Wolfgang drops in for a visit

As a gesture of goodwill, Gabriel (the angel) grants Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart a visit of one hour on earth to see what has become of his music. He enters the first concert hall he comes across and meets the orchestra and conductor. Through dialogue and music the story of his life and music unfolds to the delight of the audience.

Script: Roni Porat & Shlomi Moshkovitz
Conductor: Roni Porat
Mozart: Emmanuel Hannoun
Soprano

Writing Opera Is What I love Best

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart is visiting again, this time in order to explain the story of his beloved opera "The Magic Flute". Together with his friend from the previous visit, the Conductor, they stage the opera right in front of the audience, and jointly they journey in search of love and light. As the concert unfolds one becomes familiar with the characters of the opera, the process of working with singers and actors, typical problems and solutions in opera directing, back stage stories, and the relationship between the composer and the libretto writer. Finally they penetrate the kernel of inspiration of musical ideas.

Script: Roni Porat & Shlomi Moshkovitz
Conductor: Roni Porat
Papageno / Mozart: Emmanuel Hannoun
3 Sopranos
1 Tenor
3 boys

The Secret of Rossini’s Kitchen

The story of the renowned composer of operas who at age of 37 and at the highest of an illustrious career, left the world of music to pursue his beloved hobby – cooking. A glimpse into the life of and works of Rossini with Emmanuel Hannoun as Rossini, a Soprano as Juditta de la Pasta (just like spaghetti and the real name of his favorite singer), an actor as a waiter, and Roni Porat, the conductor and the composer’s best friend.

Conducting and acting: Roni Porat
Script: Roni Porat & Shlomi Moshkovitz
Rossini: Emmanuel Hannoun
Judita De La Pasta: Soprano
Design and props: Merav Ben Or

Victor Can't Take It Any More

Victor's barbershop is located next to the concert hall. The talented barber loves silence, but if there is music he prefers it coming out of the radio in his shop. When the orchestra plays, the barbershop is empty of customers. Victor "can't take it any more", reaching the conclusion that all of his customers are in the nearby concert hall. He has to do something about it! Victor charges the stage and to his surprise the Conductor is entirely open to changes in the program. The Conductor invites him to relocate his barbershop to the center of the stage, and Victor is discovered as a barber who can cut and fashion anything - men, women and even... stories. Victor and the Conductor, Roni Porat, connect the world of music with the world of stories.

Script & conducting: Roni Porat
The Barber: Emmanuel Hannoun
Solo violin

The Animals of Music

Victor the Barber comes this time as the emissary of the animals, who are complaining about the violation of their basic rights in the world. The animals are upset about the prevailing attitude that they were created for the sole purpose of being used by humans. They contend that they were created for themselves alone. Their situation is so dire that they announce a strike, which affects every aspect of human life including the concert hall. When the Conductor wants to perform "Peter and the Wolf", the bird doesn't come out of the flute, and the cat gets stuck inside the clarinet. The Conductor, Roni Porat, is so absorbed in his music that he does not pay any attention to Victor's warnings. Victor is attempting to explain to him that the animals are on the brink of extinction, and their disappearance will undermine the entire order of the world. Victor models to the Conductor how the world of music would sound with even one single note missing, like B Flat for instance. Only when the Conductor attempts to play Symphony number 40 by Mozart without B Flat, does he finally comprehend the seriousness of the situation. The Conductor then joins the effort and together they embark on a campaign of reconciliation and friendship between the species based on Prokofiev’s "Peter and the Wolf" with excerpts from Saint Sans "Carnival of the animals", deals with man’s lack of respect for animals and touches on the universal concept of respecting the right of everyone to be different. Joined by actor / singer Emmanuel Hannoun, Roni Porat conveys a complex message with charm and humor.

Script: Roni Porat & Shlomi Moshkovitz
Conductor: Roni Porat
Actor: Emmanuel Hannoun

Betty Hoven

The life and work of Ludwig Van Beethoven through the eyes of Professor Betty Hoven, great fan of the composer who is intimately familiar with the mysteries of his music and life, and who attends every one of his concerts. Ms. Betty Hoven walks on to the stage and involves herself with the management and presentation of the concert, and even in the interpretation of the music chosen by the Conductor, Roni Porat. The Conductor is quite amused by the lady he encounters, and exploits the connection with her to illuminate the story of the composer's life and music.

Script: Roni Porat & Yehuda Almagor
Conductor: Roni Porat
Betty Hoven: Tamara Klein-Hannoun

The Soul and the Bow

The tiny, fragile piece of wood that nestles inside all string instruments is called the "soul" of the instrument. Without it they would sound lifeless. This is a program for string orchestra, written, conducted and presented by Roni Porat, including Works by Britten, Dvorjak, Vivaldi, Bach, Grieg, Piazzola and others. A sensitive work that involves the musicians as stage performers, beyond the accepted limits of known orchestral framework.

Script writing, conducting and narrating: Roni Porat

The Giving Tree

Following the wonderful story by Shel Silverstein of a tree and a little boy whose lives intertwine. Our tree is the orchestra, its roots the musicians and their instruments, and its trunk and foliage are the magical sound of music. As the young boy grows and matures our tree shares its musical fruits with him and imparts knowledge that holds him in good stead on life’s journey as a young musician.

Script: Tal Ben Or, Roni Porat
Conductor and Narrator: Roni Porat
Actors: Emmanuel Hannoun and orchestra members