Georgian Yiddish: Tamara Gverdtsiteli spoke at Carnegie Hall

Photo facebook.com/Tamara-Gverdciteli

On Wednesday, June 1, a concert by People's Artist of Russia Tamara Gverdtsiteli took place at Carnegie Hall. The legendary New York hall was full. New program “Mamele. “Mom’s Eyes” was greeted enthusiastically: with flowers, applause and a request from the public to sing for an encore.

Tamara Gverdtsiteli appeared on the stage accompanied by a large symphony orchestra and the Moscow Male Jewish Chapel conducted by conductor Alexander Tsalyuk. In a luxurious white dress, embroidered with patterns, Gverdtsiteli was stately, like the real Georgian Queen Tamara.

“This music... it contains dreams... memories. Dedicated to our forever young and forever beautiful mothers,” she addressed the audience and performed “Mamele.”

Photo facebook.com/Tamara-Gverdciteli

The first part of the program consisted of songs in Yiddish. Masterpieces of Ashkenazi Jewish music were played. This is a difficult repertoire, and Tamara deeply experienced and lived every song, including the perky “Chiribim”, “Halevai”, “Tum Balalaika”.

It is interesting to note that in Russia Tamara Gverdtsiteli is perceived exclusively as the daughter of the Georgian people, and few people know about the fact that Tamara’s mother is a purebred Jew, the daughter of an Odessa rabbi.

There were some incidents: in the middle of the concert, a certain lady began shouting something from the audience. Tamara stood proudly on the stage and waited for the inarticulate tirade to end. No one really heard what was going on in this speech, and Tamara only quietly exclaimed: “Are we in Odessa?” - and the hall burst into laughter and applause.

The second part of the concert was held in another, more familiar to the public, genre. Gverdtsiteli seemed to feel much more comfortable in a more jazz and more international role. Edith Piaf’s compositions sounded because it was not without reason that Tamara Gverdtsiteli called NYTimes “Russian Piaf”. In addition to the French melodies, works by American composer George Gershwin and Italian Walter Malgoni were performed.

Gverdtsiteli sang in Russian, Spanish, Italian, and English. And performing “Suliko” and “Tbiliso” in Georgian, Tamara accompanied herself on the piano. And, of course, for an encore - the universally adored songs “Mother’s Eyes” and “Prayer” by Bulat Okudzhava.

The concert ended with a song dedicated to the eternal Jerusalem - “Yerushalayam Shel Zahav”:
Jerusalem of gold
from copper and light,
Am I not the violin for all your songs ...
Truly, the beautiful Queen Tamara! You are the violin, the voice, and the soul...

Tamara Gverdtsiteli touring the US continues:

5 June - Boston.

See also:

8 summer performances of our stars in the US, which should not be missed

Zemfira will give a concert in New York in autumn