Kabaretti, who was already a fan of Carrara’s musicbefore they met when the former was conducting The Nutcracker in Rome over Christmas 2013, was intrigued by the composer’s concept of the piece. It seemed like a very interesting idea, especially in time like this where the tensions between the cultures are arriving and increasing every day Kabaretti said. There’s a lot of hatred and ignorance. If composers has a way to bring things together on a musical level, it would be something we could all appreciate. I very much like what he writes, and O wanted to expose out audience to his music. Kabaretti said he found the score, which he had received only two weeks before, as both charming and important.
It’s very romantic to my ears. There are some ethnic elements, and in the language of the soloists, it seems like there is a look back as if the composer was painting the sound of the Bible through the ancient connotations. I like it very much, and I’m really enjoying learning it. The conductor, who con’t turn 40 until next January but has already achieved a great deal in his native country, said he believes that local listeners will also enjoy being the first to hear Machpelah. It’s very tonal and his language is very accessible, not too experimental or avant-garde for our audience. For me, it’s very exciting to come to something completely new, not like a Beethoven, which you know exactly how it should sound. Carrara is very sought-after, very popular in Italy, France, and Germany, but pretty much unknow here. Maybe we will help open the doors for other things. Carrara himself is eagerly anticipating hearing the piece live for the first time with an American audience, which he addressed during a phone interview from his home in Italy conducted in early January.


Q. What was your inspiration for Machpela?

A. My idea was to write a double concerto that speaks to the place and to men and women. The music is meant to be a mission of love between men and women but also between cultures. In Israel, it’s a very difficult situation because of all the conflict. I wanted to celebrate the eternity of love. The piece is a journey in secret love, the idea of exploring love in a region that is at war.

Q. Nir has described the piece as a dialogue between cultures through the two soloists.Is that accurate for you?

A. I agree, of course. The music is representing the dialog between the cultures but even more [between] man and woman.
The violin is the woman point of view. It represents all woman of different cultures, the cello all of what is man, through all time. In most religions, we say that God is one part man, one part woman. So the idea is to have the two different instruments dialog together.
I try to find a point of fusion.

Q. Can you talk about the music itself?

A. The opening movement is The Cave not only Machpelah but also because love can be a cave. The second is I Dance with my wife because love can be a dance, very dynamic. Third is The Secrets of Eternity; this is the more mystical one, because relationship between men and women is like the question of eternity, the unknown. And the last movement is Man/Woman, the journey from the cave in Hebron through the dance, to the contemplation of eternity and finish with just the two person, the man and the woman. This double concerto is anthropomorphic, trying to describe the normal life between a couple. I hope you can find the elements of life, the searching, the joy, the sadness, the circle of life. That’s the idea that influenced the form.

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