The New Haifa Symphony presents the Sea of Dreams for mezzo-soprano and orchestra by Ella Milch-Sheriff.
By MAXIM REIDERElla Milch-Sheriff 88 248(photo credit: Courtesy)
On November 16, the New Haifa Symphony presents the Israeli premiere of Sea of Dreams for mezzo-soprano and orchestra by Ella Milch-Sheriff. The composer, whose pieces are performed to great acclaim in Israel and abroad, says it was her native Haifa that inspired her to write the piece.
"The sea has always been a part of my life. I love the breathtaking view from the Carmel mountains, with the rich variety of sea colors and the deep of the Israeli sky above the water."
The piece was commissioned to her by conductor Justus Frantz for the Caribbean Isles Festival. Frantz suggested to the composer poems by Spanish poet Tomas Morales. She chose the opening part of the "Oda al Atlantico," in which the poet expresses how significant the sea is to him.
"I decided to concentrate not on the description of the ocean but on its dream, the dream that each of us has of the sea," writes Milch-Sheriff in the program notes. "The soloist, a mezzo-soprano, sings certain verses from the poem, while wind instruments play a significant role, almost as important as the singer."
Milch-Sheriff stresses that "I did not make any attempt in this piece to imitate the sounds of the sea … but I did try to paint, in music, the feelings that one has when looking at the sea and dreaming about it."
Israeli contralto Orit Gabriel performs the solo part in Sea of Dreams, under the baton of conductor Mendi Rodan. The program also features Symphony #2 by Borodin and the First Piano Concerto by Brahms, with outstanding pianist Alon Goldstein as soloist.
The concerts take place November 16 and 17 at the Haifa Auditorium and at the North Theater on November 23. All concerts begin at 8:30 p.m.
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