Catalan viol virtuoso Jordi Savall and his musical ensemble Hesperion XXI will be performing in Israel for the second time at a concert marking the 700th anniversary of the death of Ramon Llull, one of the most prominent thinkers of Catalan culture. Savall, one of the busiest musicians in the world, performed in Israel for the first time at the 2008 Israel Festival. His coming concert, in Jerusalem on Dec. 14, is being hosted by the Jerusalem Baroque Orchestra. Ramon Llull was a Christian philosopher, poet, composer, scientist, mystic and theologian who expressed acceptance of other cultures and religions. He learned Arabic, showed interest in the Kabbalah, and sought to create a dialogue among the monotheistic religions. The concert will include Moorish music from North Africa and secular and religious music from 13th and 14th century Spain. Savall formed his Hesperion ensemble in 1974 and together they perform and record a rich repertoire that ranges from medieval to modern music. Savall has expressed great enthusiasm for Jewish music from the Middle Ages and has been conducting and performing it for many years. Meanwhile, the annual Isra-Drama theater festival opens in Tel Aviv on Thursday. As part of the festival's events, 60 theater figures from around the world are arriving to view 13 Israeli plays and participate in three symposia on various subjects. The plays will be held at different venues across Tel Aviv, including the Cameri and Tmu-na theaters. The events are open to the general public and are free of charge.
