Concert: Cappella Amsterdam, conducted by David Porcelijn with Alberto Mizrahi, cantor. Listened: 12/10 Korzo Theater The Hague. Tour: 12/15 Groningen; 12/17 Amsterdam; 12/18 Utrecht; 12/21 Rotterdam; 12/22 Den Bosch. Radio 4: 1/11 KRO.

Some musical traditions allow themselves to combine more easily with the contemporary western sound-idiom than others. For example, Asian composers scored a great success since their “own” sound language with a lot of murmur, silence, and nature imitation, seemsed often to connect effortlessly with the developments of western esthetics in the previous century.

In the case of traditional Jewish music it is more difficult as is evident in the program of Cappella Amsterdam and the American cantor/tenor Alberto Mizrahi, who got his nickname “the Jewish Pavarotti” both for his voice as well as his size. Typical modes and rhythms - a nostalgic expression which is characteristic for the Jewish music - don’t let themselves translate into abstracted versions. That is not a must of course, but for this concert which has been emphatically announced as meeting between Jewish traditional music and “contemporary”, “experimental” music, it is very clear that it is about two separated worlds.

Composer Vanessa Lann in Illuminating Aleph (2005) doesn’t even try to have Mizrahi step outside his cantorial habits. In the accurately dosed dramatic construction he gets and utilizes every opportunity to shine. But it is overall a bit too comfortable, slightly on the kitch side.

Kavanah by Benedict Weisser, also a world premier, is much more interesting. This summary of a Shabbat service requires more from Mizrahi: from cantor to opera, from embellished to intimate. The feverish impression which the music has on you is partly originated from the idea of “transcendental ecstasy” which inspired Weisser, but also just because he wants a lot in a limited time frame. That is often at the expense of transparency, and therefore also here – despite some strong moments – a successful synthesis is not the case.

In the arrangements that Weisser made of the – without exception beautiful – traditional compositions, the relevance of the instrumental ensemble is not always clear. Choir and cantor could have rendered Misratze B’rachamim, a warm tear jerker by David Kusevitsky, by themselves as beautiful or even more beautiful.

The most recognizable synthesis is Kurt Weill’s Kiddush (1946). Weill lets choir and cantor sing with fat blue notes in a successful jazzy version of the traditional music. During a set of Sephardic classics it appears that this version is even danceable without jazz. Mizrahi sings everything with captivating ease, accompanied by an excellent choir and ensemble.