Spirit of Hope Shira Karmon & Paul Gulda

• Ferdinand Hiller (1811 - 1885): 6 Gesänge, Op. 46:
• 1 Hiller: 6 Gesänge, Op. 46: No. 1, Gebet 03:02
• Ludwig van Beethoven (1770 - 1827): An die Hoffnung, Op. 94:
• 2 Beethoven: An die Hoffnung, Op. 94 06:48
• Salomon Sulzer (1804 - 1890): Trost:
• 3 Sulzer: Trost 04:05
• Ludwig van Beethoven: An die Hoffnung, Op. 32:
• 4 Beethoven: An die Hoffnung, Op. 32 04:50
• Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756 - 1791): Die ihr des unermeßlichen Weltalls, K. 619:
• 5 Mozart: Die ihr des unermeßlichen Weltalls, K. 619 07:14
• Eyal Bat (b. 1966): 3 Songs after Else Lasker-Schüler:
• 6 Bat: 3 Songs after Else Lasker-Schüler: No. 1, Oh Gott, wie fern bin ich von Dir 04:20
• 7 Bat: 3 Songs after Else Lasker-Schüler: No. 2, Klein Sterbelied 03:33
• 8 Bat: 3 Songs after Else Lasker-Schüler: No. 3, Mein blaues Klavier 04:58
• Szymon Laks (1901 - 1983): 8 Jewish Folk Songs:
• 9 Laks: 8 Jewish Folk Songs: No. 1, Ich bin a balagole 01:04
• 10 Laks: 8 Jewish Folk Songs: No. 2, Wiegenlied 01:20
• 11 Laks: 8 Jewish Folk Songs: No. 3, Di Goldene Pave 01:16
• 12 Laks: 8 Jewish Folk Songs: No. 4, Unzer Rebeniu 02:14
• 13 Laks: 8 Jewish Folk Songs: No. 5, In droisn Is a triber Tog 02:20
• 14 Laks: 8 Jewish Folk Songs: No. 6, Gwaldzhe, Brider! 01:02
• 15 Laks: 8 Jewish Folk Songs: No. 7, Di alte Kashe 02:08
• 16 Laks: 8 Jewish Folk Songs: No. 8, Freytik far Nacht 01:12
• Arnold Mendelssohn (1855 - 1933): König David:
• 17 Mendelssohn: König David 02:37
• Arnold Schönberg (1874 - 1951): Brettl-Lieder:
• 18 Schönberg: Brettl-Lieder: No. 2, Einfältiges Lied 02:07
• Alban Berg (1885 - 1935): Hier ist Friede, Op. 4 No. 5 (Arr. for Voice & Piano):
• 19 Berg: Hier ist Friede, Op. 4 No. 5 (Arr. for Voice & Piano) 04:16
• Leonard Bernstein (1918 - 1990): So Pretty:
• 20 Bernstein: So Pretty 02:25
• Silhouette (Galilee):
• 21 Bernstein: Silhouette (Galilee) 01:44
• Paul Gulda (b. 1961): Strife:
• 22 Gulda: Strife 02:31
• Marwan Abado (b. 1967): I Am a Simple Man:
• 23 Abado: I Am a Simple Man 04:10
• Paul Gulda: Then I Call Her:
• 24 Gulda: Then I Call Her 04:40
• Peace Now:
• 25 Gulda: Peace Now 03:30
• Total Runtime 01:19:26

Info for Spirit of Hope

Songs of wisdom, peace and spirituality, presented by the Israeli singer Shira Karmon and the Viennese pianist Paul Gulda, both of whom developed this programme in 2018 on the occasion of a concert tour to Israel. Grounded also in their families and their origins, with precisely this view of the relationships and fates in German-speaking Central Europe, a concert evening was created that wants to invite us to empathise and think along with them.

"The life of people as groups and peoples next to and with each other, the questions of identity and demarcation. Living together in relationship, in attraction and symbiosis, on the other hand in conflict up to deadly hatred - for our sensibilities, all this resonates when we approach these works." The works, "from Mozart's cantata in 1791 to the latest compositions in 2018: Their themes are universal: hope for peace - peace that in turn makes hope possible".

