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90-year-old musician Dubi Zeltzer: "What will I do, shout on the street that I composed 'Casablanca'?"
He hopes that the dozens of hits he composed will be identified with him ("maybe one day they will find out"), regrets nothing ("not even that I did not bring children"), and reveals to whom he will inherit some of the rights to his works.
Interview with the giant composer and Israel Prize winner, Dovi Zeltzer, who celebrated his 90th birthday this year
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Dobi Zeltzer
Sagi Ben Nun
Monday, 18 October 2021, 00:00 Updated: 00:14
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Dovi Zeltzer, Einat Shroff and Yoav Ginai at the end of a tribute event held for Zeltzer on the occasion of his 90th birthday at the Habima Theater, October 15, 2021 (Sagi Ben Nun)
"The passing of time does not bother me, because I go with the times, but what worries me now is that I do not actually continue to create new things" - says Walla! Culture The composer, arranger, pianist and winner of the Israel Prize for Hebrew Singing, Dovi Zeltzer. "It happens naturally, and mainly because I do not live in the country now, in the place from which I draw my inspiration. Besides, there was a time when I wrote things, and today there are new ones who write songs. The new generation needs to be given space to express itself." The conversation with Zeltzer took place at the exciting tribute event held in his honor on Friday at the Habima Theater, on the occasion of reaching the age of 90, in the presence of Minister of Culture Hili Trooper and with the participation of many artists.
Dubi, what inspired you in your melodies, for example in the case of the big hit "I am here" that you composed for the words Haim Hefer and originally performed by Yehoram Gaon?
"I have to admit that my tunes, which I hope are beloved, grow from the words. And Haim Hefer's lyrics gave me a lot of inspiration. Yehoram's 'I am a Jerusalemite' did not start as a film with a lot of music. And at the end he came to us and found this idea, that we would put in a series of songs. "Derived from the ideas and this triangle - Haim, Yehoram and I."
Did not know I was writing.
Dovi Zeltzer (Photo: Walla !, Sagi Ben-Nun)
You create very versatile, very successful in many styles - from classic through punk to pop. This variety is more a blessing, because it makes life richer - or a curse - because your songs are often not identified with you?
"Listen, it happened to me in my life that I wrote a lot of things that people do not know I wrote, and they almost became folk songs. I was in various situations that were very successful and popular songs - and did not know it was me."
And it sucks to you, that your classics are not identified with you in the general public? For example, "Casablanca" songs are identified with Yehoram Gaon and even with director Menachem Golan, but much less with you, the composer.
"My melodies somewhere gave the long life to these musicals. What can I do, take to the streets and shout 'I wrote'? The remaining songs prove that if you know or do not know who composed them, they still have value, they exist. Maybe one day They will find out later who wrote these songs, but even if they do not find out well I wrote that my great joy is that they have become part of Israeli culture, have become part of folklore and part of musical life. That's the important thing. I hope in time they recognize these songs with me It belongs only to the popular culture. "
Which song of yours did surprisingly well even though you thought it would not work, and which of your songs did not succeed even though you thought it would work?
"It's a very difficult question. No song I know will be a success or a lager. It's a combination. I write with the thought of pronouncing the lyrics. The melodies should stem from the lyrics and not interfere with the lyrics. "The meeting between the words and the melody. That's the most important thing."
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The encounter between the words and the melody.
Dovi Zeltzer (Photo: Aviv Hofi Courtesy of Habima Theater)
When you look at your career, what are you especially proud of?
"The greatest and most important work I have written is the requiem in memory of our great prime minister who was assassinated, Yitzhak Rabin. The length of the work is close to 20 hours. The pain and hope for peace, of which Rabin was a symbol, has been played in various parts of the world with the most important orchestras, in New York with the New York Philharmonic conducted by Kurt Mazor, in Rome with the Santa Cecilia Orchestra conducted by Lorin Mazel, and in Israel with the Philharmonic conducted by "Zubin Mehta. I wrote this work here in the State of Israel, in the Land of Israel, for the people of Israel. I also wrote things abroad, but I always needed these roots from here, to find here the inspiration, the spirit of life and the ideas."
And is there anything you regret, professionally or personally? Maybe you regret not having children?
"I do not regret it. And I do not regret anything professional."
Are there cover versions or revivals of your works that you particularly liked, for example the cover version of "Good Morning" that you composed for "Otz Li Gutz Li" performed by Omar Adam and Gidi Gov in the commercial?
