Washington Bach Consort presents A Song of Dedication: Baroque Splendor in Portuguese Jewish Amsterdam
$45 ($20 ages 40 & under w/ID, $10 student/ages 18 & under)
- Lev DePaolo, soprano
- Ian Pomerantz, bass-baritone
- Dana Marsh, conductor
Abraham de Caceres — Hizki Hizki
R. Elhanan Hendel Kirchan — Selected works (Western Yiddish songs TBA)
Anonymous — Festival Kedusha (attr. to Hazzan Joseph de Farro & Hazzan Imanuel Abenatar Mello)
Cristiano Giuseppe Lidarti — Selected works (synagogue cantatas TBA)
Abraham de Caceres — Selected works (liturgical chamber music TBA)
From the 17th Century until World War II, the Portuguese Israelite Synagogue of Amsterdam served as the heart of the Western Sephardic diaspora. This program commemorates the synagogue's 350th anniversary with music written for or by this unique community, drawn from the archives of the Ets Haim Library of Amsterdam—the oldest active Jewish library in the world—alongside other gems of 18th-century European Jewish music.
An architectural marvel, the Esnoga stood as a striking symbol of religious freedom for Jews in a Protestant republic, unparalleled anywhere in Europe. This concert will also feature the North American premiere of Shir Hanukat Beth Hamiqdash. Reconstructed and sumptuously set by musicologist Alon Schab for the Jerusalem Baroque Orchestra, the piece is based on vocal music preserved in the manuscripts of 18th-century Rev. Hazzan Joseph ben Isaac Sarfati. With an inauguratory text by the Portuguese-born Rabbi Rev. Isaac Aboab da Fonseca, it stands as a lasting testimony to tolerance, the Dutch Golden Age, and the resilience of the Portuguese Jewish community.
About Washington Bach Consort
Founded in 1977 by the late Dr. J. Reilly Lewis, the Washington Bach Consort is a professional choral and orchestral ensemble based in Washington, DC, now led by Artistic Director, Dr. Dana Marsh. The Consort is committed to ensuring that current and future audiences experience the music of Johann Sebastian Bach and his contemporaries by:
1) performing the music of Bach and his contemporaries to the highest artistic standards,
2) sharing the joy of Bach's music by broadening audiences in the nation's capital,
3) nurturing the appreciation of Bach’s music through education and community outreach activities, and
4) interpreting the music of Bach for audiences of today, thereby ensuring his legacy.
The Bach Consort is noted for its historically informed performances of 18th-century music on period instruments. As one of the DC area’s most critically acclaimed and nationally recognized performing arts organizations, the Consort has made regular appearances with the National Symphony Orchestra, Washington Performing Arts, and the Cathedral Choral Society. In addition, the Consort has appeared at numerous festivals and presented three European tours. Recordings include Bach’s complete motets, both J.S. and C.P.E. Bach's Magnificats, the first American recording of the F major and G minor masses, and three solo soprano cantatas with opera luminary Elizabeth Futral. Furthermore, the Consort completed Bach's entire 215-cantata cycle. In association with this monumental achievement, the Library of Congress welcomed the Washington Bach Consort performance recording and concert program archives into its permanent collection.
http://www.bachconsort.org