Love and Majesty from the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra

The Israel Philharmonic Orchestra delves into majesty this week with Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No. 5, also known as the Emperor Concerto led by guest conductor Yoel Levi, and starring the internationally acclaimed, virtuoso Israeli pianist, Yoav Levanon.

Yoav describes himself as a curious child who started playing piano at age three. By the time he was six, he had performed at Carnegie Hall. Now at age 19, he has amassed awards and acclaim which surpass his years.

Levanon studied with Van Cliburn and has already received a string of prestigious awards and critical praise surpassing his years. This will be his IPO and Israel debut.

Another IPO first will be its performance of the choral symphony Dialogues of Love, by Avner Dorman with the Gary Bertini Israel Choir, the Ankor Choir of the Jerusalem Conservatory, and baritone soloist Michael Javachisvili.

“Avner Dorman is one of finest, internationally and awarded heralded composers of Israel today,” said Levi, a frequent IPO guest conductor since 1981, and recently appointed music director of the Haifa Symphony Orchestra.

Dorman’s music is championed by conductors such as Zubin Mehta and Christian Eschenbach, performed by leading orchestras such as the Boston Symphony Orchestra, and the Chicago Symphony, as well as by soloists such as Pichas Zukerman, and Hillary Hahn.

'Dialogues of Love' piece is based on work by medieval rabbi

Dorman composed Dialogues of Love in 2014, based on the three-part form of the book Dialogues of Love, written by Judah Leone Abarvanel, a Medieval Jewish poet, philosopher, and doctor who was exiled to Italy, escaping the Spanish Inquisition. Dorman explained that he has a personal connection to the book which he read when he was a teen. It was translated from Italian into Hebrew by his grandfather, Menachem Dorman, a noted author, editor, philosopher, and translator.

“This book was one of the most read books of the Italian Renaissance and also a seminal book of Jewish philosophy,” Dorman told The Jerusalem Post.

In later years, the book inspired the Dorman to express its ideas musically and poetically. He expanded the source material with the poetry of 18th-century Tunisian rabbi and poet Aharon Peretz, 14th-century author and poet, Oswald van Wolkenstein, and 11th-century Rabbi Solomon Ibn Gabriol.

In the first movement, the poets speak not only about romantic love and desire but also about conflicts and the different perspectives that men and women have regarding love. The second part reflects some of the discussion in the original book, Dialogues of Love, about love as a universal force, an aspect Dorman says very much fascinated him when he first read it.

Levi believes that the IPO concerts will be a treat for audiences and illustrate the contrast and balance between the music of 21st-century composer Dorman and 18th-19th-century Beethoven.

The concerts will take place Feb. 8-10 in Tel Aviv, at the Charles Bronfman Auditorium; and on Feb. 11 at the Jerusalem Theater. For further information, *3766 or ipo.co.il