American Jewish Periodical ea

DETROIT JEWISH CHRONICLE

Page 12

Friday, February 9, 1951

Israel Orchestra Wins Heart of.Detroit

three
Shown upper left- are two brother teams of Shim°
Bor, viola;
each. They are, left to right, Chaim
Ginsburg,
Bor, violin; Abraham Bor, cello; and Duo
Baruch Ginsburg, first cello; and Arych

Symphony
Rates High
in Quality

By NORMAN ,WEISMAN
It all happened last Sunday
afternoon when the 96-piece
Israel Philharmonic, led by the
indomitable Serge Koussevitsky
exploded upon the hearts and
minds of the 5,000 people who
had jammed Masonic Auditorium
to hear him.
This was what they had long
been waiting for, and they were
not disappointed. Under Kousse-
vitsky's commanding baton the
orchestra was revealed as a well
disciplined organization c o m-
posed of some of the finest in-
strumentalists in Europe and
Israel playing with great skill,
consummate taste, and high seri-
ousness.
In a sense, many who attended
were inclined to look upon the
orchestra as their own; accord-
ingly, the standards of perform-
ance were set at a high level—
and met.
The strings were very good,
indeed; the woodwinds pungent
and penetrating; the brass auth-
oritative, and the percussion sec-
tion a veritable battery of sound.

Endless discussions probably
will ensue as to whether this
orchestra Is to be rated with
the outstanding organizations
of America and Europe. Taking
into consideration the fact that
it is only 15 years old, and,
more particularly, that it is in
the midst of a rigorous sched-
ule of 55.concerts in 40 cities in
the United States and Canada,
over a period of '10 days (and,
we understand, no rehearsals),
it is our opinion that it must
be ranked with the greatest of
them. It may lack the suavity
and polish of other, older or-
chestras, but it plays with
overwhelming intensity.

tympany;

Ginsburg, violin.

the
Lower left arc the six women members of
orchestra. They are Alice Fenyves, violin; Yehudit
Urbach, violin; Leah Ostrojinski, violin: Klari S:arvas,
viola.
harp; Hela Jamin, violin; and Yehudit Borochov,
members:
Chaim,
the
youngest
Upper right are
Aryeli
Zonach, cello; Elkhanan Bregman, cello: and
Wenger, bass violin.
Lower left are some of the first members of the
orchestra. They are Abraham Katz, first cello; March
Rak, violin; Jacob Surovic:, personnel manager and
violin; and Joseph Kaminski, first violin.

—Photos by Jules Fayne.

•

•

•

Israelis Envy American Music Halls

By GERIIARDT NEUMANN and HAROLD S. COVEN

The 96 members of the great orchestra of a small country who last Sunday enchanted 5,000 Detroiters with their
music, have fallen in love with America, but . many of them did not hesitate to say they were looking forward to the mo-
ment of their return to their homeland.
American music halls are the
envy of the members of the Israel little upset by such incidents but 1Born in Switzerland, she studied first violinist and composer. Ka-

