Publication Date: September 16, 2005
Tag: 737771
Section: A
Page: 2
Marichelle Roque-Lutz

Classical Beat   

Before the last note faded away, the audience exploded with loud applause, bravos and whistles. Usually reserved Mennonites were undone. One lady, prayer cap askew, even trilled in the Middle Eastern way to show her delight. What a night for me to witness: Mennonites cheering Muslims.

The cause of the excitement was a virtuosic, no-holds-barred performance last year by Dialogue/Hewar, a group of four extremely talented Syrian composers and performers.

Classically trained musicians, their technique freed them to improvise with impunity. Clarinet, oud (a Middle Eastern lute), bass, vocals and percussion took turns outdoing each other, then came back together — just like jazz musicians jamming. The performers and the audience were feeding off each other: The more the listeners reacted, the wilder and better the musicians improvised. What a night!

Dialogue/Hewar will return to Community Mennonite Church, 328 W. Orange St., at 7 p.m. tonight. Tickets cost $15 and $10 (for children and persons on limited income) and will be available at the door.

How to describe their music? The press release notes: "Their unique style combines the Middle Eastern music of (Syria) with the beat and style of contemporary jazz." Kinan Azmeh, co-founder of the group, told me in a phone interview, "What's written (in the press release) is correct, but it's not the only truth, not the only way to describe the music we make."

"We all have an appetite for all sorts of music — classical, jazz, rock and Arabic. When we write our music, all influences come into play: Bach, rock, Arabic, jazz. So, the way to describe our music is to hear it first."

Azmeh leads the group as co-founder, clarinetist and principal composer. He is pursuing his doctorate in music and is studying under renowned clarinetist Charles Neidich.

Issam Rafea, co-founder and oud virtuoso, chairs the Arabic music department of the Higher Institute of Music in Damascus, Syria.

Omar al-Musfi, percussionist, is a member of Syrian National Symphony Orchestra. Dima Orsho, soprano, is an active performer in opera, jazz and Arabic singing.

This year, jazz bassist David Phillips will join the group.

"Phillips has established himself as an improviser in the jazz idiom. We play Arabic music, which also allows improvisation. And then, we are all classically trained," Kinan said. "The result should be anything but dull."

Mel Lehman, who arranges and promotes the group's Concert for Peace tour, wrote in a press release: "Dialogue ("Hewar" in Arabic) seeks to build understanding and trust between people in America and the Middle East through music, the universal language."

Kinan said, "Mel's doing a fantastic job. Our tour (gives) people a different way to deal with each other. It's a very good way to change how Syrians are perceived in the United States, at a time when Syria is making headlines here in an unfortunate way."

"Beethoven made overtures to Leonore," so a sticker reads, which an officemate who likes classical music and double-entendres gave me when I was working at Chicago magazine in the 1980s.

We thank Beethoven for composing infinitely so much more music than overtures, a good sampling of which The Philadelphia Orchestra will present in its coming season at the Kimmel Center.

The series, "Beethoven Rediscovered," will showcase Beethoven's nine symphonies, the No. 5 "Emperor" concerto, an overture for his allegorical ballet, "The Creatures of Prometheus," and Leonore Overture No. 3. (Beethoven composed four Leonore overtures. No. 3 is the concert version and No. 2 is the opera version, used to open "Fidelio," the only opera he composed.)

At Wednesday's opening night gala, music director Christoph Eschenbach will conduct the Philadelphia Orchestra in the first symphony, the piano concerto — featuring soloist Andre Watts — and the Leonore overture. The concert begins at 8:30 p.m., and will be broadcast for the public on a giant video screen on Broad Street across from Kimmel Center. For tickets, call (215) 893-1999.

The Wheatland Chorale, based in Lancaster County, is now in its 17th year. Considered one of the state's finest choral ensembles, its members are soloists — in their churches if not on the concert stage. They are volunteers who sing for nothing more than a love for choral music. From all over Lancaster and Berks counties, they come to Lancaster to rehearse every Monday from 7:15 to 9:30 p.m. from September through April. The result of such discipline is a group whose performances are described as "heavenly," "exquisitely blended," "highly artistic."

There aren't too many openings, but now and then a member moves away. If you are interested in joining the waiting line, call 394-6141 to inquire about an audition.

Quick takes: Louise Ranck, assistant manager for public relations at Ten Thousand Villages in Akron and a former music teacher at Ephrata High School, will be the next castaway on Desert Island Discs. Her music choices will air at noon Saturday and at 6 p.m. Sept. 25. Cellist Sara Male, a member of Newstead Trio founded at Pennsylvania Academy of Music, will be the castaway at noon on Oct. 1 and at 6 p.m. Oct. 9.

The Manhattan Piano Trio, a piano-violin-cello trio from Juilliard, will give a free community concert at 4 p.m. Sept. 25 at First Presbyterian Church, 140 E. Orange St. The group will perform works of Mozart, Faure, Tchaikovsky, Rachmaninoff, Debussy, Piazzolla and Shostakovich.

Classical Beat appears in Happenings every three weeks. Please send news, ideas, CDs, etc., about the area's classical scene, including its programs and its musicians, by mail to Marichelle Roque-Lutz, 8 W. King St., Lancaster, PA 17608, or e-mail mlutz@lnpnews.com.