Igor Levit cancels Israel Phil concert

Igor Levit cancels Israel Phil concert

Orchestras

norman lebrecht

August 05, 2024

The German-based pianist has pulled out of Wednesday’s Israel Philharmonic concert in Tel Aviv. He was due to play the second Brahms concerto.

According to the orchestra, Levit sends his regrets and says he hopes to return soon. The cancellation may be connected to air traffic issues after Lufthansa pulled all flights from Israel this week in fear of an Iranian attack.

Lahav Shani has replaced the Brahms with Beethoven’s triple concerto in which he will play the piano part and conduct from the keyboard.

 

Comments

  • Herr Doktor says:

    Maybe a better reason to cancel was because of the work itself. It’s just my personal opinion (and I know others certainly disagree), but let’s just say I’m not a fan of the Triple Concerto.

    I am however a big fan of Igor Levit.

    • Paul Carlile says:

      1) Not a Levit fan.
      2) Love the the Brahms 2nd concerto (Levit was booked to play it – i think you got mixed up there!).
      3) Love the Triple Concerto, should be even more fun with Shani playing and conducting….but, eerrhhhh, who scraping on violin & cello?

  • Zvi says:

    Levit was supposed to play Brahms No.2.

  • Guy says:

    I would be to afraid to go to Israel at this time. It looks like a major war is coming. US intelligence thinks an Iranian attack is imminent.

    • V.Lind says:

      If it is it was provoked. I know Israel is chasing Hamas types, but launching an assassination in Teheran is about the most irresponsible and dangerous thing I have ever heard of. The only way to prevent all-out war in the area is to get rid of that corrupt and seemingly war-mongering Netanyahu.

      • John Borstlap says:

        Mmmm….. it rather looks as if the war mongering parties are the insane Arabs surrounding the only democracy in the Middle East. And then, any PM would have been forced to the policies that N is currently pursuing.

        • Hans says:

          Is Israël still a democracy?
          I doubt it….

          • yaron says:

            A very imperfect one, but how democratic are the USA, the UK and France -to say nothing about lesser democracies.
            Certainly one facing more dangers than most.
            Yet, milions take weekly to the streets since january 23, demonstrating in defence of democracy. So the fight is still on.

          • SartorR says:

            Does Hans have a brain? I doubt it …

          • Ariel says:

            Israel is the fourth most democratic country in Asia, and more democratic than countries like France and Italy, according to the Economist democracy index.

      • John Borstlap says:

        Sorry for my formulation… it should be: ‘cliniccally insane arabs’.

      • Fav cont says:

        Netanyahu is the last true leader of the free world. The problem is not Israel and not Netanyahu, the problem is the international Jihad and their supporters in the insane and corrupt international left wing socialists, including unfortunately the catastrophe of the various Obama puppets!

      • Adrian Scandrett says:
      • Proud Jew says:

        Iran is playing a long game to destroy Israel. “Prevent all-out war” only means delay war. It will come as inevitably as it did in Europe in 1939, since Nazis are running the show in Tehran. Appeasement failed in 1939 and it will fail today. Israel refuses to be treated the way that Chamberlain treated the Czechs at Munich. That’s not war-mongering. Israelis didn’t ask for this war, but we know we must win it, regardless of how popular (or not) the government is.

  • Martinu says:

    Igor Levit came to Israel, at the beginning of the war, and played everywhere. In the elevator lobby of the Tel Aviv hospital, for wounded soldiers. Great man. Great pianist. When he played in the hospital, I asked him why he came. He answered – I felt I had to.

  • Dan says:

    He didn’t “cancel Israel,” he canceled his concert in Israel.

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