A SPECIAL CONCERT KADDISH PERFORMED BY THE JERUSALEM SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA, AT YAD VASHEM, SEPTEMBER 8, 2011
"Kaddish", music and libretto by Dr. Lawrence Siegel, was performed in the presence of the Speaker of the Knesset, the Honorable Reuvin Riflin. This by invitation concert took place on Thursday, September 8, 2011 at 7:30 pm in Warsaw Ghetto Squre, Yad Vashem Har Hazilkaron, Jerusalem. The concert featured Gil Shohat conducting the Jerusalem Symphony Orchestra with soloists, Maria Jette, soprano, Adriana Zabala, mezzo-soprano, Thomas Cooley, tenor, James Bohn, baritone, and The New Israeli Vocal Ensemble, Chorusmaster Yuval Ben-Ozer.
Kaddish is a unique work consisting of fifteen original songs for chorus, soloists and orchestra. The stirring libretto is fashioned largely from testimonies of Holocaust survivors. Kaddish opens a window onto the lives of survivors of the Shoah, and commemorates the six million Jews murdered.
Watch Kaddish Performed at Yad Vashem
Kaddish at Yad Vashem Photo Gallery
More information on Kaddish at Yad Vashem is available on the Yad Vashem webiste.
KADDISH WORLD PREMIERE LARGE ORCHESTRA VERSION - HOUSTON SYMPHONY, NOVEMBER, 2010
'Houston Symphony: Kaddish - 'I Am Here' —Sat., November 27, Houston, Examiner.com
Complete article in PDF format [2.2 MB]
By GARY LINDSAY, Examiner.com Houston
...After the intermission came Kaddish, which enough cannot be said about. It was sweet, shocking, melancholy, uplifting, horrific, and finally, powerfully triumpant. With several Holocaust survivors present being introduced from the audience, then the grand and dramatic production with the full Houston Symphony, the full Houston Symphony Chorus, plus the four singing narrative soloists, all under the steady hand of Maestro Hans Graf, it was a large, moving, stupendous production.
It had the dramatic intensity and weight of the largest and most dramatic grand operas. But unlike opera, which is usually based on legend or mythology, this is "real." It is the "truth." It is history. And we know this because it is a first person testimonial by people still living, several of whom were present in the room that night. The first person testimonials being sung powerfully by the vocal soloists, echoed by the expansive and soaring Houston Symphony Chorus behind them.
Most of us only know the Holocaust from documentary footage, or from narrative motion pictures. But Kaddish is not a documentary. Not a fiction. It is a very personal testimony from several people who lived through it, and it is alternately poetic, angry, wistful, horrific, melancholic, and humanly philosophical. It is a story that questions faith and destiny, while recounting memories of events that were haunting, disturbing, horrible, disgusting, and shameful.
It is an unforgivable story. It is a practically unbelievable story, that human beings could ever act so cruelly...and yet it is still told in an overwhelmingly human, real, and heartfelt way.
A very powerful moment toward the end was when a littany of real non-survivor names was read en masse in overlapping fashion by the Houston Symphony Chorus. Starting with everyone, then just the women, then everyone again, then just the women again. Then fewer and fewer women's voices, until finally there was just one...and then it too, was silent.
Haunting.
This is also a bigger story than we usually see. It covers the saga from before WWII, and during WWII, and after WWII, and until today. We get the feeling of experiencing the entire story cycle, from before...to now. It is a huge story.
Yes, the chorus sounded beautiful. And yes, the symphony sounded wonderful. And yes, the soloists sang powerfully and movingly. But it is all in the service of telling this horrific, and yet ultimately courageous and heroic story. In this respect the star of the show must be Lawrence Siegel and his amazing, classically oratorial, symphonic, compositional achievement. And yet even Mr. Siegel does not do this for himself. He does it for the Holocaust survivors, and for all the people who did not survive the Holocaust. And to tell this horrible story, in the most artistically beautiful way possible, so that people can understand what happened. He succeeded admirably. Plus he had a lot of very talented help along the way, and in this amazing performance. It is an unquestioned triumph. And extremely emotional to sit through.
How does one feel good after seeing and hearing a performance like this? Because ultimately it is a story of triumph.
