There are few cultures
with traditions handed down that are
older than that of the Jews. Certainly
few cultures have been able to stand
through as much adversity or drama.
Thus the traditional Hebrew music is
rife with haunting liturgical and popular
melodies. Many of these songs are simply
haunting works expressing the pain of
human existence. Alternatively there
are centuries of songs conveying the
beauty of life and moving the listener
to literally get out of their seat and
dance. This collection of works by Sonia
Wieder-Atherton and Daria Hovora attempts
to mine this rich musical heritage and
pass on to us many of these wonderful
works.
There are actually
two distinct collections released on
this CD. The first collection, recorded
in 1989, presents mostly traditional
works, augmented by three completely
original pieces written in the traditional
style by Jean-Francois Zygel. At the
end of the disc is a selection of works
from Ernest Bloch, recorded some seven
years later by the same performers.
These were inspired by ancient Hebrew
music as well, though written in 1923
and 1924. They slide seamlessly into
this collection. What can be said, however,
is that the Bloch compositions are more
theoretically complex and texturally
rich. Perhaps this is due to the desire
of the arrangers to highlight the simple
beauty of the ancient melodies. Perhaps
it is a matter of simple aesthetics,
differences in taste from one writer
to another. Regardless, the works blend
together nicely, and the final few selections
are certainly among the best on the
album.
The majority of these
are for cello accompanied by piano.
There are, however, occasions for cello
solos which encompass entire songs.
Wieder-Atherton’s performances are emotionally
charged throughout, and she is ably
accompanied by the veteran chamber-music
specialist Daria Hovora. On the slower
works, the emotional beauty this pairing
is capable of is truly inspiring. On
the faster works, Wieder-Atherton shows
herself technically very capable. Indeed,
the traditional "Danse" is
one of the highlights of the album,
both because so much of the rest of
the disc is so serious and because her
prowess is so exquisitely shown.
Additionally, if the
collection of songs is to be transferred
away from the human voice, the emotive
cello is certainly a good recipient
for that transition.
If there is a complaint
to be made of the album, it would be
that there is such a tendency to gravitate
toward the more serious or somber melodies.
There is a bit too much emphasis on
the heavy-laden composers. If there
were just one or two more moments of
levity or exuberance the listener would
be less exhausted at the end of the
experience.
That said, this is
a very good album of music with which
most listeners will not be familiar.
This disc is a rare treat, and one that
most who enjoy the sound of small chamber
groups would certainly enjoy.
Patrick Gary
Sonia Wieder-Atherton, cello 
