VIVA L'ITALIA

Louis Lewandowski Festival 2022

Never before the founding of the State of Israel did Jews of such different origins live together and in such a stimulating (if sometimes threatening) environment as in Italy.

The land they call I-Tal-Yah in Hebrew, “Island of the Divine Dew”.
As a crossroads of world culture, Italy has been a place of refuge for various immigrant classes from the four countries of the diaspora for over two thousand years.
This enabled the coexistence of the particular Italian, Sephardic (or Spagnoli) and Ashkenazi (or Tedeschi) identities, rituals and traditions.
This began at the beginning of the modern era in the ghettos of the Renaissance and continued during emancipation (19th century) right up to the present day.
This year’s festival is dedicated to these traditions.

Over time, various Jewish-Italian dialects, foods, customs and melodies have emerged, showing the influence of the communities from which they originated, even after Yiddish and Ladino had been abandoned as spoken languages.
Italian Jews have successfully navigated between tradition, diversity, religious conflict, emancipation, cosmopolitanism and multiculturalism, all at the heart of Christianity.

The particular history of Italy is indeed reflected in the Jewish melodies.
Each community has developed its own style of synagogue song according to its origins.
Some groups have retained the old Italian minhag (ritual), which differs from the Sephardi and Ashkenazi ones mainly in the cantillation of the Torah (Hebrew Pentateuch) and in the pronunciation of Hebrew.
At the same time, the

Jews who immigrated to Italy over time retained their original (Sephardic, Ashkenazi) rituals, but adapted them to the Jewish and non-Jewish Italian musical environment and often adopted the local pronunciation of Hebrew.
The influence of Italian art and folk music was enormous in all communities: folk tunes, but also Italy’s most famous music, opera and the bel canto singing style, were integrated into the liturgy.
Some Jewish melodies that originated in Italy were disseminated in the diaspora, where they can still be found today.

Due to migration, persecution and assimilation, many of the musical traditions that existed before the Second World War are now lost.
Nevertheless, today’s Italian Jewish community, which numbers less than thirty thousand people, preserves its multicultural world in its music with its local differences and currents.

Dr. Francesco Spagnolo

The artists 2022

The repertoire of the 16th and early 17th century repertoire, the Profeti della Quinta ensemble has set itself the goal of creating lively and expressive performances for today's audiences. This is achieved in particular by incorporating the performance practice of the respective period.
Kol Zimrah, which means "voice of song", began as a congregational choir in 1996. Today, the group includes members from other synagogues in the Chicago area as well as some singers who do not belong to a congregation. The choir provides a common forum for singers from diverse backgrounds to strive for musical excellence.
The Coro Ha-Kol (The Voice) was founded in December 1993 on the initiative of some singers from the Tempio Maggiore, Rome's largest synagogue, and other lovers of the Jewish musical tradition.
In the 14th year of the Louis Lewandowski Festival, for the first time only music by Oriental Jews will be heard, whose melodies, keys and choice of instruments are very much influenced by the musical culture of their Arab countries of origin in the Middle East and North Africa.
The Adi Classical Young Choir of the New Vocal Ensemble was founded in 2006 by Yishai Shteckler and Goni Bar Sela. Music director and conductor Oded Shomrony has been in charge since 2009. The choir performs in subscription concerts with orchestras and with various a cappella programs at HaMishkan LeOmanuyot HaBama, during the Abu Ghosh Festival, at the Jerusalem Music Center, the Tel Aviv Museum of Arts, the Felicja Blumental Music Center and the Mormon University, Jerusalem.
The Synagogal Ensemble Berlin (SEB) was founded in 2002 by Regina Yantian as a concert ensemble. It consists of eight to twenty professional singers, ...

Impressions 2022

Greetings 2022

Dear festival enthusiasts and visitors, this year's Louis Lewandowski Festival brings together three celebrations: 1,700 years of Jewish life in Germany, the crowning of the organ as "Instrument of the Year" and, finally, the 200th birthday of the namesake of this wonderful festival, the outstanding composer Louis Lewandowski. Finally, the 200th birthday of the man who gave his name to this wonderful festival, the outstanding composer Louis Lewandowski.
I am delighted that the Louis Lewandowski Festival is taking place in Berlin for the eleventh time - despite the restrictions imposed by the coronavirus. It has become a wonderful tradition and an integral part of our city's cultural calendar.
Der Ministerpräsident von Brandenburg, Dr. Dietmar Woidke: Ganz in diesem Sinne wünsche ich Ihnen ein wunderbares Festival mit ergreifenden Konzerten und schönen gemeinsamen Stunden, wo auch immer Sie das Louis Lewandowski Festival verfolgen.
The Minister President of Brandenburg, Dr. Dietmar Woidke: In this spirit, I wish you a wonderful festival with moving concerts and wonderful hours together, wherever you follow the Louis Lewandowski Festival.