"Common to all those attending "Brazil: The Monarch Composer" (and there were people of all ages) was the appeal of this music - the joy, the colour, the vivacity and the wholehearted life-affirming message of Brazilian music. Addressing its every detail and gesture, and re-creating the sound world of early 19th century music, Dr. Myrna Herzog, herself Brazilian-born, presented the beauty of this repertoire with balance, good taste and personal involvement, inviting each of the musicians on stage to shine. ."
Read Pamela Hickman's full review here.
"Myrna Herzog and Mahan Esfahani gave refined, dedicated, in-depth expression to the rich, exotic hues of Brener's oriental musical canvas, to both its mystery and intensity, a journey taking the listener through the piece's wide range of textures and timbres, evoking from eerie, otherworldly sensations to busy, "crowd scenes" and wild, unrelenting dances. Brener's writing for the two instruments is sophisticated, informed and impactful".
Read Pamela Hickman's full review here.
Some reactions via facebook:
– Ricardo Tacuchian (Brazilian composer): Spectacular: sensational work and performers.
– Aharon Shefi (Israseli composer) - Bravo. Moving. The power of the "intimate" instruments is expressed strongly, loudly and defiantly.
– Guenter Krause (German composer) - Listening in the morning took me central european to Sheherezades 1001 nights dreamland again . Great piece and recording.
– Shlomo Israeli: Fascinating and intriguing
– Eduardo Camenietzki (former musical producer at TV Cultura, TV Educativa and TV Globo, Rio),: What a wonderful creation!!!!!!! And what a sound!!!
– Marina Katz: Bravissimo!! Very beautiful performance of very special composition with the Middle East accent!
– Tal Arbel: Bravo Myrna Herzog! This is a very meaningful addition to the contemporary repertoire for viol and harpsichord!
– Giomar Garcia Sthel: LOVED IT
– Oren Perlin: How beautiful! Bravo!
– Naama Lion: Beautiful piece, great performance!
"In The Glory of Venice. Dr. Myrna Herzog and the musicians joining her in this concert paid homage to the golden age of Venice, shedding light on its wealth of sacred and popular music, in performance that was enlightened, exciting and masterful."
Read Pamela Hickman's full review here.
"A lush fusion of instrumental and vocal sound combinations, inspiring the artists to highlight the textual, musical and emotional content of each song. Joining the ensemble made up of some of Israel’s most established Baroque instrumentalists, the three young singers Sharon Tadmor, Liron Givoni and Itamar Hildesheim, shining in both solos and ensembles, were clearly moved by the experience, as was the audience... The high-quality of performance, offering each artist the opportunity to shine, was the result of Myrna Herzog's profound groundwork and inquiry into the music and of thorough and painstaking preparation under her guidance."
Read Pamela Hickman's full review here.
Ensemble PHOENIX reveals rumors and scandal around the lives (and deaths) of several Baroque composers... A fine program of beautiful playing, interest and a humorous dimension. A treat awaits those intending to attend the concert in the Old Masters Gallery of the Tel Aviv Museum of Art."
Read Pamela Hickman's full review here.
"An outstanding performance... a rich, meaningful musical experience... The PHOENIX players’ intelligent, virtuosic, profoundly inquiring, sensitive and nuanced performance confirms that the greatness of the Goldbergs goes far beyond the keyboard, opening the floodgates for new interpretative possibilities of this ingenious work, all wrought of the same harpsichord score.... Once again, Myrna Herzog has challenged audiences to free themselves of pre-conceptions, to listen with “new ears”." Pamela Hickman (Read the full review here.)
"Excellent performance... significant artistic achievement... one could appreciate Bach’s contrapuntal ingenuity in all its glory". Ury Eppstein, The Jerusalem Post
"Jerusalem was the common denominator of 22 pieces ranging from the Renaissance to the 20th century, presented by Ensemble PHOENIX directed by Myrna Herzog. There were many veritable gems in this selection, such as Renaissance and Baroque settings of "O Pray for the Peace of Jerusalem" by William Child, John Blow and Charles King. A fascinating selection and excellently performed". Ury Eppstein, The Jerusalem Post, Israel.
