Bart Berman

Bart Berman (born December 29, 1938 in Rotterdam) is a Dutch-Israeli pianist and composer, best known as an interpreter of Franz Schubert and 20th-century music.[1][2]

Career

Bart Berman studied piano with Jaap Spaanderman at a predecessor of the Conservatorium van Amsterdam and complemented his piano education with Theo Bruins and a master class by Alfred Brendel. In 1978 he moved to Israel.[1]

As a soloist Berman was awarded the Dutch Prize of Excellence, the first prize in the Gaudeamus Competition for interpreters of contemporary music,[3][4] the Friends of the Concertgebouw Award and four first prizes at competitions for young soloists. He has performed in Israel, Europe and the United States, as a soloist and in chamber music. Berman was a soloist with many Dutch and Israeli orchestras and has recorded for radio and television.

Collaborations included those with flautist Abbie de Quant (since 1970), Duo 4 with pianist Meir Wiesel, the Tamar Piano Trio with violinist Itzhak Segev and cellist Louis Rowen, as well as ensembles with several vocalists among whom Bat-Sheva Zeisler. Past partnerships include Duo Beer Sheva with the late pianist Sara Fuxon, Ensemble M, and Negev Baroque. During 2004-2008 Berman accompanied the remake of Hanoch Levin's satirical cabaret You, Me and the Next War,[5] in 2007 he was the pianist and musical director of Schubert Plus, An Operatic Episode in Two Acts,[6] and during 2011-2013 he was a guest soloist with the Zamir Quartet. In 2014 he launched a new program for 4 pianists at 2 pianos, based on Duo 4.

Berman taught piano at the conservatoires of Rotterdam and Arnhem and was an editor of the Israel Music Institute. Among his many students are Peter "Peet" Bakker,[7] Cleem Determeijer, Jan van Dijk,[8] Kees van Eersel,[9] Margriet Ehlen,[10] Dror Elimelech,[11] Nicolette Heerema,[12] Gerard Houtman and Matthijs Verschoor.[13]

Berman studied composition with Bertus van Lier and Wouter van den Berg. He has composed many original works, including cadenzas to all piano concerti by Haydn, Mozart and Beethoven and second piano parts to be played alongside original compositions by Muzio Clementi and Daniel Steibelt. Most noted are his completions to Schubert's unfinished piano sonatas and J.S. Bach's Art of Fugue.[1]

Discography

Participation Albums Collections
Piano solo
Piano duos
  • Franz Schubert: Music for Piano Four Hands (1983, 1988, 1991)[14][15][16][17]
  • Kibbutz Composers: Piano Music for Two and Four Hands (1985)
  • Duo 4: Live 1995 (1996)
  • Piano Masterpieces (1989)
  • Clair de Lune & Other Moonlit Classics (1989)
  • David Ori: Musical Portrait (1997)
  • Tsippi Fleischer: Israel at 50 (1999)
  • Gabriel Iranyi: Bird of Wonder (2001)[18]
  • Max Stern: Song of Ascents (2012)
Various small ensembles
  • Meir Mindel: Tamar (1990)
  • Frank Martin: Chamber Music (1991)[19][20]
  • Rachel Galinne: Uneginotai Nenagen (1999)
  • Chaya Arbel: More Works (2003)
Various large ensembles

