On Saturday Nov. 9, 2019, the Highland Park Conservative Temple (HPCT) – Congregation Anshe Emeth will host a special Shirainu Jewish Music concert featuring Ensemble Lucidarium. Founded in 1991 in Basel by Avery Gosfield and is now based in Geneva and Milan, Italy, Lucidarium is on a USA tour, supported by the Canton of Geneva.
Ensemble Lucidarium specializes in bringing little-known repertoires from the Renaissance and Middle Ages back to life in an entertaining, engaging way designed for a 21st century public. Lucidarium’s work is currently divided between two different projects: Ars Italica, which explores different aspects of Italy’s culture through its music and poetry, and Ars Hebraicae, dedicated to a reconstruction of the sound scape of the Jews in Renaissance Europe.
Lucidarium will perform Sounds from Shylock’s Venice, a program created by Lucidarium in commemoration of the 500 years since the establishment of the Venice Ghetto and the 400 year anniversary of Shakespeare’s death. Sounds from Shylock’s Venice conjures the sights and sounds of a day in the life of Shylock, in and out of the Jewish quarter, in the vibrant, colorful world that was Renaissance Venice.
Shylock’s Venice was a crucible of cultures and a magnet for immigration, where – in spite of pervasive prejudice – Spanish and German Jews joined their native Italian co-religionists. Whether escaping repression or coming to find work as merchants or as Hebrew and Kabbalah teachers, Jews profoundly influenced the cultural crossover of 16th century Venice.
This program has been performed in Jewish and Early music festivals from Dresden to Austin. It also has been recorded for radio, has been the subject of documentaries and symposia, and is soon to be released as a CD.
Details of the concert Saturday night Nov. 9th are shown below. A number of related musical events will also be held. On Sunday, Nov. 10, 2019, there will be a lecture: “Invisible Presence – The Jewish Presence in Italy and Jewish Synagogue Song” by Lucidarium co-director Enrico Fink – a cantor, musician and educator. Mr. Fink also will be assisting at the HPCT-CAE Kabbalah Shabbat and Shabbat services during the weekend of Nov. 9-10.
The weekend prior to the concert, Mr. Fink will be in concert in Princeton (without the Ensemble, but with friends Cantor Jeff Warshauer and Deborah Strauss).
The links below should help you learn more about the Ensemble Lucidarium, the HPCT-CAE program information and related events.
Ensemble Lucidarium Website: http://www.lucidarium.com/
HPCT-CAE Program Info: http://hpct-cae.org/events/shirainu-jewish-music-concert-ensemble-lucidarium/
Princeton Jewish Center Program Info: The Jewish Center | Princeton, NJ | Conservative Egalitarian Synagogue