The best feeling that can be taken away from this story, and this extraordinary historical musical event, is that:
...the evil criminals, did...not...win.
The Survivors Won.
And Bravo! to them...
NOVEMBER, 2010 - LISTEN TO KADDISH!
Last week's World Premiere of the large orchestra version of Kaddish is featured this week on SymphonyCast, a two-hour weekly radio program broadcast on many public radio stations. The concert features Hans Graf conducting the Houston Symphony and Houston Symphony Chorus, with soloists Jessica Rivera, soprano, Margaret Lattimore, mezzo-soprano, Chad Shelton, tenor, and James Maddalena, baritone. It will be broadcast Monday, November 29 through Sunday, December 5. See the list of stations for show times in your area, or listen online anytime.
NOVEMBER, 2010 - KADDISH ON THE VERGE!
As Kaddish gets ready for its prime time performance by the Houston Symphony and Houston Symphony Chorus, with a stellar group of soloists conducted by Maestro Hans Graf, check out this feature article in the Sunday, November 21st Houston Chronicle.
And check back often with us in coming weeks and months as we roll out plans for the September 8th, 2011 performance of Kaddish by the Jerusalem Symphony, and more!
APRIL, 2010 - VOCALORE: HOMEGROWN MUSIC, POETRY AND FOOD
Tricinium is
pleased to announce VOCALORE: Homegrown Music, Poetry and Food. With
concerts on April 17th and 18th, our spring event features the
premieres of two new works by 2009 New Hampshire Artist Fellow,
composer Lawrence Siegel, well-known New Hampshire performers including
soprano Peggo Horstmann Hodes, violinist Sarah Atwood, pianists Robert
Merfeld and Calvin Herst, and a special appearance by 2009 New
Hampshire Artist Fellow, poet Jennifer Militello. A reception following
the concert will feature fresh (LOCALVORE) food and drink, much of it
graciously donated by regional partners including the Brattleboro Food
Coop, Poocham Hill Winery, the Inn at East Hill Farm and Cabot
Creamery, with catering provided by First Course.
There are two performances: Saturday, April 17th, 7:30 p.m. at Apple
Hill Center for Chamber Music, Sullivan, NH, and Sunday, April 18th, 4
p.m. at Concord Community Music School, Concord, NH. Admission is free!
(donation is welcome).
In addition to bringing our community together around local arts and
local food, this concert constitutes Siegel's "report to the NH
Community" occasioned by his receipt of a 2009 Fellowship from the New
Hampshire State Council on the Arts. In addition to his creation of two
new pieces which will premiere at the concerts, there will be a poetry
reading by Jennifer Militello, herself a 2009 Fellow. The performers
are well known and admired throughout New England and beyond:
- Peggo Hodes has a wide-ranging career with art song, cabaret, and leading vocal workshops and is married to NH second district Congressman Paul Hodes.
- Robert Merfeld has performed throughout the U.S., Europe, and South America including at festivals such as Aspen, Ravinia, Caramoor, and Marlboro.
- Calvin Hirst is director of education and community partnerships at the Concord Community Music School, and frequently performs with Peggo Hodes
- Sarah Atwood, 18 years old, placed first in New Hampshire's All State Music Festival as a freshman, won first in division in New England Music Festival, was winner of the Windham Orchestra Concerto Competition, and winner in the Musical Club of Hartford Competition
- Jennifer Militello is the author of Flinch of Song, winner of the Tupelo Press First Book Prize, and of the chapbook Anchor Chain, Open Sail (Finishing Line Press, 2006), and is currently a professor at River Valley Community College in Claremont, New Hampshire.
Fresh local food, and food services will be provided by:
- Brattleboro Food Co-op, a center of local food and community culture in Brattleboro, VT and throughout the region.
- Poocham Hill Winery, a cottage winery in the hills of Westmoreland, NH.
- Inn at East Hill Farm, Troy, NH, farm family vacation resort, providing an authentic farm experience.
- Cabot Creamery Cooperative, owned by dairy farm families since 1919, proudly producing the "World's Best Cheddar."
- The True Nut Company, NH maple made roasted almonds.
- First Course, transforming lives through culinary training.
