For Israeli violinist Miri Ben-Ari, doing the unexpected is standard fodder; so it should come as no surprise that her new single, \”Symphony of Brotherhood\” (featuring the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.\’s \”I Have a Dream\” speech weaving in and out of an extended string solo) topped the charts just one month after its radio release.
The Days of Awe evoke many feelings, but my first thoughts invariably turn to the special music of these days. From the solemn, almost brooding melody of Kol Nidre to the lilting \”High Holiday\” tune that unifies the music of both Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, there is much in which to delight.
Perhaps because this is the only synagogue music that many Jews hear all year, there are fewer alternative versions of the High Holiday liturgy than of, say, \”Lecha Dodi\” or \”Adon Olam.\” Still, these albums should help put you in a proper frame of mind.
Move over Baby Mozart and Baby Bach. If you really want your children to learn the classics — and know the composer\’s name to boot — check out \”Beethoven\’s Wig, Sing Along Symphonies.\”
What do you do when your symphony season hinges on a theme of celebration, but your country is still reeling from terrorism?
It says something about Gisele Ben-Dor\’s dedication to her profession that when she made her conducting debut with the Israel Philharmonic in 1983, she was nine months pregnant.\nHer concluding piece was Stravinsky\’s \”The Rite of Spring,\” which, in view of her particular condition, was renamed by the orchestra as \”The Rite of the Offspring.\”\n\n
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