Lahav Shani lights Hanukah candles for Martha Argerich

Lahav Shani lights Hanukah candles for Martha Argerich

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norman lebrecht

December 22, 2019

There was a little pre-Hanukah ceremony this morning at Tel Aviv’s Heichal Hatarbut where staff of the Israeli Philharmonic, together with the soloist Martha Argerich, watched the lighting of the first Hanukah candle.

Music director Lahav Shani led the singing of Maoz Tsur from an electronic keyboard.

Tonight’s concert will begin with another kindling and a full audience-participation sing-in of the Hanukah hymn of faith and defiance.


Image from Genius and Anxiety

You can watch the concert live:

Comments

  • Andy says:

    I think she is playing Beethoven 2 with them tonight? My advice, to everyone, is to go and hear Martha Argerich wherever you can, whenever you can, as often as you can, whilst you still can!

    • Matthew B. Tepper says:

      I did indeed hear her play Beethoven 2, with the late Giuseppe Sinopoli and the Philharmonia, in London in 1985.

  • Melisande says:

    Festive ceremonies in the month of December remind us of history. So much needed these days.
    In English it is however spelled:
    H A N U K K A H.

    • Vinyl Hero says:

      Incredible attention to detail.

    • Bruce says:

      Also “Chanukah.”

      When transliterating from one alphabet to another, often more than one spelling is considered correct. Consider Russian composers:

      • Prokofieff/ Prokofiev
      • Rachmaninoff/ Rachmaninov
      • Tchaikovsky/ Tschaikowski (apparently “Chaikovskii” is the closest to the Russian-alphabet spelling)

      • Melisande says:

        Please scroll down. See the English spelling.

        Wigmore Hall‏ @wigmore_hall

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        Director of Development Marie-Hélène Osterweil and John Gilhooly light the first candle in the foyer. Happy and joyous Hanukkah to all!!

        • V. Lind says:

          Very nice. But any thought of Christmas — also a very musical feast — in their seasonal celebrations? There’s precious little around here.

      • Gustavo says:

        Chewbacca

      • Greg Bottini says:

        If memory serves, Shostakovich was spelled “Szostakowicz” on the old Stokowsi 78s of the Fifth Symphony on RCA Victor.

  • Eyal Braun says:

    Argerich is playing 9(!) concerts with the IPO and Shani during the next two weeks (in Tel- Aviv, Haifa and Jerusalem) -Beethoven 2nd concerto in some of the concerts, Ravel in otherS. In addition, she plays a duo- recital with Lahav Shani ( January 3rd)

  • Rob says:

    Apparently she’s playing Mahler’s 3rd Symphony

  • Petros Linardos says:

    Thank you so much for bringing this to our attention. I lucked out by noticing the posting at the right time, and ‘listening’ to some of the Beethoven.

  • Petros Linardos says:

    For encore, Marta Argerich played Fritz Kreisler’s Liebesfreud, with the IPO concertmaster. A classy gesture resulting in sublime music making. How can one not love her?

  • Ted says:

    Her Beethoven playing last night was phenomenal.

  • Straussian says:

    I’ve often wondered why she stopped playing solo recitals quite some years ago. Did she explain why? She’s truly a magnificent artist…

    • Ewa says:

      She said she didn’t want to be alone on stage anymore. She feels more comfortable surrounded by people – the orchestra or the chamber ensemble

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