The Orchestra of St Luke’s plays Leonard Bernstein’s magnificent Symphony No 3, Kaddish, at Carnegie Hall on January 29, to mark the 80th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz which occurs on January 27. With original text by Auschwitz survivor and human rights defender, the late Samuel Pisar, the work is led by James Conlon and narrated by Pisar’s wife Judith and his daughter Leah, accompanied by soprano Diana Newman, the Bard Festival Chorale and the Brooklyn Youth Chorus.
Bernstein wrote his Symphony No 3 in 1963, with further revisions made in 1977, including that which enabled the text to be read by a man or woman. To the Jewish faith, the word Kaddish (Sanctification) has a highly emotional connotation, as it’s the name of the prayer for the dead, usually chanted at the graveside, at memorials and in all synagogue services. As it does not mention death at all, but uses the word chayei or chayim (life) it is in fact a series of paeans in praise of God, meaning in effect that human beings as creators, as artists, as dreamers (as, therefore, divine manifestations), could be immortal. It was not until the 12th century that the prayer reached it’s present-day form, and through folklore came to be associated with mourning.
The text for this Symphony, known as A Dialogue with God, was written at the request of Leonard Bernstein, who felt that the voice of his friend, Samuel Pisar, would provide the most authentic and eloquent testimony of what can happen when humanity loses its moral compass. The world premiere of Bernstein’s Kaddish took place in 2003 with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra and Samuel Pisar performing the work, as he did with many of the great orchestras of the world. After his death in 2015, Judith and Leah Pisar have continued to perform his poignant call for human coexistence.
James Conlon is an award-winning conductor – including four Grammy® Awards – and is a noted advocate for composers suppressed by the Nazi regime. He has led virtually every major American and European symphony orchestra, has been Music Director of LA Opera since 2006, and will become the Opera’s Conductor Laureate in 2026. He has served as Music Director of the Ravinia Festival and Artistic Advisor of the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, is Music Director Laureate of the Cincinnati May Festival and is a guest conductor at the Metropolitan Opera.
With Carnegie Hall as its artistic home, the Orchestra of St Luke’s celebrates its 50th anniversary this season. Bernard Labadie, an internationally renowned specialist in 18th-century music, was named the Orchestra’s Principal Conductor in 2018 and steps down this year.
James Conlon conducts the Orchestra of St Luke’s in Bernstein’s Symphony No 3, Kaddish, with Samuel Pisar’s text narrated by Judith and Leah Pisar. They are joined on stage by soprano Diana Newman, the Bard Festival Chorale, and Brooklyn Youth Chorus (Founder and Artistic Director Dianne Berkun Menaker,). The concert takes place in the Stern Auditorium/Perelman Stage, Carnegie Hall on January 29 at 8.00 pm.
Tickets are available online.
Information sourced from:
ELCCNY
Bernstein Symphony No 3
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