Symphony Orchestra, many of , rather proud of the fact that the the violin and becarrie a soloist rninski came to Israel in 1937
them told the Jewish Chronicle pulse of Tel Aviv's life was beat- under Felix Weingartner. While leaving a position as concert
1 on tour of Israel she was audi- master with the Warsaw Broad-
In Israel, they have to play in ing right into their group.
Co. Orchestra.
During the Israeli-Arab • war tioned by Huberman, who asked casting
open halls which are unheated in
He came on the invitation or
winter and not air conditioned in gunfire used to drown out their \ her to join the newly formed or- Huberman. While in New York
summer. It is bad for the hCalth concerts in the front lines or in chestra.
he made the acquaintance
of the players and ruins musical beleaguered Jerusalem.
A resident of Tel Aviv, she City,
of Danny Kaye (nee Kaminski)
The Israeli orchestra is the only has not ceased to marvel at the who is now busy checking with
instruments. They all hoped that
some millionaire would come to symphony in the world which enthusiasm of the Israelis for his father to see if they might
Its personnel was recruited by build a big auditorium in Tel earns 80 per cent of its budget their orchestra. "Truly a na- not be related to the violinist.
out of concerts, we were told by I tion of music lovers," Miss
Bronislav Huberman from 20 Aviv.
Kaminski is the son of Esther
Orchestra rehearsals in Tel Jacob Surovicz, personnel man- , Jamm says. "It is not just the Rachel Kaminski, the famous
European countries and is 95
wealthy
or
a
cultural
elite
who
Aviv, the musicians reported, are ager, who plays the violin and
per cent Jewish.
Yiddish actress. The 25th anni-
It was Huberman who con- by no means normal routine. Be- hails from Poland. He has been throng the concert halls, but versary of her death'was recent-
the
tailor,
the
farmer,
the
taxi
cause
of
their
primitive
halls,
with
the
orchestra
since
its
in-
ceived and implemented the idea
ly commemorated by Jewish
not only of rescuing these musi- their rehearsals are constantly ception in 1936. The orchestra re- driver and the factory worker." groups throughout the United
"The first money they earn States.
cians but, in so doing, creating interrupted by the braying of peats every program in the vari-
an organization which would donkeys, the blaring of radios and ous cities. It plays all year round, goes for a concert ticket," she
The oldest member of the or-
symbolize the resistance of the other noises from the street. and its members don't have to stated. Miss Jamm was partic chestra is Leon Szulc, 70, first
worry
about
the
off-season.
ularly impressed by the recep- bassoon player, and descendant of
But the hew-haw of the
Jewish people, and present to the
• the
Tel Aviv, Surovicz said, has as tion accorded the players in
world a great symphony orchestra donkey does not discourage Is-
an illustrious musical family.
many
concert-goers
as
New
York.
United
States.
reflection
of
the
cultural
raeli musicians. If the noise be-
Szulc is one of six brothers who
as a
Another
young
woman
player
is
Joseph Weisgerber, cellist,
renaissance in Israel. In 1936 comes too annoying, the con-
with their father toured Europe
was an interesting man to meet. Yehudit Urbach who came to giving concerts. One of his broth-
Toscannini conducted the orches- ductor laughingly turns around
In 1933 he had the choice of Israel just four years ago. A na- ers, Roman Szulc, plays with the
tra for the first time, and the and shouts at the non-suspect-
taking a professorship in Athens tive of Poland, she escaped from Boston Symphony.
ing animal: "Wrong pitch," and
rest is history.
or accepting an invitation by the Nazis as she was being taken
This, then, was the group the rehearsal goes on.
Szulc' own daughters, he has
which spent the afternoon per-
The way the Israelis told the the late Meir Dizengoff, then to a concentration camp and was three, are all talented musicians,
forming the "Psalm for Orches- story it appeared that they were mayor of Tel Aviv, to form the hidden by a Gentile Polish couple and the eldest, 14, gave a piano
first philharmonic society. Ile during the war.
tra," actually the slow movement
recital last Monday in Jerusalem.
After the fall of Germany Miss
Tel Aviv. Of 2,000 letters
from Ben-Haim's First Sym-
He himself, was a protege of
Kousse- chose
The
orchestra
and
he sent out to prospective spon- Urbach made her way to the Gustav Mahler and traveled with
phony, the Prokofieff Fifth Sym-
vitsky took hold of Tschai-
sons, one, he said, was ad- American zone from which the him throughout the continent.
phony, and the Fourth Symphony
kovsky's Fourth, however, and
dressed to Bronislav Huber- underground took her to Israel
of Tschaikovsky.
On both sides of his family,
man. And this is how the Is- despite the British blockade.
Never for a moment during the projected it as something very
musicians are found for many
close
to
a
definitive
perform-
Miss ,Urbach studied the vio- generations. One ancestor played