"As performers and interpreters of French music, Myrna Herzog and Giomar Sthel display astounding musical rapport. They probe each of the Pièces de Clavecin here in depth, providing fascinating insight into the musical world of Couperin le Grand, its innate lyricism and elegance, its intensity, its wit and charm, its nobility of sentiment, its theatre influences, its fantasy and into that elusive “esprit d'élégie” that so often pervades Couperin’s music. Enlisting the viola da gamba’s plethora of expressive, coloristic and textual possibilities, the artists' playing of these musical jewels offers an extraordinarily rich listening experience. Add to that the collection's true, high-quality recording sound. " Pamela Hickman
Read the full Hickman deep and informative review of the album: French Baroque music in a new light: Myrna Herzog and Giomar Sthel record harpsichord pieces of François Couperin on two viols
“ a well-researched and impressive debut" (Clifford Bartlett, Early Music Review)
“Last week’s debut of the Israel Consort of Viols [Yad Labanim, Ra’anana, April 24th, 1999] – the first of its kind in this country – was a red-letter day for Israel’s musical life. The chosen songs, texts and the instrumental pieces from the plays were a collection of real gems. The Renaissance period instruments’ intimate and delicate sound recreated a aristocratic salon ambience, their clarity and balance were immensely enjoyable, lively and fresh. Soprano Miriam Meltzer excelling as a charming, utterly convincing Macbethian witch, Benny Hendel capturing the various accents and impersonations to perfection... The Consort will have to work hard to live up to the standard it has established in its debut”. Ury Eppstein, The Jerusalem Post
“Myrna, I plead to God the Divine blessing for the protection of this beautiful work you are doing. Wholeheartedly, Dorival Caymmi ”. Blessing of the composer for the project.
"Wind and Sea is a magical new release pairing the sonority of early music and samba rhythms into something sensitive, gentle, and totally unconventional... subtle shades and expressive colors defying classification, like Wind and Sea itself. It is an ethnic-classical music synthesis unique to our time". Harry Rubinstein, The Jerusalem Post, Israel
"While organizing the program of the Metula World Music Festival 2001, I chose to première Myrna Herzog and viol ensemble PHOENIX’s daring project: a homage to Dorival Caymmi and Heitor Villa-Lobos, performed with Baroque instruments, singers and Brazilian percussion. Ensemble PHOENIX’s tasteful playing and loving interpretation of David Feldman’s arrangements indeed proved to be a remarkable event. Not only was it a homage, but also the creation of a magic world of sound, in which this well-known music received a new dimension never before heard". Shlomo Israeli, artistic director of the Metula Word Festival.
“ Highly imaginative ... the four Bachianas Brasileiras sound terrific with viols and they’re very well played”. Early Music Review, UK
"When I first got this CD, I heard it at least 10 times...a day!" Sérgio Moreira Lima, former Brazilian ambassador in Israel
"Le résultat est probant: la viole de gambe de Myrna virevolte à t ravers ces oeuvres populaires qui nous plongent dans l'atmosphère chaleureuse, dansante ou mélancolique du Brésil." L'Écho de la Viole, Bulletin de la Societé Française de Viole.
"The Play of Daniel is a 13th century French liturgical drama amazingly beautiful and agreeable to the ear, from the Biblical Book of Daniel. It was staged by Ensemble PHOENIX under the musical direction of Myrna Herzog and stage direction of Niv Hofman. …excellent performance …impressive staging insights…This is the right way to stage a work of this period, in a way that it speaks to today’s public". Daniel Bloch, Reshet Bet, 12/03/08.
"Vibrant, energetic, invigorating, appealing to the modern audience". Ury Eppstein, Jerusalem Post
"Delightful, a highlight in Jerusalem’s musical life". Pamela Hickman, Go Jerusalem.
"I was especially moved by the way a few deft cuts, the addition of Daniel's prayer and the Hebrew narrator, and the decision to stage the play in a theater rather than a church, made the play so strikingly Jewish. As a Christian, steeped in the medieval exegesis practices of the church, I am used to thinking of the Daniel of the play as a figure of Christ. Your production, with minimal changes, removed the traditional Christian overlay and made Daniel once again a poignant figure of faithful, suffering Israel. I found it very moving. The music, of course, was magnificent." Max R. Harris (scholar, teacher at the University of Virginia and visiting professor at Yale University).
