Concert Review: The Israel Philharmonic Orchestra

Performed at its world premiere, Avner Dorman's "Spices, Perfumes, Toxins!" for percussion and orchestra was the most intriguing piece this evening.

By OMER SHOMRONY
The Israel Philharmonic Orchestra Conductor: Zubin Mehta Mann auditorium, Tel-Aviv, April 2 Performed at its world premiere, Avner Dorman's "Spices, Perfumes, Toxins!" for percussion and orchestra was the most intriguing piece this evening. I regret to say, however, that I found that piece rather uninteresting. Although virtuoso and colorful, it is far from being musically significant. Toward the end it even becomes tiresome. But, notwithstanding the reservations for the music, one must acknowledge its energetic, lively reading by the young, gifted "PercaDu" percussion Duo. If the composer had meant the music to serve as a showpiece for this duo, he did at least one thing right. The duo's impressive capabilities were further demonstrated with several other pieces, either original or arrangements. On the first part of the evening, conductor Zubin Mehta rightly presented Mozart's "A Musical Joke" to the audience. With its deliberately false chords, dissonant notes and erroneous modulations, this piece had to be introduced so the audience doesn't think some players were seriously drunk; but with Mehta's usual warm and personal presentation, Mozart's shenanigans managed to amuse and delight. Also on the concert was Mozart's "Eine Kleine Machtmusik", where the composer's genius met a decent yet rather standard reading.