Notable performances

1960s and 1970s 1980s and 1990s 2000s and 2010s

Composition

Cadenzas

Completions

Piano parts

Footnotes and references

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Seida, Linda, "Bart Berman - Biography", Allmusic, Concert pianist Bart Berman focuses mainly on the works of Franz Schubert, and his recordings include a double CD of the composer's works. He also plays contemporary music and spent part of his career as a member of Ensemble M.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 Young, John Bell (1998). "Schubert: Unfinished Piano Sonatas: D 279, 571, 613, 625, 840". American Record Guide 62 (2): 194. It's always gratifying to hear the underrated or rarely played music of a major composer. But it is no less satisfying to discover, for the first time, a great pianist at the helm of such works. I'd heard of Berman, who is Present in his 60s, but had never heard him. He is the quintessential musician's musician and, it seems, a product of the same central European tradition that produced Klien, Brendel, Wuhrer, Petri, Demus, and Fischer. [...] This disc does double duty, in that it offers an eminently rewarding musical experience and introduces one of the premier Schubert interpreters of our time.
  3. ↑ "Appointments, Awards, Competitions". The Musical Times 111 (1528): 602. June 1970. JSTOR 956819. Bart Berman (Netherlands) has been awarded first prize among interpreters of contemporary music by the Gaudeamus Foundation.
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 Rotterdams jaarboekje [Yearbook of Rotterdam]. Historisch genootschap Roterodamum. 1971. p. 33. De pianist Bart Berman, leraar aan het Rotterdams Conservatorium, wint de eerste prijs in het Internationaal Gaudeamus Concours voor vertolkers van muziek van onze tijd.
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 Yudilovitch, Merav (2005-02-08). את ואני והמלחמה הבאה' בתיאטרון הערבי-עברי' ["You, Me and the Next War" in the Arab-Hebrew Theater]. Ynet (in Hebrew). Retrieved 2009-11-02. בערב משתתפים שפרה מילשטיין, בת שבע ייזלר, רמי פלג וגד קינר אותם מלווה הפסנתרן ברט ברמן שיבצעו בין היתר את הפזמונים "את ואני והמלחמה הבאה", "חייל שחור מכה חייל לבן" ו"האלוף בום". את צאת ההצגות מלווה דיסק של שירי מערכוני המופע.
  6. ↑ Windisch, Franziska. "Schubert Plus: A pleasure for all senses". All About Jewish Theatre. Retrieved 2009-11-02. The singing is effectively accompanied by only a piano (Bart Berman) and a clarinet (Mor Levine), which really makes one wonder if a whole orchestra is always needed in order to endow music with utmost emotion. Together with the light that always reflects the mood, the singing and music form a fascinating unity.
  7. ↑ 4worx. "Pianorecital Peter Bakker in de Munt - Dordrecht". deweekkrant.nl.
  8. ↑ http://www.deweekkrant.nl/files/pdfarchief/OEG/20150115/OEG_OEG-22_150115_1.pdf
  9. ↑ Winters, Reint (2009-08-13). "Kees van Eersel laat van zich horen in de Bovenkerk" [Kees van Eersel makes himself heard in the Bovenkerk]. Genemuiden Actueel (in Dutch). Retrieved 2009-10-29. Tijdens deze periode studeerde hij tevens koordirectie bij George Stam met bijvakken zang (bij Cees Touwen) en viool (bij mevr. De Monchy-Kuiper), compositie bij Otto Ketting en later hoofdvak piano bij Bart Berman.
  10. ↑ "Muziekencyclopedie - Margriet Ehlen", muziekencyclopedie.nl
  11. ↑ Joseph Galron-Goldschläger (ed.), דרור אלימלך [Dror Elimelech], Lexicon of New Hebrew Literature (in Hebrew), למד פסנתר אצל פנינה זלצמן, רות הילמן, ברט ברמן והלחנה אצל סרג'יו נטרא.
  12. ↑ "Steenvoorde Concerten". steenvoordeconcerten.blogspot.com.
  13. ↑ http://www.dichtbij.nl/noord-kennemerland/uitgaan-en-vrije-tijd/artikel/1839756/a-russian-ark-in-cool.aspx
  14. ↑ Meyer, Kurtz (1985) "Index to Record Reviews." Notes, Quarterly Journal of the Music Library Association 41 (4): 751-774.