"The Jerusalem audience delighted in dedicated, polished performance on the part of the Meitar Studio members - Efrat HaCohen Bram, Liat Lidor, Veronika Brook, Pnini Leon Grubner, Shaked Stroll, Tom Ben Ishai, Yuli Rorman - their splendid voices and natural musicality reflecting understanding of 18th century voice production and offering much to enjoy from the arias, duets and choruses. Neither did the PHOENIX Ensemble players (concertmaster: Yaakov Rubinstein), conducted on stage by Herzog, disappoint the audience, as they presented us with suave, informed and carefully balanced ensemble playing of genuine beauty and lushness. So, the hero of the evening was indeed Storace’s music - graceful and melodious - inviting the listener to indulge in its refinement and allure.." Pamela Hickman
Read the full review here.
"They gave explicit expression to the sense of well-being prevailing in Romberg’s music, maintaining diligent balance between strings and clarinet, giving attention to motifs and the individual colour of each key visited. How warm, amiable and well-shaped Rinot’s playing of the Menuetto melody was, with the minor-key Trio given a suave reading by Dagan...
Then, to Joseph Haydn’s String Quartet in D minor, Hob.III:43 Op.42, 13 minutes of pure beauty... all four artists “breathed” the music as one in a radiant ensemble blend, giving meaning to its gestures and small silences.
Mozart’s wealth of sublime themes and their development emerged via the unique magical sound world created by Mozart’s mix of the five instrumental timbres. Add to that the first movement’s string solos graced by a variety of appealing clarinet comments and ornamenting, sensitive melodiousness passed from Dagan to Rinot in the tranquil Larghetto fashioned with punctilious coordination, the appealing Menuetto with its two Trios - the first for violin, with Dagan’s gentle flexing pulling at the heart strings, the second, a Ländler-type dance for clarinet - and the Allegretto with its set of variations - good-humoured, reticent, serious and moving - with the fourth showcasing the virtuosic ability of the clarinet.
PHOENIX members play on period instruments, on gut strings and with early bows, stimulating a warmth of sound and natural timbral beauty that go hand-in-glove with Classical works of the kind performed at the Tel Aviv concert. Clearly delighted by the evening’s program, the festival audience sensed it was in the hands of five outstanding musicians, their renditions of the three works the result of deep, detailed and informed enquiry enmeshed with emotional involvement."
Read the full review here.
"The PHOENIX artists’ playing of Op.20 Quartets 2, 5 and 4 was indeed a celebration of Haydn’s “new-found freedom”, as they gave conviction to the intensely individual roles woven throughout. In the Adagio movement of No.2 in C-major, Herzog’s hauntingly beautiful ‘cello solo, Epstein’s almost unaccompanied flute solos and some robust ensemble “comments” create a kind of Baroque-style drama. Or are we indeed experiencing a concerto when presented with a flute cadenza? Probably the most remarkable aspect of the Op.20 quartets is their engagement in counterpoint, immediately discernible in No.2’s opening movement. This quartet and No. 5, which followed, both have final movements cast as elaborate fugues; these were played at the Ein Kerem concert with committed personal expression...
The string-players, performing on 18th century instruments with gut strings with historic bows and Epstein playing an original Classical flute built in 1780, produced a natural sense of balance, a soundscape in which Haydn’s wealth of ideas pervaded the quartet texture at every opportunity...
Joining Moshe Aron Epstein's outstanding playing, Ya'akov Rubinstein, no longer a new face on the early music scene, gave a performance of fine musicality. Violist Rachel Ringelstein's splendid interpretation of each melodic line never fails to impress As to the ‘cello’s newborn role in the chamber music genre, Myrna Herzog enticed a warm-toned stream of finely shaped sound from the ‘cello, expressive but always within the line and contour of good taste. With Haydn’s music characterized by directness and accessibility to the listener, it nevertheless presents a myriad of challenges to the performer. The PHOENIX players offered the audience the pleasure of listening to playing that is committed to musicianship of the highest order.
Read the full review here.
"Hearing these Mozart gems performed on period instruments and in a small hall was a true delight. Live performance is also about seeing and experiencing the players’ communication with each other and with the audience. Ensemble PHOENIX’ informed, polished and profound performance was well appreciated by the audience." Pamela Hickman
Read the full review here.
