Join us for our 2013-14 Season!
Kol Israel - the Voice of Judaism in Early Music
“Kol
Israel: The Voice of Judaism in Early Music” continues our tradition of exploring and performing the music of
the Renaissance and related periods outside of the traditional European
canon. Our audiences this year will experience rare and seldom-heard
Jewish music from the Medieval, Renaissance and Baroque periods including a US
premiere. In addition, our audiences' favorite annual events return including
our fourth annual Boar’s Head Festival
& Mid-Winter Gala, Hallowe'en Memorial Singalong, this year giving our
audiences the opportunity to sing Fauré's
Requiem along with us – and we are delighted to again present our free Festival of Lessons & Carols for the holiday season!
We are delighted to have Rabbi Reuben Zellman as our Ethno-Musicology Consultant for our 2013-14 Season. Rabbi Zellman is currently completing a Master of Music degree at San Francisco State University, specializing in early music and Jewish choral repertoire. When not singing as a regular member of San Francisco Renaissance Voices he serves as Assistant Rabbi and Music Director at Congregation Beth El in Berkeley, where he is responsible for musical activities ranging from traditional leading of liturgy to directing choral and instrumental ensembles, and teaching Biblical cantillation. Rabbi Zellman received his BA in linguistics from UC Berkeley, studied classical voice at SFSU, and received his Master's in Hebrew Literature and rabbinical ordination from the Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion in Los Angeles. He trained in chazzanut (traditional cantorial music and Jewish modal theory) under Cantors David Bentley and Jack Mendelsohn, and has performed as a soloist and chorister with numerous ensembles.
OPERA EARLY & ANCIENT: Esther (t’shuat Yisrael al y’dei Ester )
by Cristiano Giuseppe Lidarti (1730-c1793)
MARCH 15 - 8:00 pm - CLICK HERE to buy tickets
Congregation Beth El
1301 Oxford, Berkeley
MARCH 16 - 4:00 pm - CLICK HERE to buy tickets
First Lutheran Church
600 Homer Avenue, Palo Alto
(NOTE: This is an abridged "family friendly" version)
MARCH 22 - 7:30 pm - CLICK HERE to buy tickets
Seventh Avenue Performances
1329 Seventh Avenue, San Francisco
MARCH 23 - 4:00 pm - CLICK HERE to buy tickets
Congregation Kol Shofar
215 Blackfield Drive, Belvedere-Tiburon
(Pre-concert talk by Rabbi Reuben Zellman 45 minutes before each performance)
Our Opera Early & Ancient Series returns with this exciting US premiere of the story of Queen Esther and her rescue of the Jewish people from the murderous designs of the wicked Haman. Composed by Lidarti, an Austrian composer, born in Vienna of Italian descent, on the Hebrew libretto by Rabbi Jacob Saraval, written for the Jewish community in Amsterdam. We present this oratorio in semi-staged form with period chamber orchestra. Completed in 1774, this unique work was unknown in modern times until its discovery in 1998. This will be the US premiere, sung in the original Hebrew in which it was composed, with full translations provided.
Our stellar choristers will be accompanied by period chamber orchestra and soloists for this production are soprano Rita Lilly as Queen Esther, tenor Seth Arnopole as King Ahasuerus, baritone Jefferson Packer as Haman, soprano Cheryl Cain as the Israelite Woman and a favorite of our audiences, tenor Corey Head as Mordecai.
Don’t miss this rare musical celebration during the Purim season with this family-friendly production (and do come in costume and bring your noisemakers!)
Help us to bring this historic performance to the stage! A donation in any amount will be greatly appreciated - just CLICK HERE to make your donation on line - and thank you!
