Israel PhilharmonicManfred Honeck, conductorHila Baggio, sopranoCharles Bronfman Auditorium, Tel Aviv, May 15
The swirling sounds of waltzes filled the Charles Bronfman Auditorium in Tel Aviv on May 15 as guest conductor Manfred Honeck, who is approaching his 20th season as music director of the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra, deftly led the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra in an evening of guaranteed music pleasure.
The concert opened with Five Pieces for String Quartet by Erwin Schulhoff, arranged by Maestro Honeck and Czech composer and arranger Tomas Ille.
The first movement of the five is a waltz, Alla Valse Viennese (Allegro), riveting in sound, composition, and energy. Schulhoff captivates the listener’s attention by placing the essential triple waltz meter within a 4/4 context, resulting in unexpected accents and opportunities for tempo changes. Nevertheless, the movement remains a waltz, and the entire work of five movements, each a different dance, is a stimulating and enjoyable composition.
Schulhoff was a promising composer whose career was ended prematurely by the Nazis. He loved to dance and wrote music that was “peppered” with elements of jazz and modern style, without overwhelming the ear of the listener. Honeck led the IPO deftly with verve through the work’s rhythmic complexities while weaving in the composer’s rich orchestral colors reminiscent of the late Romantic period.
Next on the program was Josef Haydn’s Symphony No. 93 in D major, which musically took the listener back a century in time. Its transparent character was almost jarring after the Schulhoff arrangement until one settled into its sound and beauty.
Within the third movement, Menuetto Allegretto, written in triple meter, one realizes how Haydn also experimented with waltzes while staying within the musical norms of his time. He introduced unexpected accents and dynamic changes, which gave the waltz a fresh sound. Overall, Haydn’s music calls for finesse and skill, and that is what Maestro Honeck and the IPO delivered admirably.
An admirable performance
After the intermission, the program continued with the Overture and music to the operetta Die Fledermaus by Johann Strauss II, the Waltz King. Strauss was a second-generation composer who excelled in light music and was one of the first composers to develop the form of the Viennese operetta.
Die Fledermaus is one of his most famous and successful works. Set in 19th-century Vienna in a frivolous society where truth is bent, deception is the norm, and events are unexpected, the music of this comic opera is lighthearted and divine.
Internationally acclaimed Israeli soprano Hila Baggio was the star of the evening. With a crystal-clear voice and engaging stage presence, she sang the famous selections from the operetta, such as “Mein Herr Marquis,” the “laughing song,” with beauty and grace.
Moreover, she did so during a concert performance that had its own taste of unexpected happenings. When the IPO played the operetta’s Overture before the soprano’s entrance, a loud buzzing was heard in the auditorium, signifying a rocket attack. Unfortunately, this is a frequent occurrence in Israel, but people were prepared, and there was no panic. The auditorium is a reinforced space, so people sat or crouched quietly in front of their seats.
The orchestra members stopped playing and sat quietly, as did the audience. A microphone was handed to Maestro Honeck, who turned and announced with perfect composure that, despite the situation, Israel was where he wanted to be and that this was not his first trip, nor would it be his last. After a few more minutes, the maestro raised his hands and began the Overture again, and Strauss’s happy melodies of polkas, waltzes, and dance music filled the hall.