The springtime Jewish holiday of Passover is about liberation from slavery in ancient Egypt. In this one-hour special, superstar violinist Itzhak Perlman shares Passover music from many traditions, plus songs and memories from his childhood in Israel. The program draws its shape from the Passover seder and, like that ancient family ritual, the music gets progressively giddier as the show moves along.
Selections include music from familiar classical works, e.g. Handel's Israel in Egypt, and from lesser-known classical pieces: Halévy's opera La Juive ("The Jewish Woman") with Jan Peerce; Dessau's 1934 German setting of the Haggadah; and Korngold's glorious Passover Psalm.
Perlman's playing is represented by a duet with Cantor Yitzchak Meir Helfgot, as well as John Williams' beloved theme from Schindler's List. Other recordings include unusual takes on traditional tunes, like a swing "Dayenu," "Who Knows One?" in Ladino, the zany Moishe Oysher treatment of "Chad Gadya," and "Go Down, Moses" sung by Paul Robeson.
A Musical Feast for Passover with Itzhak Perlman is produced by WQXR and distributed by PRX.
Resources
Itzhak Perlman - official site
WQXR - New York's classical music station
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