Hot News August 2004
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Daniels Jazz lesson with 2 Students
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Richard Lesser with 2 Students
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Klezmer lesson with Feidman
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Helmut Eisel and Ms Katz Klezmer lesson
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Student and Ilan Schul in lesson
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Student in Cuper lesson
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Cuper lesson
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Cuper session with student
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Eisel ensemble class
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Student with Giora Feidman with Bass Clarinet
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Breakfast with Feidman team
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2 Students on break
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Clarinet Choir rehearsal
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Clarinet Quintet coaching
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Philippe Cuper trying Wurlitzer Bassett A Clarinet
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Bar Sela Festival briefing for participants
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First lunch at Festival with friends and Eddie Daniels and spouse
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Eddie Daniels and Giora Feidman meeting
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Feidman Festival Introduction
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Michal Beit-Halachmi Festival briefing
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Feidman and Helmut Eisel Klezmer Introduction
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Mike Getzin, Abbie, Eddie Daniels and Deborah Daniels
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Feidman and Philippe Cuper Introduction
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Giora Feidman demonstrating concept of Klezmer
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Artist circle with friends at Festival
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29 August 2004
Clarinet & Klezmer in the Galilee Music
Festival with Giora Feidman - Israel
Safed and Tel Aviv, Israel
Klezmer- a
universal musical form and way of life, expressing our inborn desire to create
music and dance
One of
the most comprehensive Clarinet Festivals to date was held in Safed, a Holy City
in Israel known as an origin of Kabbala (Jewish Mysticism) and connected to
Klezmer Jewish folk music which originated in Eastern Europe and has its
connections in Israel. The seven days (22-29 August) was comprehensive in
substantial training with lessons exceeding 14 hours a day, Master Classes,
Clarinet Choir rehearsals and ensemble rehearsals with students, five Potpourri
concerts held at the outdoor courtyard at the Sariah Center lasting 2 ½-3 hours
each night, for audiences numbering in the thousands, and including performances
by faculty and students alike in high powered performances. The most special
aspect of this festival was the emphasis on the Klezmer approach to playing as
focused by Giora Feidman, the Director of this event, and by exposure all week
the hope that the concept takes root in the students. In addition to this
aspect, the festival included broad coverage of Classical and Jazz as taught and
performed by such luminaries as Philippe Cuper, Solo Clarinetist in the Paris
Opera, Eddie Daniels, Jazz great from the USA, Ilan Schul, Head of Clarinet at
the Jerusalem Academy of Music, Sarah Elbaz, Director of the Student Clarinet
Choir, Orit Orbach, noted Klezmer Clarinetist, Helmut Eisel, acclaimed Klezmer
Klarinettist from Berlin and Assistant to Mr Feidman, Taisir Eliyas, Chair of
the Department of Oriental Music at the Jerusalem Academy of Music, who gave a
complete overview seminar about Jewish Ethnomusicology and roots of the Klezmer
germ and its historical roots. Orit Orbach gave a talk about the psychology
related to performance stage fright, Richard Lesser, retired Solo Clarinetist of
the Israel Philharmonic talked about style and fundamentals.
The very first day
included briefings about the program given by the Safed Administration team, an
evening introduction by Giora Feidman introducing the concepts to consider with
playing and faculty introductions and a view of the upcoming week. Students
attending included many from Israel, Europe, Canada, and the USA. Many were
artist high potential as the concerts revealed all week.
