Music Director Lahav Shani conducts the Israel Philharmonic at San Francisco’s Davies Symphony Hall. Photo by Stefan Cohen.
In Tuesday’s (3/25) San Francisco Classical Voice, Rebecca Wishnia writes, “On Sunday, March 23, demonstrations against the Israel Philharmonic’s performance at Davies Symphony Hall began long before the first downbeat—and continued throughout the evening, both outside the concert and within.” Protesters disrupted the concert with shouts about Israel’s treatment of Gaza. “If not for these considerable political disturbances, it would have been a fine if not particularly memorable performance from a musical perspective…. That’s not to downplay the contributions of the musicians, particularly in such a charged setting. Music Director Lahav Shani, a charismatic young conductor, coaxed a delicate sound out of his orchestra … Cellist Haran Meltzer sensitively phrased Max Bruch’s Kol Nidrei, and flutist Guy Eshed accented the many moods … of Leonard Bernstein’s Halil. Skirmishing audience members’ shouts, which came loudly and often, added dramatic tension. Indeed, the push to the end of Tchaikovsky’s slow movement might not have felt so urgent had not a minutes-long brawl in the terrace seats rendered earlier sections of the music inaudible…. Still, the playing here was assured and only grew more so as the performance persisted…. Prayer, the string piece that opened the program, was written by Israeli composer Tzvi Avni in honor of his father, who was killed during the 1936–1939 Arab Revolt…. On Sunday, it was the quieter moments … that left the deepest impressions. No one said a word.”
