Ofra Yitzhaki talks to ‘Post’ about new albums focusing on monumental musical figures - interview

Internationally acclaimed Israeli pianist Ofra Yitzhaki has dedicated the past 18 months to celebrating three towering figures of Israeli classical music through a series of three distinct albums. Yitzhaki, known for her interpretations of modern and avant-garde music and a champion of Israeli art music, has focused on the complete piano works of Josef Tal, Mordecai Seter, and Josef Bardanashvili.

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It gripped me so intensely that I asked myself: How is it possible that I don’t know his piano music? It’s simply outstanding.

The project, which spanned years in development, was initially sparked eight years ago when Yitzhaki was invited to perform Josef Tal's Piano Concerto No. 1. "It gripped me so intensely that I asked myself: How is it possible that I don’t know his piano music? It’s simply outstanding," she recalled.

This led to an invitation from a German record label to record a comprehensive selection of Tal's piano works. Tal, a founding generation composer who fled Nazi Germany in 1934, faced aesthetic expectations in Mandate Palestine to incorporate Jewish or Israeli folk themes. However, coming from an assimilated German-Jewish background, Tal resisted these demands, viewing them as an artificial imposition.

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Knowing where our local classical scene stands regarding native repertoire, it didn’t surprise me culturally.

Tal's legacy raises questions about identity, as his refusal to incorporate "Mediterraneanism" or Middle Eastern modes into his music was a point of discussion among scholars. Yitzhaki's album, "Josef Tal: Piano Works 1936-2000," released on the German label NEOS, aims to bring this significant repertoire to a global audience. Yitzhaki noted that in Germany, Tal is deeply revered, making the recording feel like "bringing his piano music back to where it truly belonged."

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like bringing his piano music back to where it truly belonged.