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Feidman at Courtyard
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Feidman ensemble
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Philippe Cuper & Bass in Benny's Gig
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Ms Katz performing Lutolowski's Dance Preludes
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Eisel/Katz Klezmer
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Clarinet ensemble
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Klezmer gang
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Clarinet Quartet
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Clarinet Quartet augmented
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Daniels and Feidman
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Eisel duo with guitar
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Ilan Schul soloist
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Philippe Cuper soloist
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Eddie Daniels, Philippe Cuper and Giora Feidman
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Feidman & Klezmer soloists
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Israel horn demonstration
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Rabbai Berlin in Synagogue
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Mr Bar Sela - Klezmer Clarinetist
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Giora Feidman discussing Jewish tradition
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Rabbai in Jewish service
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Safed Israel
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Safed hills
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Cafe along Old Town Safed
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Safed City walking Street
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Walking Tour thru Safed
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The Sariah evening
concerts were fully loaded with music from all 3 styles (Classic, Jazz, Klezmer)
mixed on the concerts and were spontaneous and formal. Players unaccustomed to
performing in a Klezmer style found themselves almost converted and actively
participating. Mr Feidman and friends performed at full strength every night,
along with Eddie Daniels and combo, almost putting the musical scene on fire.
Culmination climaxed each night past 11 PM leaving everyone spent but wired on
the musical highs of the night. All repeated for 5 days in Safed. Israel Radio
covered many of the events were recorded for Middle East and European broadcast
including the Master Classes and the Finale Gala Concert in Tel Aviv. After the
first concert, past 11:30 PM, a walking tour was led by Mr Feidman to several
Synagogues inside the Holy City where many of the Kabbala and Klezmer histories
were founded. This served to point out the traditions and riches of the Jewish
faith and history.
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Gala Klezmer ensemble
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Clarinet Choir in Gala
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Orlowsky Klezmer Trio
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Klezmer Band in Gala Hall
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Philippe Cuper and Clarinet Quartet
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Klezmer Group at gala
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Philippe Cuper soloist
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Eddie Daniels Jazz at Gala
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Daniels Jazz Combo
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Giora Feidman speaking at Gala
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Feidman Finale Group
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Finale Group
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Gala rehearsal with Daniels, Schul
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Feidman and Klezmer Clarinetist David Orlowsky
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Feidman Performing Gala
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The Gala Finale, held 29
August in Tel Aviv at the Golda Mier Performing Arts Center Opera House, was the
culmination of this Festival, sold out and highly charged with great
performances by all participating. The mix of Classical performance, Jazz with
Eddie Daniels, and Klezmer with numerous groups including unknowns and Feidman,
peaked with a standing ovation and encores. Credits and more were given to all
performers on stage feeling part of a uniquely historic event unfolding. This
Festival was the finest of its kind held this year anywhere given the
artist/student tri-Classic/Jazz/Klezmer fusion. Feidman is known as the ‘King
of Klezmer’, but that can be extended to that of the ‘Prophet’ of Clarinet
Klezmer, unmatchable by anyone for the totality of the soul.
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Beit-Halachmi and Philippe Cuper Duo
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Ensemble with Feidman
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Michal Beit-Halachmi in conference
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Mosaic Concerto rehearsal
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Helmut Eisel- Beit-Halachmi Klezmer duo
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What makes this event so
special, no less the historical roots in Safed, Israel, are the people who made
it happen at the Safed Foundation, Hanan Bar Sela, Abbie Rosner,
Michal
Beit-Halachmi, who was a major icon in logistically holding all the parts
together dealing with scheduling continuity, student issues, including breaking
up Klezmer sessions and rehearsals at 2 am in the Ascent Hostel and living on
2-3 hours sleep per night after over 14 hours of daily activity, performing on
stage with faculty including Mr Cuper, Klezmer ensembles, Klezmer performing
with Helmut Eisel, noted luminary from Berlin, Germany, and assisting Mr Feidman
in preparation rehearsals of a new work premiered at the Gala Concert (covered
on the World Premiere Page), all as a volunteer dedicated to the positive
outcome.
As summarized above, this is a
Festival of prime importance for players who want to ‘get out of their clarinet
box’ and learn through this intensive training concepts and humanities that will
surely make them better artistic musicians, with a faculty that is almost
untouchable. Security issues in Israel are, contrary to media reports, not an
issue, as this country is safer than most US cities in security protection.
This may be the new holy place for the Clarinetist.
Copyright ©
1999 WKA-Clarinet.org. All rights reserved.
Revised: October 13, 2007