 Doesn't
conform to the Conventions
By
Noam Ben-Zeev,
"Ha'aretz", daily newspaper, March 28, 1999 (Translation)
The
"Reflex" Ensemble, performing acoustic and electronic music, together
with theatre and dance. Keren Rosenbaum: composer and creator. With:
Neta Shezaf, Ruth Tamir, Alona Peretz-Palti, Talia Ilan, Hadas Phabrikant,
Gur Rothcop, Ayelet Balin, Hila Epstein & Eyal Solomon. Friday,
March 26th, The Z.O.A. House.
If
not for the contemporary experimental ensemble Reflex, the local
musical scene would be much duller. Many concerts, perhaps even
a few hundreds too many, are held around here, but it is rare to
find those, such as the Reflex ensemble, that would not comply with
the conventions and accept any limitations.
The
concert this weekend clearly showed us that Rosenbaum does exactly
what she wants: she doesn't compromise in the present thinking about
the future, and doesn't try to make things easier on her listeners
in order to become popular.
This
artistic integrity was one of the most important components of the
evening.The intimate hall at the Z.O.A. House in Tel-Aviv transformed
for a short time into some kind of a dim avant-guard European-style
cellar. Entering the hall, the members of the Ensemble, in red overalls,
greeted the audience, while in the background the sound of an invisible
crowd applauding was heard.
The
rest of the evening was characterized by professional precision
and good taste of the whole production - the costume design, the
lighting, the sound, and above all - the high level of musicianship
and the dedication of the ensemble's members. The pieces all were
around two motives: dialog between sound and reaction, together
with paralyzing muteness that doesn't allow any sound or communication.
It seems that these motives were used to their full potential over
the evening.Two pieces stood out among the others: the first, for
cello and electronic soundtrack, brilliantly performed by Hila Epstein;
and "Reflex", for acoustic instruments, soundtrack and dancer, performed
by Neta Shezaf, that imaginatively combined the world of Flamenco
with the contemporary music she danced to. |
 Interdisciplinary
Fantasies Composer Keren Rosenbaum's
"Reflex
Ensemble" will perform at the "Ultra-Sound" festival, opening tonight
at the "Tmu-Na" theatre, Tel-Aviv.
By
Noam Ben-Zeev,
"Ha'aretz", daily newspaper, December 2nd, 1999 (Translation)
The
audience that will come to the "Tmu-Na" theatre in Tel-Aviv to hear
the "Reflex Ensemble" (tonight, 20:30, and tomorrow, 21:00) - as
well as eight other performances over the new "Ultra-Sound" festival's
three packed days - will have to make an effort in order to understand
and enjoy. No one is going to make it easy for the audience, musically
and emotionally ("… the barrier that needs to be passed is the impatience
of the popular culture", as written in the festival's pamphlet,
"the return is freedom").
The
vocal/instrumental "Reflex Ensemble", founded by composer Keren
Rosenbaum will perform her own compositions - "a freeze-frame in
an ongoing musical quest", as she defines the compositions and the
ensemble - as well as a number of compositions by others. The temporality
and the uncertainty in this definition dictates the ensemble's approach
- livelihood and intuitiveness, as implied by the ensemble's name,
unwillingness to any artistic compromise, daring and innovation
in the compositions.
"I
keep looking without giving up" says Rosenbaum, who is not discouraged
by being active in the musical fringe, "and I thought that the alternative
musical and artistic scene, operating in almost secrecy, deserves
a stage of their own.
The
route I chose was interdisciplinary - not only music or dance, and
not theatre. It's the combination between the compositional components
of the various arts, that are blended and crystallized through the
artistic process".
"…In
the composition "Reflex", for instance, Dancer Neta Shezaf's choreography
was inspired by the movements of the musicians that accompany her;
and part of the music, that includes a pre-recorded soundtrack,
is the dancer's breaths. The creation crystallized through the process,
and through the interaction between the artists. The interdisciplinary
framework created the interactions between the sound, technology,
video, the music and dance".
Technology
is indeed a key ingredient in Rosenbaum's compositions, and is quite
a logistic and budgetary problem. "In the world of classical music,
that is based only on the musicians playing, there is no awareness
to this aspect. Musicians can practice for hours every day, for
months if needed, and there's no problem with that - we practiced
for free for four and a half months for this performance. But the
sound and lighting also require the time and the money.
My
fantasy is a theatre dedicated solely to this style, so that we
wouldn't have to give up rehearsals because of the costs of renting
sophisticated devices, such as video projectors, or sound and lighting
systems. These would be installed permanently in the theatre". The
phrase "my fantasy is" kept repeating, unconsciously, during our
conversation - a fantasy to convince the Israeli Opera to produce
an avant-guard style opera, a fantasy to found a fringe theatre,
a fantasy "that there would be an interdisciplinary department in
the Ministry of the Arts, that would allocate resources for alternative
creation".
Aren't
you afraid the fulfilling of your fantasies would make you part
of the establishment? Rosenbaum's half-smile says something like
"let those be my problems". What drew them to participate? For her
own ensemble's performance, Rosenbaum offers a few new treats: a
video installation, musicians rolling around with chairs on wheels,
and Polaroid snapshots in real time as an instant documentary of
what just happened. And above all the music - a composition by a
young Lebanese composer, who could not attend the festival for obvious
reasons, arrangements of madrigals by Monteverdi, and a surprise
- the debut of a composition by E. Varez, written in the 50s for
musicians who could not read music. This composition was one of
the first to used graphical scoring that does not use notes, but
indicates all of the other factors in the music - dynamics, solo
parts, comparative duration, melodic contours, and orchestration.
