35 The Israel Philharmonic and Kurt Mazur

Until about two years ago I regularly attended the concerts of the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra. For better or for worse, that is the orchestra I grew up on and the Mann Auditorium is to this day one of the places in Tel Aviv in which I feel at home (incidentally I don't understand the fuss about preserving the building. I never liked its external architecture and the acoustics of the hall are not something you have to protect against change). Today I am somewhat fed up with the Philharmonic and it seems to me that it has become uninspired and set in its ways – with its eternal musical director, its conservative repertoire and ageing audience. Its policy for years now to attract younger listeners is pitiful – beer, pleasant atmosphere and light music instead of daring, contemporary, enticing and invigorating programs. But still, the IPO performs 19^th century music excellently – when being directed by a great conductor who knows how to obtain the best results from it.

Last February the IPO was in New York and gave a concert at Carnegie Hall. The New York Times' music critic Bernard Holland marveled at the orchestra's unique sound, the rich, beautiful sound of the string sections – especially the violins – but nevertheless he noted an outstanding characteristic of the orchestra – the lack of unison. In his opinion this is a matter of choice (!) by this orchestra in which every violinist thinks he is a virtuoso.

I thought about Holland's remarks while attending a concert in the Mann Auditorium, sitting in the 20^th row and listening to Symphony no.4 (the "Romantic") by Bruckner. Even visually the independence of the violinists was evident (perhaps it was only a lack of emphasis on unison). There is a great deal of tremolo and murmur in Bruckner's music that each one in the IPO plays as he likes. One plays with a large part of the bow, and another plays with a small part of the bow. One plays in the middle of the bow and some other violinist plays it with the end of the bow, to say nothing of the fact that the movement of their hands is not together by any means. Bows go up and down in groups of violinists without any order.

Nevertheless, in some magical way the result is quite beautiful. Especially when the orchestra plays a Bruckner crescendo: the strings sparkle and the tone is rich and full.

Kurt Mazur, 80 years old, is, thanks to his character, a wonderful match for the Philharmonic. He is serious, the product of a long European tradition and a proponent of typical mid 20^th century interpretation of late romantic music. His conducting is very restrained but authoritative and resolute. The orchestra responded willingly to its honorable conductor, and the Bruckner symphony was played in a deep beautiful tone that accompanied me long after the concert was over.