"The present gift we received from Herzog - she promises that there will be more - is the oratorio "La Caduta dell Angeli" by the 17th century Italian composer Francesco Rossi...
First impression: "Wow!"... an exciting encounter with the oratorio... the work is particularly nice and captivating at once, to say the least.... The most important: we hope that concert organizers in our area first of all will invite Myrna Herzog and the team to perform again the "Fall of the Angels" and soon. This is a must, it is worthwhile." Hagai Hitron, HaAretz
Read the full review here or in the next tab.
"Making for a unique concert of Italian music, the recent PHOENIX program offered performance of outstanding quality and interest....the evening’s instrumental playing was stirring and inspiring... a work that could only be deemed as “theatrical”! ... one cannot help being amazed by its universality, its lively, natural dialogue and emotions, all accessible long after being penned... it concluded with resplendent choral singing... . As to the young student vocalists, their diligent work under Myrna Herzog’s guidance (this early music style being a totally new musical experience for them) resulted in singing that was unencumbered by heavy vibrato without sounding forced, showing the primacy of the words; within a short period of time they had, in fact, achieved a vocal timbre authentic in style and tuning for 17th century Italian music.
Founded and directed by Myrna Herzog, the ensemble’s performances have changed the Israeli music scene, encouraging Israeli musicians to embrace music of all periods and in the appropriate authentic manner. Above all, PHOENIX is known for its performances of an uncompromising, high level." Pamela Hickman
Read the full review here.
"Enlisting her vital and substantial vocal resources, Shifrin’s singing of the bitter-sweet melodies and texts, was real and touching. While adding flute- and ‘cello roles to the songs throughout the concert, a joint effort of the part of the PHOENIX musicians, the artists’ playing remained faithful to the original texts, was lush and offered the addition of some beguiling solos. In their typically scrupulous and profound enquiry into the works on all levels, the PHOENIX artists gave an inspired performance of some of the Classical period’s most splendid and immortal music." Pamela Hickman
Read the full review here.
"This was certainly a unique setting for what was to be a different kind of program, a program challenging two bass instruments to join - and strike a balance with harpsichord and the soprano voice. The quartet opened with a festive rendition of the Italian traditional melody of “Maoz Tzur” (Rock of Salvation). Sofia Pedro contended especially well with the Hebrew text!
Sofia Pedro’s rendition of Montéclair 's “Le triomphe de la constance” was dramatic, spontaneous and finely crafted with the extensive substantive solo passages for the bass viol played evocatively by Herzog... Ricardo Rapoport’s playing in Boismortier’s Sonata for bassoon was sympathetic, playful and good-humored; his splendid legato quality emerging warm and appealing as he created contrasts between the movements... Alongside Herzog’s vital and elegantly ornamented playing of Marcello’s viol Sonata, the harpsichord (Marina Minkin) added moments of textural and melodic beauty... In playing that was subtle, gently flexed, precise and decidedly gripping, Minkin highlighted the sophistication of J.S.Bach's solo keyboard arrangement of Marcello’s Oboe Concerto BWV 974, exposing its marvelous array of textures in the outer movements. Her eloquent playing of the Adagio (2nd movement) invited the fantasy to unfold via its harmonic course.
Pedro’s performance of the strophic, cynical “Você trata amor em brinco” (You are making fun of love) was coquettish and saucy. For her warm and appealing singing of Portugal's "Cuidados, tristes cuidados" (Worries, Sad Worries), a tender and unabashedly sentimental song, Ricardo Rapoport joined the ensemble with the beguiling and energetic sound of the cavaquinho (a small guitar played with a plectrum). Brazilian composer Ronaldo Miranda (b.1948)'s “Cantares”, a poignant and fragile love song, colored with just a touch of nostalgia, made for a delightful and tranquil end to the program. Offering new and inspirational musical experiences, Dr. Myrna Herzog continues to bring captivating repertoire to concert halls and with performance of the highest standard." Pamela Hickman's Concert Critique Blog
Read the full critique here.
"Passion & Madness” is a musical theatre piece by Myrna Herzog, combining texts and 17th century English music. You might call a 17th century English case study of insanity, designed by Herzog along the lines of the English masque.