"We
have to get rid of the stuffed collars" says Rosenbaum, "it's a
pity the audience can't see that the most interesting things are
perhaps not easy to find, but are very much out there". |
 A
Blessed Reflex
Boaz Cohen, "Yediot Aharonot" Daily Newspaper
The
Tmu-Na Theatre, Tel-Aviv The "Ultrasound" festival opened last night
with a performance by the "Reflex" ensemble. It was a very successful
opening act that stood up to all of the goals the festival set for
itself. "Reflex" expand the boundaries of what is called "musical
creation", and their music is a live soundtrack, at times kicking
and at times caressing, but constantly intriguing - and breathing.
Not as a metaphor, but literally. From the speaker you were able
to hear, from time to time, short breaths that combined with the
music, breaths of fear, effort, excitement, orgasm, breaths that
are life itself.
Keren
Rosenbaum, the ensemble's composer and the festival's artistic director, was in this performance
one of the musicians, all dressed in red overalls and black shoes,
a performance in itself. Behind, on waving curtains, were projections
of films in black and white. An actress
spoke, an opera singer sang. The flamenco dancer, Neta Shezaf, came
on the stage and played on her body with a cello bow.
It
was a combination of music from different eras, from classical madrigals
to the modern composer Varez, together with noises. Everything together
created the music, a sculpture of sound in the silence, a continuous
conflict between the emptiness and the sounds that pierced through
the air. Keren Rosenbaum is trying to take her ensemble to different
places. She brings the theatre out of the music, and the drama from
the musicians.
The
goal is to reach total freedom, and breaking the stage from the
chains imposed by the normal concert setting, with the audience
on one side and the musicians on the other. Thus, even minor technical
problems in the performance were perceived as integral part of it.
As opposed to other interdisciplinary art forms, that flirt with
different creative genres, "Reflex 2" do not ask to be understood,
but to be experienced.
Anyone
who would surrender him or herself would leave more enriched than
before, and since they have another performance tonight, this is
indeed a recommendation to see and experience them. And one more
thing. The festival, that will continue today and tomorrow, takes
place in the Tmu-Na Theatre, that is the most suitable for such
culture events. Tmu-Na, located in the heart of the Tel-Aviv "garage-land"
is a complex of halls and a coffeehouse, similar to places from
other times and places. It is a hybrid of a London fringe theatre,
a Seattle garage and a 70s Amsterdam club. I deeply hope that "Ultrasound"
is only the first of its kind, a cornerstone. A continuo of event
of this kind can be a blessed alternative for anyone looking for
a way to escape to other musical worlds. |
 Longing for the Here and Now
Noam Ben-Zeev, Ha'aretz
Daily Newspaper, March 9th, 1998
"The
Time is Now" festival - The Contemporary Music Bianale, Tel-Aviv
Museum ….. "Adam's Apple" - dance performance to music be Keren
Rosenbaum… … The evening continued with a dance piece to music by
young composer Keren Rosenbaum, and it was exactly the kind of performance
the Bianale needed. The choreography (the Ido Tadmor dance group)
seemed indeed as if it were improvised in the last minute, but the
provocative, powerful, funny, embarrassing and at times delicate
music "loosened the tie" of the festival's formal atmosphere, and
served as a counterbalance…. |
 Review
by Jacqwline Oskamp. De Groene Amsterdam 25/01/95
..."The
Israeli composer Keren Rosenbaum also used electronics in an impish
way. Loosends is scored for piano and trumpet but the sound is then
sent to a strange feedback placed under the open lid of a second
piano in order to create strange feedback effects. The piece consists
of lound punchy chords attacked by the piano and immediately sustained
by the trumpet. The electronics frayed and refracted this bitter,
bomming aggression. A deadly frayed tangible in the long silences
between chords.
This
is not the firls piece of Keren Rosenbaum to attract attention.
We shall surely hear more of this lady in the future. |
 BESHUM
PANIM VA'OZEN - .No Way and Ear
An
evening in which we remind you and ourselves,
That the most important part of our body we
Should use for real communication is the EAR...The OZEN...
A
unique group of artists have joined together
to produce an evening which will exist, as is,
only this once, and that shall make a request,
Listen... But realy do...
Tickets
will be sold in 40 / 60 IS, and the money
will be donated to DOR SHALEM DORESH SHALOM mvmnt.Participants
- in order of performance :
Prof.
Marcel Debois Shma Israel - and the jewish legacy. Isidoro Roitman
(lute ),
Eithan Sorek ( tenor ) - J. Dowland - 2 songs.
Keren Rosenbaum - Subito Cello, performed by Ari Borshtein.
Ido Tadmor & Tamir Bar On - ( Dancers ) - The Cage - chor. Ido
Tadmor.
Daniel Gurtler ( piano ) - Mendelsohn - Songs wothout words.
Ruttie Tamir ( actress ) - The Ear and me.
Drora Bruck ( recorder ) - D.Castello - sonata nr2, and a self image
Arik Shapira ( composer ) - Al Horvotayich Ofra.
The Statues on stage are by Hagar Goren,
all poster designs, by Gili Lennox. |
 |
“An
original counterpoint between the body producing the sound and the
music. An excellent performance” (Ruth Eshel, Ha’aretz
Daily Newspaper) |
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