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Atar Trio
Photo: Aliza Grievsky

Talented trio in concert

Atar Trio chamber ensemble to play in Jerusalem, Vienna and Bratislava a program inspired by the life and works of Manes Sperber

The Atar Trio, established in Jerusalem in 1996, is a chamber ensemble that performs music of a wide variety of styles. In addition to playing classical repertoire, the members explore new interpretations of Jewish, Israeli and world music.

 

Pianist Ofer Shelley, the trio’s musical director, writes arrangements for some of the works in their concerts. Other members of the ensemble are Ukraine-born violinist Tanya Beltser and ‘cellist Marina Kats, who immigrated to Israel from Lithuania.

 

The Atar Trio’s latest project – “From Jerusalem to Vienna” - began with an invitation to play at the Jewish Museum in Vienna. They were told it would coincide with an exhibition of the life and works of Manes Sperber (1905-1984), the Austro-French novelist, essayist and psychologist. They also learned that, prior to that, the exhibition would be shown at the Austrian Hospice in the Old City of Jerusalem.

 

The trio and organizers of the exhibition came up with the idea of combining the exhibition with concerts. The Atar Trio’s Jerusalem concert at the Austrian Hospice at 8:30 pm on August 23 2009 will close the exhibition in Jerusalem before it returns to Vienna. The trio will then perform the concert October 22 at the Jewish Museum in Vienna, traveling on to Bratislava to play it at the Jewish Community Centre there on October 24. Bratislava has a small but warm Jewish community; the Atar Trio will conclude its recital there with works by contemporary Israeli composers.

 

Shelley spoke of Sperber as a persecuted and wandering Jew who had lived through both world wars. The question was how to choose suitable works for these concerts. The Atar Trio has come up with an interesting mix of works: some are by composers from countries where Sperber had lived, some have folk elements, there is a work by a Jewish composer and some were chosen as they are symbolic and attractive to the players.

 

The program will include James Oswald’s (1710-1769) Scottish Sonata, Haydn’s Trio in C Major H XV no.27, Frank Martin’s Trio on Popular Irish Melodies, Joseph Achron’s “Lullaby” and Joaquin Turina’s (1882-1949)“Circulo” opus 91. Turina’s work is a circular fantasia representing the course of a day. This work is new to the trio’s repertoire.

 


פרסום ראשון: 08.22.09, 21:07
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