Name: From Dvořák’s Joy to Bloch's Prayer
Start: 2025-12-14T13:00:00-08:00
Location: Mt Olive Lutheran Santa Monica

$From Dvo\u0159\u00e1k\u2019s Joy to Bloch's Prayer$

Palisades Symphony — Two powerful worlds in one afternoon: on the eve of Chanukah, the Palisades Symphony and Brentwood Palisades Chorale come together for Dvořák’s life-filled Carnival Overture and Bloch’s deeply spiritual Sacred Service—a family-day celebration shaped by joy, reflection, and community.
We open with Dvořák’s Carnival Overture—about ten minutes of high-spirited sparkle. He wrote it in 1891 as the “Life” chapter of a three-overture set (“In Nature’s Realm,” Carnival, “Othello”) while preparing for his first American tour. Listen for rapid-fire string runs, bright brass calls, and that surprising quiet moment in the middle: a lyrical night scene led by woodwind solos before the street festival surges back. Extra percussion—triangle, tambourine, cymbals—gives the whole piece that marketplace shimmer you can almost feel.
Then we turn to Ernest Bloch’s Avodath Hakodesh (Sacred Service)—a major 20th-century work for baritone (cantor), chorus, and orchestra, created from a San Francisco commission in the early 1930s. It sets key moments from the Sabbath morning service in Hebrew. Listen for chant-shaped lines that grow into powerful choral peaks; ancient synagogue modes wrapped into modern harmony; the Shema and Torah-service passages unfolding like a symphonic path; and a closing prayer that brings the room into quiet peace. Bloch described this music as his voice for the “Jewish soul”—a blend of memory, longing, and deep identity.
The team bringing it to life
Dr. Maxim Kuzin, Music Director, prepared the orchestra for this program.
Susan Rosenstein, Chorale Director, conducts the Bloch with the Brentwood Palisades Chorale.
Cantor Marcus Feldman brings the Sacred Service to life as baritone.
Andrew Karatay, Assistant & Guest Conductor, leads the Dvořák.
We’re also deeply grateful that Mount Olive Lutheran Church has welcomed us with such warmth—we may finally have found a steadier home here. Our thanks to Pastor Tracy Williams, Administrator Maxine Dixon-Harvey, and Facilities Manager Max Diamond, whose care and kindness have truly carried us.
Why your presence matters
After the fires, we lost our base, and several of our own musicians lost their homes. Even so, we didn’t stop. We presented six concerts—each in a different venue—to support our own musicians, neighbors, lift spirits, and stay connected through the music we love. For a look at that journey, here is the L.A. Times front-page story about it:
https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2025-02-22/their-community-in-ashes-the-palisades-symphony-finds-solace-in-music
Free admission. If you’re able, you can support us through our website:
https://palisadessymphony.org/donate-now/
A small recurring or one-time donation—$10, $25, or more—might feel modest, but it makes a huge difference for us. Do it now, and let us keep doing what we love: sharing more great music with you!