"To tell the truth, I live in Italy and because of the corona it is very difficult to get to the country. I apologize for not seeing this performance. They did not send me. So I can not tell you what I think about it."
Is there still something from contemporary music that you know and maybe connect to? Suppose Adel or Noa Kirl released new songs on Friday?
"Unfortunately I do not know these names. I do not listen to it. And the music I hear around is not the thing that excites me, nor do I want to fit into it."
You divide your life between Italy and Israel. A distant view sometimes gives perspective to processes that take place elsewhere. Are there things that happen in Israeli society or politics that make you uncomfortable?
"Look, I do not enter politics all my life. There are things I believe in, there are things I think should be different and I may have certain opinions, which are not exactly the opinions that exist, but I do not want to interfere in political things and say things. But our country "It is small, which not long ago started to be an independent country. It is doing great in the world and is slowly gaining a big name and appreciation for what it deserves."
You composed the song "Not Finishing the Month" by Arik Lavi. Which reminds me that unfortunately there are many artists and creators in the country, including those who have been highly esteemed and successful, who do not finish the month. And it can be assumed that in another country a creator like you who signed a lot of huge hits could have bought quite a few houses from the royalties.
"In this country it happens less. I do not want to complain, thank God I have lived a good life, and I admit that our lives have existed and come to this time. But I want to say that after I leave this world I will leave some of my copyright to composers and artists who have a hard time ending the month, using Eco" That will give to the needy people. "
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Dubi Zeltzer (Photo: Kobi Kantor)
In the salute show at Habima, the artists of Rivka Michaeli, Tuvia Tzafir, Shlomit Aharon, Hedva Amrani, Galit Giat, Dafna Dekel, Nitza Shaul, Einat Shroff, Rami Baruch, the Moran band conducted by Naomi Paran and the Habima young actors performed Notable in his absence: Yehoram Gaon. Zeltzer genius composed dozens of songs including most of his huge hits. A genius told Walla! Culture because he could not come because of the live broadcast of his program on IDF waves on Friday and the preparation for it, adding: "I'm sorry more than the organizers of the event but there is nothing to do." He's the greatest singer of my career. I guess he was busy, he couldn't vacate, I'm sure he would have been happy to be with us. "
Maestro Dubi Zeltzer was born in January 1931 in Romania, under the name Bernard (son) Zeltzer. Already at the age of five he began to study piano, at the age of 11 he had already studied composition and at the age of 14 he composed his first musical, "The Land without Adults," which went on the stage of a children's theater in Bucharest. A few months before the establishment of the state he tried to immigrate to Israel with his brother, their ship was captured and he was transferred to a detention camp in Cyprus, where he changed his name to Dov. After the establishment of the state, he immigrated to Israel, studied at Kibbutz Beit Zera and Mishmar HaEmek, and enriched his music studies at various institutions.
Only two years after immigrating to Israel, he was one of the founders of the Nahal band, became the first musical director, and composed her first songs, including "Hora HaHahazot" and "Ya Yerach." They traveled to New York and formed the Oran Sabra band, which performed folklore songs. In New York, he continued to study composition and conducting at New York University. They live between Israel and Paris and Italy, and currently live in Rome.
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Dovi Zeltzer and Einat Shroff at a tribute event held for Zeltzer at the Habima Theater (Photo: Aviv Hofi Courtesy of the Habima Theater)
Over the years, Zeltzer has composed songs for artists, musicals and many films, a wide musical range. Among other things, he has signed songs for "Casablanca" ("There is a Place", "All the Honor", "We Are All Jews"), "Otz Li Gutz Li" ("Good Morning"), "E-Lake Mike" ("For the Life of This People") "What does a human being need in total?"). He also composed for the military bands ("The Other Days", "Hold on to Every Sign"), and created soundtracks for the films "Operation Jonathan", "Eight in One Following", "I Love You Rosa" and "I am a Jerusalemite" by Yehoram Gaon who also performed his songs In "Casablanca" and also the hits "We Will Not Stop Singing", "The Last War" and "Gentlemen History Returns". Zeltzer also composed several symphonies. Zetzer won the Israel Prize for Hebrew Singing in 2006.
Zeltzer,We wish you to date even more than the centenary of Minister Moshe Montefiore, who also composed the song. After winning the Israel Prize, creating great classics and reaching many peaks, do you have another dream that you hope to fulfill?
"My dream is that I will not take any wrong step. That I will not cause the demolition of the things I leave behind. And end life as I have lived life, that is, to reach a pleasant, quiet and dignified end."
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