Colors of the Diaspora
A Kaleidoscope of Jewish Classical Song
VAI 4540 (DVD) - http://www.vaimusic.com/product/4540.html
Directed by Regina Resnik
Conceived and Written by Michael Philip Davis
Color, Stereo, 198 minutes, 4:3, All regions

Colors of the Diaspora, comprised of three complete concerts produced by "Regina Resnik Presents", offers a kaleidoscope of Jewish classical song and operatic excerpts. The first concert, titled “The American Jewish Composers,” includes the world premiere of A Petition to the Governor, written by John Corigliano. The second concert is “Covert or Convert,” examining works by Jews who wrote in secret or were ambivilent about their religious identity, as well as works by converts to Judaism. Composers include Anton Rubinstein, Otto Klemperer, and Felix Mendelssohn. In the final concert, “Crossing all Boundaries,” we encounter works on Jewish themes by non-Jewish composers, including works by Glinka, Rimsky-Korsakov, Shostakovich, Schubert, Massenet, Ravel and others.

Regina Resnik - Narrator
Roslyn Jhunever Barak, Katherine Whyte, Darynn Zimmer - Sopranos
Audrey Babcock - Mezzo-soprano
Michael Philip Davis, Alex Richardson - Tenors
Charles Robert Stephens - Baritone
Vlad Iftinca, Miloš Repický - Piano
Annaliesa Place - Violin
David Leisner - Guitar

Program 1: The American Jewish Composers in Classical Song (Regina Resnik, spreekstem)

  1. A Dudele (A Little Song) – Arr. Leo Low / Text and music: attrib. Reb Levi Yitzchok of Berditchev
    Michael Philip Davis (tenor), Vlad Iftinca (piano)
  2. Sabbath Song – A.W. Binder / Text: Traditional, liturgy
    Roslyn Jhunever Barak (soprano), Michael Philip Davis (tenor), Vlad Iftinca (piano)
  3. Hath not a Jew eyes? The Merchant of Venice, Act II – Mario Castelnuovo-Tedesco / Text: Shakespeare (First U.S. Performance; first recording)
    Charles Robert Stephens (baritone), Vlad Iftinca (piano)
  4. A Petition to the Governor – John Corigliano / Text: William M. Hoffman (World Premiere; first recording)
    Roslyn Jhunever Barak (soprano), Michael Philip Davis (tenor), Charles Robert Stephens (baritone), Vlad Iftinca (piano)
  5. Kol Kara (A Voice Called, Een stem riep ) – Max Helfman / Poetry: Hannah Senesh
    Charles Robert Stephens (baritone), Vlad Iftinca (piano)
  6. Cantare from Sh’ma – Simon Sargon / Poetry: Primo Levi (World Premiere, piano version; first recording)
    Roslyn Jhunever Barak (soprano), Vlad Iftinca (piano)
  7. Voices of the oppressed ; Cartload of shoes  – Ronald Senator / Poetry: Abraham Sutzkever (World Premiere, piano version; first recording)
    Charles Robert Stephens (baritone), Vlad Iftinca (piano)
  8. Jeremiah on 9/11 – Jack Gottlieb / Text: Jeremiah I 1:2 and the composer (World Premiere, first recording)
    Charles Robert Stephens (baritone), Vlad Iftinca (piano)
  9. Bread Duet Gimpel the Fool, Act II – David Schiff / Libretto by Isaac Bashevis Singer, based on his story
    Michael Philip Davis (tenor), Charles Robert Stephens (baritone), Vlad Iftinca (piano)
  10. Rozhinkes mit Mandlen (Raisins with Almonds) Shulamith – Abraham Goldfaden / Text by the composer
    Roslyn Jhunever Barak (soprano), Michael Philip Davis (tenor), Charles Robert Stephens (baritone), Vlad Iftinca (piano)
  11. Thirst Jewish Humor from Oy to Vey – Seymour Barab / Text by the composer (World Premiere, first recording)
    Vlad Iftinca (piano)

Program II: Covert or Convert (Regina Resnik, spreekstem)

