Kosher
Soaps?

Concerto No. 5, "Emperor."
"Also, it gives me an opportunity
"I think the two facets of
to constantly try out different inter-
my career help and enrich each
pretive and pianistic ideas, to see if
other," says Berman, who was
what I think is right works and
born in the for-
maybe apply some
mer Soviet
Boris Berman's w eekend program new approaches to
Union and relo-
with the De tr oit Symphony
my playing. I
Orchestra will fi ature Beethoven's think my experi-
cated to Israel
"Emperor" Concerto.
before moving
ence as a perform-
to the United
ing artist is a great
States. "I feel very fortunate
benefit for my students.) ,
because I work with highly tal-
Berman characterizes the
ented young musicians who
Beethoven piece as the most majes-
are from various countries, and
tic of the composer's five concertos.
it is very rewarding to help
"I think it covers an unusually
each of them find his or her
wide range of emotions, and that's
own voice in music.
what makes it so rewarding to

This week's highlights
include master pianist
Boris Berman with the
DSO and songwriter
Lucy Kaplansky at
The Ark.

SUZANNE CHESSLER
Special to The Jewish News

P

erformance and instruc-
tion go hand in hand for
master pianist Boris
Berman.
When he is not center stage at
concert halls around the world, the
acclaimed instrumentalist stays at
the head of the class teaching grad-
uate students at Yale University
School of Music in Connecticut.
The Detroit Symphony Orches-
tra (DSO) has invited Berman
back for his fourth round of local
engagements this weekend, and his
program will feature Beethoven's

tions from the album — Appalachi-
ry Cry Cry is a tempo-
an-style country, rock and the gamut
ry trio of singer-musi-
rary
of American music in between.
cians, an album title and
"We wanted songs that were not
a live show coming to
necessarily
by well-known people,
The Ark in Ann Arbor. It's also a
and
we
also
wanted to have songs
great experience for composer-
that
hadn't
been
covered before so
vocalist-guitarist Lucy Kaplansky as
that
we
could
put
our unique
she tours with Dar Williams and
stamp on them," says Kaplansky,
Richard Shindell.
38. She describes
"The idea originated
her personal
because Dar and
style as a little
Richard wanted to
bit of country,
make an album of
folk
and pop.
other people's songs,"
Kaplansky,
explains Kaplansky,
who plays guitar
who recently complet-
and piano and
ed her third solo
writes at the gui-
recording to be
tar, began per-
released in March. "I
forming in
had sung with both of
Chicago.
She
them before, but since
joined
the
folk
each has an indepen-
music
scene
in
dent career, this was an
New
York
in
the
unusual project."
1980s. Leaving
When the three
club dates to
Lucy Kaplansky comes to
appear Jan. 14, they will
pursue her edu-
The Ark with Dar Williams
present their own com-
cation, she
positions as well as selec- and Richard Shindell on
Thursday.

C

play," says the pianist, 50. "There is
great drama in the first movement,
great intimacy in the second move-
ment and great joy in the last
movement."
Although Berman had per-
formed throughout the Soviet
Union in recitals and as guest
soloist with numerous orchestras,
his career really took off after he
settled in Israel.
"I moved in 1973, when life in
the Soviet Union was tremendously
stifling," he explains. "I felt that .
[way] not only as a Jew, but also as
a person who doesn't want to live .

BORIS BERMAN on page 81

worked as a psychologist before
returning to music.
Unlike Kaplansky's first two
albums, The Tide and Flesh and
Bone, which are mostly filled with
other writers' songs, Ten-Year Night,
has only one song by someone else.
Co-writing the lyrics with her was
her husband, Richard Litvin, a
filmmaker and university professor.
"I wrote the title song a couple of
years ago, around the time of my
10th anniversary with my husband,"
she says. "It's an ode to fidelity, and
I've been told it's very sexy."
Kaplansky, who was confirmed
and identifies herself as a Jew cul-
turally, will return to The Ark in
March to introduce songs from her
third album. II

— Suzanne Chessler

The trio Cry Cry Cry will per-
form at 7:30 p.m. Thursday,
Jan. 14, at The Ark, 316 S.
Main St., Ann Arbor. $21.
(734) 761-1800.

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