Die
Homepage
enthält auf einer Audio-Spur einen kleinen Ausschnitt
(ca. 9 Minuten - wav - 92MB) aus einer Sendung in KOL ISRAEL, dem
israelischen Rundfunk, mit Israel Shahak als Gast. Er hat ein
paar eigene CDs mit klassischer Musik mitgebracht und verknüpft
in der zweimal ausgestrahlten Sendung mit der ihm eigenen
Eloquenz Musik mit dem jeweiligen gesellschaftlichen Zeitgeist
und mit Politik. Die folgenden Sätze aus unserem Briefwechsel
machen deutlich, um was es ihm dabei ging:
Israel Shahak an H. Spehl
22. September 1997
... Let me get out of this topic and tell
you, "con amore" as Italians say, about my radio program
"politics in classical music". This was part of a monthly
program called "my concert" on radio channel devoted to
classical music, in which individuals appear
with their own CDs and play them while
adding comments. It takes more than 90 minutes. I included three
subjects under a general heading of "music anticipating social
changes": 1. Living in two cultures at the same time. 2. Changed
status of women. 3. Need of fighting for positive ends. Except
one piece, the last part of symphony 39 by Haydn, all the works
were vocal, so that the listeners would grasp better and I
explained and if necessary read and translated the words and
emphasised especially the instrumentation.
On the first subject I played from two works
by Bach. From Cantata No. 201 "Der Streit zwischen Phoebus and
Pan", after telling the story how the cantata was self-defence
by Bach against new "easy" style symbolised by Pan, I read the
text and played the great aria by Phoebus with whom quite
obviously Bach identifies, and pointed out that the text
describes homosexual love of Phoebus to Hyazinth. Of course,
the pious Lutheran Bach with two wives and 17 children was not a
homosexual, but he and his listeners were able, so I said, to
dissociate themselves for a time from a culture in which they
lived and accept, at least during the performance the values of
ancient Greek culture as being valid. I added that we in Israel
are still not able to be as liberal as were people in Leipzig in
the 1730s! I then played from Cantata No. 208, "Jagdkantate",
the aria "Schafe können sicher weiden" and pointed out that it
is supposed to be sung by the Roman god Pales and it is he who
promises this benefit to the prince Christian on his accession,
drawing the same conclusions. I also played other parts of this
cantata. Then I went to Händel's Oratorio "L'Allegro et Il
Penseroso" and pointed out that the sad protagonist is religious
while the joyful is not, and played aria with chorus in praise
of laughter and jokes "Came o nymph" and another in praise of
mirth to the text (which I read) "These delights if thou should
give, mirth with thee I choose to live", commenting that this is
a heroic piece, sung to trumpets and timpani. To be joyful is a
heroic quality.
Then I gave two pieces from Mozart. The first
was the appearance of the monster from the end of the second act
of Idomeneo, where I pointed out that in spite of the
noise we hear when the monster appears it is made by the four
horns playing separately. The trumpets and drums are withheld,
and accompany the following recitative of Idomeneo in which he
defies the god and refuses to sacrifice an innocent victim. I
then went to the ball scene at the end of the first act of
Don Giovanni where I had pointed out that the great emphasis
given to "Viva la Liberta" quintet, also in its orchestration,
during the time when French Revolution was taking place, must
have meant to section of audience something more than Don
Giovanni's own liberty, adding that Leporello proclaims that the
ball "is open to everybody; Viva la Liberta!" not only to
aristocrats. I also enlarged on the rape of a peasant girl being
taken as a serious crime in the context. I finished this section
with the last part of symphony 39 by Haydn (to which,
incidentally, I am very much attached) as an example of musical
"Sturm und Drang" which occurred before the literary one.
On my second subject I first talked a little
about the usual role of a woman in Mozart operas as an example
of opera before French Revolution, because they are very well
known in Israel, pointing out that initiative and active heroism
is reserved for the male roles. Then I gave contrary examples
from Medea by Cherubini written in 1797 and Italian
women in Algeria
where the heroine organises and leads a slave-rebellion, but
devoted most time to analysis of Fidelio (Beethoven was,
on purpose, left for the end) in this respect. I read some of
the text, and translated, of the recitative and aria (first act)
"Abscheulicher! Wo eilst du hin?" and explained Beethoven's
emphasis on the words "Ich folgt dem innern Triebe" and
especially on his repetition of "Ich", unthinkable in former
kind of opera for a woman role, and, of course, the heroic
orchestration. Then I passed to the quarter (second act) "Er
sterbe!" in which Leonore first reveals herself as a woman and
then pulls a revolver at Pizarro. I have especially emphasised
how Beethoven almost stills the orchestra so that Leonore's
words "und du bist tot" be heard clearly and immediately there
appears the famous trumpet call used in his Leonore overtures.
Finally, I gave the "dona nobis pacem"
section from Beethoven's Missa Solemnis (in the classical
Klemperer recording) and pointed out that it exhorts to a fight
for peace and not to a mere asking or desiring it. It was the
only time that my editor who was very friendly during the
program (we also remained friends) opposed me in a
semi-pacifistic spirit, but I stood my ground, since I really
believe in my interpretation.
The
program was an enormous success. More than 1000 calls and faxes
congratulating me and the radio were received and, in addition,
others contacted me. For months I was stopped on the street by
people quite unknown to me who congratulated me on that program.
Since I don't believe in excessive humility, but on the contrary
I think that a proper pride in one's achievement is a good thing
I enjoyed it all very much.
