Singing from Love, Ora Binur, Maariv, March 25, 2007

The Ramat Gan Chamber Choir, with players from the Israeli Chamber Orchestra.  Conductor – Hanna Tzur; soloists - Gan Lev, saxophone; Christiana Yehudin – flute; and singers Dafna Zahavi, Isabel Marie Hass, Gabriel Lovenheim, and Nimroad Greenbaum; Yahalom Theater.

Throughout this concert, one could feel the love and devotion to the musicality of the compositions.  The program itself comprised an original and interesting combination:  It began with five songs from the Bible, with text by Nava Semel and fine composition by Ella Sharif.  The idea of combining cabaret and Gershwin-type rhythms to a modern version of the stories of Adam and Cain is wonderful.  I was particularly affected by the song of Ruth the Moabite.  Dafna Zahavi’s unique singing, while avoided unnecessary histrionics, provided tremendous drama.  The saxophonist Gan Lev accompanied the songs, and later amazed us with his performance of the Galzunov Concerto for saxophone.  This composition, under a strong French influence, was performed in such a way as to exhibit both its beauty and its charm.  The excellent flautist Cristiana Yehudin performed Verdi’s little-known ballad, “How White is the Moon”, with a clear and lyrical sound, supported musically by the rest of the orchestra.

Finally, the choir, under the baton of Tzur, performed the early Schubert Mass, which, from the first line, remains etched in one’s memory due to its great beauty.  The Agnus Dei is one of the most lyrical and beautiful movements in the romantic vocal literature.  Isabel-Marie Hass sang it with great devotion, although a less tempestuous vibrato might have better served the general character of the piece.  Both Lovenheim and Greenbaum contributed with their warm voices to a performance that overflowed with musicality, and the choir sang in Schubert’s leider style, soft, flowing, and full of love for singing and music.  It was a morning of true pleasure.