Congregation Beth El
1301 Oxford, Berkeley
MARCH 16 - 4:00 pm - CLICK HERE to buy tickets
First Lutheran Church
600 Homer Avenue, Palo Alto
(NOTE: This is an abridged "family friendly" version)
MARCH 22 - 7:30 pm - CLICK HERE to buy tickets
Seventh Avenue Performances
1329 Seventh Avenue, San Francisco
MARCH 23 - 4:00 pm - CLICK HERE to buy tickets
Congregation Kol Shofar
215 Blackfield Drive, Belvedere-Tiburon
(Pre-concert talk by Rabbi Reuben Zellman 45 minutes before each performance)
Our Opera Early & Ancient Series returns with this exciting US premiere of the story of Queen Esther and her rescue of the Jewish people from the murderous designs of the wicked Haman. Composed by Lidarti, an Austrian composer, born in Vienna of Italian descent, on the Hebrew libretto by Rabbi Jacob Saraval, written for the Jewish community in Amsterdam. We present this oratorio in semi-staged form with period chamber orchestra. Completed in 1774, this unique work was unknown in modern times until its discovery in 1998. This will be the US premiere, sung in the original Hebrew in which it was composed, with full translations provided.
Our stellar choristers will be accompanied by period chamber orchestra and soloists for this production are soprano Rita Lilly as Queen Esther, tenor Seth Arnopole as King Ahasuerus, baritone Jefferson Packer as Haman, soprano Cheryl Cain as the Israelite Woman and a favorite of our audiences, tenor Corey Head as Mordecai.
Don’t miss this rare musical celebration during the Purim season with this family-friendly production (and do come in costume and bring your noisemakers!)
Help us to bring this historic performance to the stage! A donation in any amount will be greatly appreciated - just CLICK HERE to make your donation on line - and thank you!
Dedication of the Synagogue & Other Jewish Celebrations
MAY 24 - 7:30 pm
Seventh Avenue Performances,
1329 Seventh Avenue, San Francisco
MAY 25 - 4:00 pm
Congregation Beth El
1301 Oxford Street, Berkeley
JUNE 3 - 7:00 pm
Berkeley Festival & Exhibition of Early Music
- for this special performance only we will be joined by the UK's Consort du Danse Baroque under the direction of Philippa Waite
Crowden Music Center
1475 Rose Street, Berkeley
JUNE 8 - 4:00 pm
Congregation Kol Shofar
215 Blackfield Drive, Belvedere-Tiburon
(Pre-concert talk by Rabbi Reuben Zellman 45 minutes before each performance)
Join us for this celebratory finale concert that features the extensive musical ceremony composed by Volunio Gallichi and Francesco Drei for the 1786 dedication of the new synagogue in Siena, Italy, as well as music for weddings, Shabbat and other celebrations. This concert includes Louis Saladin’s exquisite Canticum Hebraicum, composed for chorus and orchestra in 1670 for the occasion of a circumcision ceremony in Southern France. All sung in the original Hebrew with full translations provided. We are joined by San Francisco Renaissance Dancers for this festive ending to our 2013-14 season!
Seventh Avenue Performances,
1329 Seventh Avenue, San Francisco
MAY 25 - 4:00 pm
Congregation Beth El
1301 Oxford Street, Berkeley
JUNE 3 - 7:00 pm
Berkeley Festival & Exhibition of Early Music
- for this special performance only we will be joined by the UK's Consort du Danse Baroque under the direction of Philippa Waite
Crowden Music Center
1475 Rose Street, Berkeley
JUNE 8 - 4:00 pm
Congregation Kol Shofar
215 Blackfield Drive, Belvedere-Tiburon
(Pre-concert talk by Rabbi Reuben Zellman 45 minutes before each performance)
Join us for this celebratory finale concert that features the extensive musical ceremony composed by Volunio Gallichi and Francesco Drei for the 1786 dedication of the new synagogue in Siena, Italy, as well as music for weddings, Shabbat and other celebrations. This concert includes Louis Saladin’s exquisite Canticum Hebraicum, composed for chorus and orchestra in 1670 for the occasion of a circumcision ceremony in Southern France. All sung in the original Hebrew with full translations provided. We are joined by San Francisco Renaissance Dancers for this festive ending to our 2013-14 season!