Israel Shahak an H. Spehl
24. Oktober 1997
.... I am glad that I am able to send you
"my concert" as my program in KOL ISRAEL is called. When it
was given in 1996 I made a mistake in recording it and half of
it was spoiled. But, on the request of the hearers the program
has been repeated on 21 October [1997], and this time I recorded
it well and made dubbings. I had to record it not on my best
music player, since this is solely devoted to CDs but on old
things, so I apologise for the quality of the music, but you
will recognise what my intentions were. Incidentally, in my
September 22 letter, I had omitted a few of my choices for the
sake of brevity. Here I append all of them in the order they
appear. 1. Tenor aria from third act of Tosca by Puccini
(this I gave, frankly "to catch" the less-elevated part of the
audience, but I explained that in the libretto it is sung after
Cavaradossi refuses the offer of a priest to make confession
before execution and writes a love letter instead, which is the
aria. My host, who was very sympathetic to me, called it "an
opening shot of a humanist" and he was right.) 2. and 3. Bach,
from cantatas no. 201 and 208. 4. and 5. from Händel's
"L’Allegro et il Penseroso" in praise of laughter and joy in
general. 6. Mozart, from Don Giovanni. 7. Mozart, from
Idomeneo, the scene where the monster appears. 7. Haydn,
finale of symphony no. 39. 8. Cherubini, duet from Medea.
9. Rossini, scene from Italian woman in
Algiers, the
heroine as a leader of rebellion of male slaves. 10., 11. and
12. Beethoven, three numbers from Fidelio. 13. Beethoven
again. “Dona Nobis Pacem” from Missa Solemnis.
Incidentally, my last words were a translation of what Beethoven
wrote on this work: "It came from the heart; I hope that it will
enter the heart".
Of
course, I am very devoted also to other kinds of music, but this
program was a minor battle in our Kulturkampf - as my
host and those who congratulated me understood very well.
Therefore you will understand that although I am very devoted to
all the pieces I gave, they were chosen over other, also
admirable music, for a political purpose...
Die
vorliegende CD enthält Israel Shahaks “opening shot of a
humanist” über die Tenor-Arie aus dem 3. Akt von Tosca
(ich habe wegen der schlechten Tonqualität die Musik nach ein
paar Takten ausgeblendet) und seine “politische” Interpretation
der Kantate 201 von Johann Sebastian Bach.
Das Gespräch in KOL ISRAEL wurde auf
Hebräisch geführt. Aber wer möchte, so denke ich im Stillen,
nicht wenigstens auch einmal die
Stimme des “vielleicht letzten
Propheten” gehört haben, der tauben Ohren gepredigt hat wie alle
großen Propheten?
Ein paar
Worte über den Verlauf der Radiosendung mögen immerhin die
Phantasie beflügeln. Dani Ozav, der Moderator des monatlichen
Programms “Mein Konzert”, begrüßt zunächst seine Hörer, und dann
den heutigen Gast:
Moderator: Schalom, Professor Israel Shahak.
Shahak: Schalom. Israel, oder Israel Shahak, genügt. Auf
den Professor wollen wir verzichten, zumal es hier um
Musik geht.
Moderator: Professor für welches Fach?
Shahak: Organische Chemie.
Moderator: Und wie hängt Musik und Organische Chemie
zusammen?
Shahak: Musik muß in die Seele eines jeden Menschen
dringen, sei er Professor oder Bauarbeiter. Auch ich war einmal
Bauarbeiter.
Moderator: Und wie wirkt Musik im Körper und in der
Seele?
Shahak: Das wird der Punkt sein, auf den es in meiner
Sendung ankommt.
Moderator: Würden Sie Ihr Programm erläutern?
Shahak: Musik ist, meiner Meinung nach, ein Ausfluß der
Gesellschaft. Man sollte sie nicht einem musikalischen Ghetto
überlassen. Musik bewirkt fast immer – vielleicht sogar immer –
gesellschaftliche Veränderungen. Deshalb habe ich meinem
Programm den Titel “Die Musik und die Gesellschaft” gegeben. Und
ich möchte in dieser Sendung zeigen, daß sie tatsächlich
gesellschaftliche Veränderungen hervorruft. Das gilt, so meine
ich, sowohl für Kammermusik, für Instrumentalmusik und für
Vokalmusik. Zwei so grundverschiedene Musiker wie Mahler und
Tschaikowsky waren der Meinung, daß noch in der kleinsten Note
Beethovenscher Musik eine Bedeutung steckt. Und ich stimme dem
zu.
Am einfachsten sei dies an
Hand von Opern- und Liedertexten deutlich zu machen, fährt
Israel Shahak fort, und deshalb beginnt er sein
Kulturkampf-Programm mit einer Arie aus dem Dritten Akt der Oper
Tosca von Puccini. Der zum Tode verurteilte Caravadossi
lehnt es ab, vor seiner Hinrichtung die Beichte abzulegen und
schreibt statt dessen einen Liebesbrief. Die Küsse seiner
Geliebten sind ihm wichtiger als sein Seelenheil. Und Israel
Shahak gibt seinen israelischen Hörern einen Fingerzeig: “Die
Szene hat keinerlei Skandal hervorgerufen. In einer katholischen
Gesellschaft wie der in Rom des Neunzehnten Jahrhunderts war es
erlaubt, im Operngeschehen Partei zu ergreifen...”
