Inspired by the migration both of people and of their music, the show forms a kind of bridge between Romania, Moldova, Russia and Hungary and their rich, interwoven treasuries of traditional folk music. Each carefully selected piece retains the identity and authenticity which we must protect and pass on, continuing the musical heritage that is an ode to life – moving, joyful and tinged with humour.

Richard Schmoucler, artistic director (translated from original French)

A VIBRANT AND SENSITIVE MUSICAL JOURNEY

Since its creation in 2003, the Sirba Octet has been dedicated to preserving the musical traditions of the Jewish and Gypsy communities of Eastern Europe. The choice of the title Tantz!—which means Dance! in Yiddish—serves as a pretext for the expressive, virtuosic, and exuberant musical flight that the Sirba Octet offers.

This program is a collection of pieces shaped by the traditional sounds of the Doina, Hora, Sirba, and other dances rooted in klezmer and Gypsy music. Tantz! acts as a bridge between Romania, Moldova, and Hungary, unfolding as a whirling and poetic journey that transcends borders and imagination. It conveys the same emotions and surprises that klezmorim and Gypsy musicians once brought to villages as they animated local festivities and weddings.

Released in 2015 under the label La Dolce Volta, and reissued by Deutsche Grammophon in 2017, the album Tantz! received the Choc Classica award and was unanimously praised by the press, media, and audiences alike. Since its premiere in Paris during a series of concerts at Espace Pierre Cardin, the Tantz! program has continued its flight, captivating audiences in prestigious venues and festivals across France and abroad.

IT IS A PORTRAIT OF LIFE ITSELF!

“It is a portrait of life itself – a lifetime of love that no longer exists to which song is the only possible testimony we can have in the end. It encapsulates a whole era which used to exist and isn’t there any more but which will live on in the souls of those who value it and we must all value it because it comes directly from the heart.

That is what it is.

We must thank these wonderful musicians who have come together to share and sustain this symbol of love, like Ariadne’s thread, thereby reanimating a forgotten time that is ever present.

Thank you!”

Ivry Gitlis, Paris, September 30th 2014 (translated from the original French)

Tantz! was invited by :

– Easter Festival in Aix-en-Provence
– Opéra de Vichy
– Le Quartz / National Stage in Brest
– Crans-Montana Classic Festival
– Cité de la Musique in Soissons
– Sacred Voices Festival of Metz
– Sully Loiret Festival
– Théâtre de la Ville in Paris
– Flâneries Musicales de Reims
– Musiques en Albret Festival
– Menton Festival
– Nuits de la Citadelle in Sisteron
– Labeaume en Musiques Festival
– Les Musicales de Pommiers Festival
– Sylvanès Abbey Festival
– Les Musicales de Normandie Festival
– Beaulieu Classic Festival
– Sonates d’Automne Festival
– La Folle Journée de Nantes
– International Piano Festival of La Roque d’Anthéron
– La Folle Journée in Ekaterinburg (Russia)
– Hyogo Performing Arts Center (Japan)
– Fukushima City Concert Hall (Japan)
– Tokyo Opera City Concert Hall (Japan)
– Shanghai Concert Hall (China)
– Martha Argerich Festival (Germany)
– La Folle Journée in Warsaw (Poland)
– Jüdische Kulturtage Osnabrück (Germany)
– Internationale Beethovenfeste (Germany)
– Varna Summer Festival (Bulgaria)
– La Cité Bleue in Geneva (Switzerland)…