ICSM Online Journal > Reviews

Zun mit a regn (‘Sun and Rain’),
Synagogue, Nijmegen, 6 February 2005
Sovali (Sofie van Lier), soprano; Alexej Pevzner, violin; Alexander Oratovski, cello; Sander Sittig, piano

Reviewed by Henny van de Groep
posted 19 March 2006

This concert took place in the oldest synagogue in the Netherlands – which is still in use as a synagogue. The recently renovated building has an intimate interior with dazzling lights and excellent acoustics. The attendance, given the small venue, was not bad at all; indeed, there was a genuine interest in this concert. On the programme was an unusual combination: Shostakovich, Weinberg and Veniamin Basner. Weinberg and Shostakovich were, of course, close friends; Basner belonged to their circle, too. This ‘trio’ lived under the reign of terror of the Stalin regime, which resulted only to reinforce their friendship; they helped and encouraged each other through thick and thin.

The Programme:
Mieczysław Weinberg (1919–96)
Jewish Songs (Yitskhok Leyb Perets), Op. 13 (1943)
arranged for soprano and piano trio by Alexander Oratovski (2004)
According to Olga Rakhalskaya, the composer’s widow, these were performed only once at 1943 in Tashkent, and in a (now lost) arrangement for soprano and chamber orchestra by Basner, first performance in the early 1990s, St Petersburg

Introduction
‘Breytele’ (‘Bread Roll’)
‘Viglid’ (‘Cradle Song’)
‘Der jeger’ (‘The Hunter’)
‘Oyfn grinem bergele’ (‘On the Green Mountain’)
‘Der yesoymes brivele’ (The Letter of the Orphan’)

Coda
Sonata for Cello Solo No. 1, Op. 72 (1960)
Dmitri Shostakovich
Piano Trio No. 2, Op. 67 (1944), 3rd and 4th movements: Largo, Allegretto

Weinberg
Jewish Songs (Samuel Galkin), Op. 17 (1944), arranged for soprano and piano trio by Alexander Oratovski (2004). According to Olga Weinberg, these songs were first performed in 1999 at the Club of Music-Lovers and the House of Scientists, Moscow .
No. 2, ‘Di muter’ (‘The Mother’)
No. 4, ‘Tsum libn’ (‘To Love’)
No. 5, ‘Tife griber, royte leym’ (‘Deep Graves, Red Earth’)
No. 6, ‘Tsu di royte kriger’ (‘To the Red Soldier’)

Veniamin Basner (1925–96)
Poem , Op. 7, No. 1, for violin and piano

Shostakovich
Prelude and Fugue No. 8 in F sharp minor for piano, Op. 87 (1950–51)
From Jewish Folk Poetry, Op. 79 (1948) – song-cycle arranged for soprano and piano trio by Alexander Oratovski (2004):
No. 1, ‘Zun mit a regn’ (‘Sun and Rain’)
No. 3, ‘Shlof mayn kind’ (‘Sleep, My child’)
No. 5, ‘Her zhe, Khasye’ (‘Listen, Khasye’)
No. 7, ‘Af dem boydem’ (‘On the Garrett’)

Weinberg’s Jewish songs were not easy to find. Through the Weinberg authority Per Skans, the singer and organizer Sofie van Lier came across the musicologist Julia Broido, who had recently finished her studies on Jewish themes in Weinberg’s music, and was thus able to lay hands on the scores. The Weinberg songs are based on Yiddish poems. The first cycle Jewish Songs, Op. 13, to lyrics by Yitskhok Perets, describe the world of a young child and Weinberg’s music is uncomplicated and playful, a striking blend of lyrics and melody. From the moment Sofie van Lier began to sing, it was evident that we were in the midst of songs of amazing beauty. The power of these little gems lies in their purity and natural simplicity. Each of them has its own special character – for example, the mother’s cradle song, steeped in tenderness, is contrasted with the song about the boy who wants to be a bear-hunter, the music depicting a strong gallop. ‘The Letter of the Orphan’ has a tragic refrain: after a dark instrumental introduction in the lowest register, the orphan speaks of her hard life in a letter to her mother in heaven – a desperate plea for help. The song embodies a harrowing accompaniment of drones, in fourths and even seconds to describe the letter’s dark atmosphere. Spanish intonations add to the work’s dramatic touches.

Alexander Oratovski performed with much verve a relatively unknown Weinberg work: his First Sonata for Cello Solo. The Jewish inflections in this piece were reminiscent of the grotesque dance that influences Shostakovich’s Second Piano Trio, while the Sonata’s first theme bears strong similarities to Shostakovich’s ultimate opus for viola and piano. A pity, though, that the very full programme meant that only two movements of the Shostakovich Second Trio could be performed.

After the intermission the programme continued with Weinberg’s Jewish Songs, Op. 17, to lyrics by Samuel Galkin. These songs have a quite different story to tell. Their subject is the Second World War. They relate the mother’s sad tale of her son’s letters arriving from the front, and the heart-breaking farewell of a soldier’s sweetheart to her lover who is leaving her to do his duty for his country. ‘Deep Graves , Red Earth’ tells of the massacre at Babi Yar . The final song, ‘To the Red Soldier’, concludes the cycle with an encouragement to the son, brother, father and lover to fight the hard battle and defend their country heroically. In these songs one recognises the voice of Weinberg the symphonist. Then, without warning, the fourth and fifth song ‘To Love’ and ‘Deep Graves, Red Earth’ suddenly remind the listener of Shostakovich. With the song ‘To the Red Soldier’ echoes of Rothschild’s Violin, Venjamin Fleishmann’s opera completed by Shostakovich sprung to mind – as did a resemblance to Stravinsky’s L’histoire du Soldat. A coincidence?

Veniamin Basner’s Poem, an early, relatively unknown work, is in essence a romantic piece exuding cheerfulness and warmth, concluding with the towering bells of Zvon. This was a pleasant composition placed in between the other works and providing effective contrast.

Next, the pianist Sander Sittig gave an alluring, unpretentious performance of Shostakovich’s Prelude and Fugue, Op. 87, No. 8. His touch was bright and his pedalling intelligent.

Shostakovich’s Jewish song-cycle worked splendidly in its arrangement by Alexander Oratovski, who played perfectly together with the singer. Sofie van Lier has an expressive voice and held the audience attention throughout. This was an unforgettable event in which the musicians gave their all.

back to top