Shira Karmon, soprano
Paul Gulda, piano

Shira Karmon
The Israeli soprano, often described as a singer with "a voice full of luminosity and stage presence", gave her European debut at the Saarländisches Staatstheater Saarbrücken in Germany and performed in Berlin at the Komische Oper and Neuköllner Oper, at the Chamber Opera in Hamburg, at the Opéra National du Rhin in Strasbourg, France, at the Bavarian State Theatre in Passau, the Fürth Theater, Germany and the Teatro Comunale di Bolzano in Italy. International Festivals include the Verbier Festival in Switzerland, the Opera Festivals in Chiemgau Germany and in Aberdeen, United Kingdom. In these Venues, she was heard as "Mimi" in La Bohème, "Countess" in Le Nozze di Figaro, "Donna Elvira" in Don Giovanni, "Fiordiligi" in Cosi fan tutte and "Giulietta" in Les Contes d’ Hoffmann. ​

Karmon made remarkable appearances at the Schwetzingen Festival and Berlin Festival in Peter Eotvös's "As I Crossed a Bridge of Dreams", and at the Semper Depot in the Modern Opera Festival in Vienna: „Out of Control“ as well as at the Festival „Wien Modern“ with the World Premiere of the satire opera: „Whatever Works“. She worked with directors such as Giancarlo del Monaco, John Cox, Federico Davia, Isabel Ostermann, Anette Leistenschneider and Michael Scheidl as well as with conductors such as Stuart Bedford, Bruno Rigacci, Hiroaki Masuda, Heiko M. Förster, Jeanpierre Faber, Walter Kobéra and Simeon Pironkoff. ​

As a renowned concert singer Ms. Karmon performed at the Contertgebow in Amsterdam, at the Berlin Konzerthaus, at the Lincoln Center New York, at the Styriarte Graz, in Mar del Plata, Argentina and the Villa Medici in Rome. Her wide concert repertoire includes the solo soprano part in „The Wedding“ by Stravinsky and in Beethoven’s Choral Phantasy which she sang at the opening Gala of the Arthur Rubinstein International Piano Competition in Tel Aviv, with musicians such as Daniil Trifonov. She gave a concert at the Wiener Staatsoper/Studiobühne with pianist Paul Gulda within the Yiddish Culture Festival Vienna and performed Salomon Sulzer, and Julius Sulzer Songs with Prof. Lorne Richstone in the special project „Die Wanderer“, initiated by the Jewish Museum in Hohenems, and featured in Vienna Hamakom Theater, the Austrian Hospice in Jerusalem, and the Salomon Sulzer Hall in Hohenems Voralberg. Lately Karmon sang the Jeremiah Symphony by Leonard Bernstein in MuTh Vienna and was hired by the Austrian Culture Center to perform in Istanbul New York, Washington and Israel.

Shira Karmon explores the Jewish Repertoire to its in many facets such as the Spanish Jewish tradition performing with guitarist Rainer Maria Nero in "SHIRA", as well as the Yiddish swing, performing with Jazz pianist Elias Meiri.

Karmon also became member of the Soundingjerusalem Festival and collaborated with the Artis Quartett among other prestigeuos artists. Her CD with Paul Gulda “Spirit of Hope” was released in November 2021 by the music label Gramola. Among Karmons future albums, is a feature of all songs written for the female voice by Viktor Ullmann with Pianist Maria Garzon, published by the music label “Heritage” in London. ​

The Israeli Radio Network "Kol Hamusica" in Jerusalem featured Shira Karmon repeatedly. She studied at the Rubin Academy in Tel Aviv and at the Manhattan School of Music in New York and holds prizes of the Competition "Lied of the 20th and 21st Century" of the Kulturkreis der Deutschen Wirtschaft as well as the best performance of an Israeli Piece from the Institute of Israeli Music.

Booklet for Spirit of Hope