the Festival's 50th anniversary.

The next morning the orchestra flew to Vienna to be guests at the Grafenegg Music Festival directed by pianist Rudolf Buchbinder.  The festival takes place 60 km. from downtown Vienna in a fantastic summer setting: a 17th century castle including moat, stables, servants' buildings, woods, farmland, gardens and even a natural goldfish pond.  The elegant audience comes mostly from the city for events which this year included the Philadelphia Orchestra, the Vienna Philharmonic and other great ensembles.

The modern concert stage is a replica of Vienna's Musikverien concert hall…but under the stars! As in the Musikverien, the comfort of the musicians is not essential and players warmed-up or practiced in the woods surrounding the castle.  Even though concert-dress wasn't mandatory, seeing musicians playing in the natural beauty of the woods was an interesting contrast.

Our host, Rudolf Buchbinder, director of the festival, performed Brahms First Piano concerto.  In the second half of the program which was broadcast on Austrian Radio, the orchestra performed Tchaikovsky's Fourth Symphony and 2 encores; "Andante Cantabile" from the first string quartet and "Waltz" from Swan Lake.

Of course, there was just enough time for one meal of Traditionelles Wiener Schnitzel and dessert of Apfelstrudel mit Vanilla-Sauce und Schlagobers! 

An In-Auspicious Beginning (August 28, 2011)

The Israel Philharmonic departed on Saturday, August 27th, for a one-month concert tour of European Festivals; 21 concerts in 18 cities!  For those who believe in omens, it was an "in-auspicious" beginning: we boarded our Milan-bound charter flight, got settled, and waited patiently 55 minutes only to hear the Captain announce a flat tire!  20 minutes later, he announced that the problem was a bit more complicated, and we all disembarked to the terminal to wait for a repair crew.

By late afternoon, we arrived in Milan, and drove to beautiful Stresa on the shore of Lago Maggiore.  The Stresa Festival is celebrating its 50th anniversary and the appearance of the Israel Philharmonic with Zubin Mehta is the central event.  Orchestra members enjoyed a break from Israel's summer heat with a visit to Isola Bella by steamer or a cable car climb on Mont Monterrone for a view of the snow covered Alps.