Jiddische Oper! Triangle Orchestra
World premiere of the orchestral version of the sole surviving European Yiddish opera, Bas-Sheve; Concert performance
Aug 16 Fri 8 p.m. @mon ami
Admission: 20 € / 11 €
>> Tickets online

A musical adventure has carried 30 young musicians from Paris, Łódź and Weimar away to a distant region of ​​the Weimar Republic of Yiddishland: to Europe’s sole surviving Yiddish opera – Bas-Sheve by Henech Kon.
 
The opera’s libretto, written by the prominent poet and theater director Moyshe Broderzon, tells the biblical story of King David and Bathsheba. King David sees Bathsheba bathing, falls in love with her, sends her husband off to die in battle, and finally marries her – an act for which he is harshly condemned by certain Talmudic commentators. Eventually, Bathsheba becomes the mother of King Solomon.
 
A chamber version of Kon’s work – with piano accompaniment – was premiered in Warsaw in 1924. Almost a century later, Joshua Horowitz will lead the international Triangle orchestra in the premiere performance of his orchestral version of the piano score. The project was scientifically supervised and co-directed by Jewish music specialist Dr. Diana Matut, whose work led to the rediscovery of the opera.
 
After weeks of intense studying and rehearsing, these young musicians will show us, with their concert performance of the opera, how the Yiddish stage of the 1920s sounds in Europe of 2019!

Lineup:

Joshua Horowitz - artistic director, arrangement
Diana Matut - artistic director, research
Michael Wex - libretto
Weimar, Warsaw, Paris and Łódź conservatory students