  1. K’Mosheh (Like Moses) (excerpt) – Obadiah the Norman Proselyte (11th-12th centuries)
    Michael Philip Davis (tenor)
  2. Desde hoy la mi madre (From this day on, Mother) – Liliana Treves Alcalay / Poetry: Traditional (First U.S. performance)
    Darynn Zimmer (soprano), David Leisner (guitar)
  3. Kadosh (Holy) – Liliana Treves Alcalay / Poetry: Traditional (First U.S. performance)
    Darynn Zimmer (soprano), David Leisner (guitar)
  4. Bendigamos (Let us bless God) – Liliana Treves Alcalay / Poetry: Traditional (First U.S. performance)
    Darynn Zimmer (soprano), David Leisner (guitar)
  5. Noches, Noches (Nights, Nights) – Arr. Richard J. Neumann / Poetry: Traditional
    Darynn Zimmer (soprano), David Leisner (guitar)
  6. Lord God of Abraham Elijah – Felix Mendelssohn / English text by William Bartholomew
    Michael Philip Davis (tenor), Charles Robert Stephens (baritone), Vlad Iftinca (piano)
  7. Judah’s Prayer The Maccabees, Act IIIl – Anton Rubinstein (First U.S. performance; first recording)
    Charles Robert Stephens (baritone), Vlad Iftinca (piano)
  8. Psalm 42 – Otto Klemperer (First recording)
    Charles Robert Stephens (baritone), Vlad Iftinca (piano)
  9. Lullaby (Wiegelied ) – Arr. Gideon Klein / Poem by Emanuel Harussi
    Darynn Zimmer (soprano), Vlad Iftinca (piano)
  10. The Little Birch Tree (Beryoskele) – Arr. Viktor Ullmann / Text: Traditional (Liederen voor zangstem en piano, op.53, nr.1-3, "Jiddische Lieder", 1944 ; Kleine berk )
    Michael Philip Davis (tenor), Vlad Iftinca (piano)
  11. I’m a girl … but not so young (A Maydl in die Yor’n) – Arr. Viktor Ullmann / Text: Traditional (Liederen voor zangstem en piano, op.53, nr.1-3, "Jiddische Lieder", 1944 ; A mejdel in die Johren)
    Darynn Zimmer (soprano), Vlad Iftinca (piano)
  12. Catherine – Aldo Finzi / Poem by the composer (First U.S. Performance)
    Charles Robert Stephens (baritone), Vlad Iftinca (piano)
  13. Shield of our Ancestors (Mogayn Ovos) – Zygmunt Schul / Text: Liturgy
    Darynn Zimmer (soprano), Michael Philip Davis (tenor), Charles Robert Stephens (baritone), Vlad Iftinca (piano)

Program III: Crossing All Boundaries (Non-Jewish Composers, Jewish Themes) (Regina Resnik, spreekstem)

  1. Kaddish from Deux Mélodies Hébraïques – Maurice Ravel / Text: Liturgy, traditional
    Audrey Babcock (Mezzo-soprano), Miloš Repický (piano)
  2. The Eternal Enigma (L’Enigme Eternelle) from Deux Mélodies Hébraïques – Maurice Ravel / Text: Liturgy, traditional
    Audrey Babcock (Mezzo-soprano), Miloš Repický (piano)
  3. Meyerke, my son (Chanson Hébraïque) from Quatre Chansons Populaires – Maurice Ravel / Text: Liturgy, traditionalLetter to Warsaw (Selections)
    Audrey Babcock (Mezzo-soprano), Miloš Repický (piano)
  4. Jew / An Ordinary Day – Moving Day – Kaddish – Thomas Pasatieri / Poetry: Pola Braun; English version: Barbara Milewski (New York premiere)
    Katherine Whyte (soprano), Miloš Repický (piano)
  5. Hope for Israel from Prince Kholmsky – Mikhail Glinka / Poetry: Nestor Kukolnik
    Alex Richardson (tenor), Miloš Repický (piano)
  6. Hebrew Melody: Open the door, my beloved – Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov / Poetry: Lev Alexandrovich Mey
    Audrey Babcock (Mezzo-soprano), Miloš Repický (piano)
  7. Hebrew Melody: My soul is dark – Mili Balakirev / Poetry: Lord Byron; Russian version: Mikhail Lermontov
    Alex Richardson (tenor), Miloš Repický (piano)
  8. Rachel’s Dream from Prince Kholmsky – Mikhail Glinka / Poetry: Nestor Kukolnik
    Katherine Whyte (soprano), Miloš Repický (piano)
  9. Serenade (Ständchen) – Franz Schubert / Yiddish text: Moshe Leib Halpern
    Alex Richardson (tenor), Miloš Repický (piano), Annaliesa Place (violin)
  10. Elegy (Élégie) – Jules Massenet / Yiddish text
    Alex Richardson (tenor), Miloš Repický (piano), Annaliesa Place (violin)
  11. From Jewish Folk Poetry (Selections)
    Lament for a Dead Infant / Papa! Bring us Dinner! / Lullaby / Warning / The Deserted Father / Winter / Happiness
    Dmitri Shostakovich / Russian texts: Moyshe Beregovsky & Yuri Matveyevich Sokolov
    Katherine Whyte (soprano), Audrey Babcock (Mezzo-soprano), Miloš Repický (piano)
  12. Epilogue: Colors of the Diaspora (Regina Resnik, Narrator)