WITH serious music so integral a part of Israel, one still has the image of orchestras whose musicians are west European and newer Russian immigrants. That is obviously anachronistic but to prove how spurious, the Jewish Club brought in two of Israel's younger artists for its month-long festival. Neither Guy Braunstein nor Ohad Ben-Ari seem to be much past their early 20s, but they have achieved fame in Israel, having performed with Isaac Stern and Maxim Shostakovich. The first of their two recitals in Hong Kong was mainly mainstream but they both showed strong technique. True, the auditorium of the Jewish Club precludes a chance for honestly delicate playing. The venue, seating about 200, is comfortable enough, but the acoustics result in undue resonance. With the more muscular, full-bodied passages, nobody could ask for better sounds. When it came to more subtle passages, one felt a certain cavernous quality. This did not prevent a sense of honestly fine musicianship. Ben-Ari is a fine technician, never missing a beat and, while the auditorium is hardly ideal, it is not tricky, so balances were well-kept. The great burden, though, was on Braunstein. At times, in the Beethoven Spring sonata, he had a habit of over-emphasising the violin's dramatic notes, with accents that were perhaps over-live. But those were neither rough nor ugly. At this age, one could hardly say Braunstein showed great or original interpretations, nor were the Beethoven or Franck Sonata executed with absolute brilliance. But his tone was bright, the rhythms alive and compelling. If the music glowed with surface lustre, that was satisfaction enough. Braunstein took young delight in technical workmanship, and showed a personal vibrancy. The slow movement of the Beethoven missed the delicacy of echoes, but this was compensated for by singing lines, good phrasing and an obvious joy in playing. The only Israeli work was by Eyal Bait, a piece enigmatically called Intentions. It was difficult to know what he intended in the short composition. It consisted of three linear themes, followed by a reprise of the first. None of the tunes was difficult, but they all verged on a borderline between 'easy listening' and 'bluesiness'. The work was well-paced, nicely executed and written with a sense of artistic efficiency. Guy Braunstein, violin, Ohad Ben-Ari, piano; Jewish Club Auditorium