  15. ↑ Weekley, Dallas A., and Nancy Arganbright (1990). Schubert's Music for Piano Four-Hands. White Plains, New York: Pro/Am Music Resources, p. 137-144. ISBN 0-912483-55-5
  16. ↑ Lampson, Dave (1992) "Late Keyboard Music - Recommended CDs". Classical Net.
  17. ↑ Fanfare 7 (3): 35. ATD 8306 From the city of Abraham's Well, the Duo Beersheva -- pianists Sarah Fuxon and Bart Berman -- play delightful Schubert rarities. Missing or empty |title= (help)
  18. ↑ Fleischer, Robert Jay (1997) Twenty Israeli Composers: Voices of a Culture. Detroit, Michigan: Wayne State University Press, p. 343.
  19. ↑ De Vaglio M: "Musica Da Camera, Martin, Gallo - DDD".16noni. (Italian)
  20. ↑ Martin M: Souvenirs de ma vie avec Frank Martin. Lausanne: L'Age d'Homme, p. 302-203, 1990. (French)
  21. ↑ Unión de Asociaciones Ibéricas e Iberoamericanas del Benelux:VIII Jornadas Hispánicas bajo el Patrocinio de Su Alteza Real el Príncipe Bernardo de los Países Bajos (Spanish)
  22. ↑ "Vele Manifestaties Jeugdfestival Velp". Leidsch Dagblad. July 5, 1966. p. 13. Woensdag 17 augustus geeft het Gelders Orkest onder leiding van André Presser een concert voor de deelnemers aan het jeugdfestival. Met medewerking van de pianist Bart Berman worden werken uitgevoerd van Mozart, Ravel (Concert voor de linkerhand), Ton de Leeuw enTsjaikowsky.
  23. ↑ Berge-Gerbaud, Maria van; Elisabeth van Boetzelaer; Maartje Verscheure-Nelissen (1993). Institut néerlandais, Paris 1957-1992. Paris: Institut néerlandais. p. 87.
  24. ↑ The Musical Times (1973). "London Diary for January." The Musical Times 114 (1570): 1304-1308.
  25. ↑ Historischer Verein für Dortmund und die Grafschaft Mark (1973). Beiträge zur Geschichte Dortmunds und der Grafschaft Mark. Dortmund, Germany: Verlage des Historischen Vereins Dortmund, p. 41. (German)
  26. ↑ "Cultuuragenda: Cobra, Blue Moon en filmfestival" [Cultural organizer: Cobra, Blue Moon and film festival]. De Gelderlander. Retrieved 2009-11-24. Het Italiaans Instituut in Amsterdam opent zijn nieuwe seizoen op 5 september met een concert door de pianist Bart Berman. Hij zal composities van Domenico Scarlatti spelen. De toegang is vrij.
  27. ↑ Fishman, Elly (2002-03-28). "TRG Music Listings | The Reader's Guide Feature | Chicago". Chicagoreader.com. Retrieved 2014-05-17.
  28. ↑ "Performances" (PDF). Ssusa Newsletter 2 (2) (Schubert Society of the USA). 2004. p. 6. Retrieved 2009-12-05. On June 24, pianist Bart Berman performed the Piano Sonata in C Major, D 840("Reliquie"), with his own completions of the 3d and 4th movements, at Northwestern University's Lutkin Hall.
  29. ↑ Gottschalk, Achim (2006). "Schlosskonzerte enden mit Bart Berman." Pressespiegel für Sinzig und Umgebung KW 21. (German)
  30. ↑ "Ein Meister am Flügel" [A Master at the Grand Piano]. General-Anzeiger (in German). 2008-09-23.
  31. ↑ "ה"שוברטיאדה": המנגינה לבדה - מוזיקה - גלריה - עכבר העיר". Mouse.co.il. 2010-01-25. Retrieved 2014-05-17.
  32. ↑ Sipkes, Kees (8 December 1956). "Bart Berman – 17-jarige lyceïst schrijft muziek voor toneel" (PDF). Het Vrije Volk (in Dutch) 12 (3542). p. 7. In het begin van dit jaar is door dezelfde groep Breero's Klucht van de Koe opgevoerd, waarbij deze jongeman zijn eerste toneelmuziek componeerde. 'Ik heb geprobeerd, zoals Pijper wel heeft gedaan, een synthese te zoeken tussen oude luitmuziek en moderne muziek. De stukken zijn geschreven voor fluit, klarinet, piano, cello en viool.'
  33. ↑ "Library of Congress LCCN Permalink for 2003550967". loc.gov.
  34. ↑ "Catalogue VU University Library". vu.nl.
  35. ↑ Gabriel, Hod (February 2009). המאסטרו פרק 3 [The Maestro Chapter 3]. no-R (in Hebrew). Israel. Archived from the original (ARTICLE AND VIDEO) on 2009-03-01. Retrieved 2011-06-29.

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