concert did Dr. Koussevitsky hus- ance. Here were heard the rael Symphony Orchestra start-
lin from childhood on in Poland with Paginini and another taught
band his energies. Constantly he
ed.
at several conservatories and had Paderewski. His family is from
expended all he possessed in or- excellence of the individual
Weisgerber's wife, Klan
der to turn a phrase, evoke a choirs, the vast reserves of vas, is a harpist from Hungary won a gold medal and a state pen- , Poland.
and the sensitivity to
subtle nuance, or gain an aston- power, and
The orchestra left Sunday night
and now a member of the or- sion for her playing.
dynamic shadings.
She is particularly enthusiastic for Cincinnati.
ishing pianissimo.
The Fourth has long been a chestra. She came to Tel Aviv in
Koussevitsky opened the pro- piece of standard repertoire, and 1938 by invitation of Toscanini for about the Kibbutzim in Israel, al-
gram with the national anthems some are inclined to say that a six-week engagement. But, she though like all the orchestra
members she must live in Tel
of our country and Israel.
they are heartily sick of hearing liked Israel so much that she de-
Aviv. She finds Kibbutz life hon-
Paul Ben-Haim's Psalm for
it her home.
it.
While
there
is
some
truth
cided
to
make
Orchestra, is a searching and in these assertions, in the last The youngest member of the or- est and tranquil, due, she be-
poignant tonal canvas, charac- analysis it depends upon what chestra is Elkhanan Bregman, a lieves, to the absence of a money
economy. Her husband is em-
terized by a pastoral serenity and
the executants do with a work 21-year-old cellist, who has been
The Joint Yiddish Culture
a kind of agelessness. It was that determines whether the with the orchestra for four, years. ployed by the government.
A curious member of the or- Committee of the Jewish Com-
performed with deep understand- listeners will enjoy it. That this He was born in Israel and was a
ing and it left the audience with performance was completely sat- soldier in the Israel-Arab war. chestra is a temporarily one- munity Council and the Jewish
armed percussionist, Israel Segal. Community Center, under the
the redolence of Israel.
isfying will come as no surprise He expressed the confidence of
Segal came to this country fully co-chairmanship of Benjamin
The Fifth by ProkofiefT is a to
those who heard the spontane- Israeli youth in the future of the
complicated production of relent- ous accolades accored the musi- Jewish state, and he had little prepared to do his important job Laikin and Jay Rosenshine, will
less rhythms and acrid disson- cians and their conductor. confidence in Galut existence. He of striking two discs of brass to- present a Jewish Music Month
gether with both arms as is the program at 8:30 p.m. Sunday,
ances. Koussevitsky took great
Members of the orchestra asked believes that sooner or later
pains to present it with the ut- us to mention, if we would, that American Jews will have to come custom, but Pittsburgh proved his Feb. 25, in the Jewish Commun-
ity Center.
anost clarity, and he achieved there is a great need for a con- to Israel—an opinion widely held undoing.
Cantor Saul Meisels will in-
Following a reception for the
much, but this work, except for cert hall in Tel Aviv capable of among Israelis who have seen
players, Segal stepped out into terpret Hebrew, Yiddish a n d
the jaunty, melodic second move- seating at least 2,500 people. little of the outside world.
liturgical songs. Herbert Sorkin,
ment requires more than a nod-
That which struck him most in the street without due regard violinist, will offer several selec-
are 11,000 subscribers to
for the fine weather that has
ding acquaintance with it for There
the Tel Aviv concertit alone, and American Judaism was the re-
tions. Also appearing on this
adequate comprehension.
the orchestra must play the form service which he thinks is recently visited the United
It is not the kind of work same program 10 times in order un-Jewish. Asked about immi- States. lie slipped on the ice program will be the Center
Dance Group.
which reveals itself upon first to fulfill subscription commit- gration to Israel, he said it could and broke his left arm.
Tickets may be secured
Completely undaunted, he
hearing, and I think it is safe ments. If every admirer of the continue to be unlimited only
or-
to assume that many in the audi- Israel Philharmonic would give with the financial help of Amer- had the arm set and is con- through all Yiddish speaking
tinuing to play during the tour. ganizations, the Jewish Commun-
ence were hearing it for the first
Jewry.
A leading member of the or- ity Council or the Jewish Com-
time, and were more than a a nominal sum, this hall could ican
Among the women in the or-
easily
be
realized.
It
would
seem
chestra is Joseph Kaminski, a munity Center.
little baffled by its apparent
chestra
is
vivacious
Hela
Jamm.
to be a simple matter.
complexities.

-

Concert to Star
Cantor Meisels

*