By COLlive reporter
A few weeks ago, Israel Edelson, a musical arranger and pianist who lives in Crown Heights, was visited for a few days by his friend, Doron Toister, principal cellist in the Rishon L’Tziyon Orchestra, to record some arrangements together.
They weren’t planning on publicizing this collaboration, which they hoped would be the beginning of a larger project to be continued in the summer.
But when Edelson mentioned it to Bentzi Avtzon of Yuvla Media, with whom he’d collaborated on a number of projects in the past, Avtzon would have none of it. “We have to make something beautiful for the audience out there,” he told Edelson.
And beautiful it would be.
Edelson had previously arranged the niggun, “Tzoma,” for cello and piano, and it was this arrangement that was chosen to be filmed. “It’s a perfect fit,” Avtzon explained.
“Especially as it was sung by Farbrengen, with the Rebbe singing one stanza and the chassidim responding, ‘Tzoma’ is a niggun that is experienced both in solitude and together, very much like a duet, where the two musicians are playing both within themselves and as a pair. Hopefully, the way this film was edited allows for these feelings of solitude and togetherness to come across on the screen.”
VIDEO: “Tzoma”
Arranged for cello and piano by: Israel Edelson
Performed by: Doron Toister, Israel Edelson
Film by: Bentzi Avtzon, Berry Cohen, Shmully Levitin
Download the “Tzoma” soundtrack at IsraelEdelson.com. To learn more about Yuvla Media, visit YuvlaMedia.com.
Thank you COL.
I needed a Pesach break from cleaning and sat down at the computer to look at COL and just listened to 4 beautiful music chassidishe music videos on this website. Now I’m feeling refreshed and ready to continue.
Thank you for making public the spiritual music of 2 Masters.
That was deliberate. The piano, in this particular arrangement, is more of an accompaniment than a lead instrument.
Beautiful, soulful arrangement. thank you.
Reb Avi Piamenta needs to be there too.
They should have Yitzchok Hurwitz, the well known violinist involved.
Beautiful niggun, beautifully played!
I feel as tho the piano needed more of a voice in there. It was a duet but cellos volume was way higher..
Beautiful production all the way around. What talent! BH used for Hashem
Thank you for posting such pure and soulful quality Chassidishe music and musicians-the professional touch is outstanding!
Beautiful!
Truly from the heart
Reminds one of the choirs and musicians that the Rebbeim used to have. These musicians are of that caliber.
Toister lives in Rechovot, not Rishon Le’tzion.
so beautiful and peacful
Thank you for posting truly chassidishe musicians playing so beautifully. one can truly rejoice with such devaikos