Harari’s performance was dramatic, volatile and moody.... In precisely crafted performance and flawless communication between the instrumentalists, the PHOENIX players brought out the beauty of the instrumental pieces which threaded through the program providing dramatic relief, connecting with the songs on different levels and providing interludes of elegant- and superbly crafted chamber music... Another treat was Marina Minkin’s hearty playing of John Blow’s “Mortlake Ground”.
In one of the current season’s most exciting and unique concerts, Dr. Myrna Herzog and her team of select artists have once again presented the public with a new and inspiring program, one stamped with PHOENIX Ensemble’s signature high quality performance. Not to be missed." Pamela Hickman
Read the full review here.
"This first American opera has been revived in a first Israel performance by the Ensemble PHOENIX of early instruments and the Voce Phoenix singers, conducted by Myrna Herzog. It was a delightful acquaintance with a little-known musical New World. All the singers and instrumentalists obviously enjoyed their roles immensely, infecting the audience with their vibrant identification with what they were doing. The performance was semi-staged suggestively and tastefully by Regina Alexandrovskaya." Ury Eppstein, the Jerusalem Post
"La Purpura de la Rosa", for the first time in Israel: it certainly looks good, and above all sounds good. The three main singers, Hadas Faran-Asia, Revital Raviv and Alon Harari, display a vocal work worthy of praise, heading a team of eight singers. Musicians, members of the PHOENIX Ensemble, were led by Myrna Herzog who conducted the whole production, and stage director Regina Alexandrovskaya, that managed to make opera even within the big church in Kiryat Yearim. " Yossi Schifman to Nitav Robinson, Morning Show , Reshet Bet
"The Opera is interesting, and it is not often that one has the opportunity to see unusual things. Baroque lovers very much enjoyed . I enjoyed the most". Eli Leon, Elybikoret
"Ensemble PHOENIX’s premiere of Venus and Adonis – La Purpura de la Rosa issued in the new concert season with a fresh and exciting event. Another groundbreaking event initiated and directed by Dr. Myrna Herzog. As usual, Myrna Herzog’s choice of singers included some artists at the height of their careers and some new faces. Revital Raviv presented the scheming, feminine, languorous and appealing Venus with alacrity, her pearly soprano voice as fresh as ever. Hadas Faran-Asia portrayed Adonis with presence and competence, her large, fruity vocal timbre expressing the impending tragedy of the situation, her dramatic coloration of the text reaching out into all corners of the church. A Spanish speaker, soprano Michal Okon is on home territory in this medium. As Bellona, Mars’ sister, the Roman goddess of war, she addresses both audience and stage to inspire warlike frenzy, her sturdy, stable voice serving the role well. Countertenor Alon Harari was a charismatic Mars, Venus’ hurt, (has-been) lover, giving full passion to the role of a man caught in the dramatic gridlock of the situation. His articulacy and his compellingly well-endowed and very beautiful vocal timbre drew the audience deeper into the musical/theatrical experience. Then there is the multifaceted artist Eliav Lavi. As a member of the instrumental ensemble, he played both theorbo and Baroque guitar; a tenor, he also sang three roles, sang in ensembles, often playing and singing at the same time. His versatility – including his sonorous voice venturing down into bass range! - added much to the dynamic character of the work. A feather in his cap! Talia Dishon made for an excellent Cupid, her dynamic, whimsical, imp-like facial expressions and fleet-of-foot movements genially used to advise and manipulate as she flitted around the stage; her easeful and creamy soprano timbre provided listeners with much felicity. Ella Rosner and Liat Lidor gave charming, informed presence to their roles as peasant girls (and other roles).
Regina Alexandrovskaya’s stage direction excelled in its small, effective touches. Seated on stage, Herzog’s instrumental ensemble created the magical colors of the score, one spiced with many jaunty dance rhythms and the rich timbral colors inherent in Peruvian music. The ensemble supported the singers articulately and entertained with vigor and eloquence. It was a theatrically staged performance that shone, moved with energy, surprised and delighted. " Pamela Hickman's Concert Critique Blog
"In a program titled “Tradition and Innovation”, Ensemble PHOENIX opened its 2015-2016 season with the Israeli premiere of Jean-Philippe Rameau’s complete chamber music. Performing them were Geneviève Blanchard – Baroque flute/piccolo, Noam Schuss-violin, Marina Minkin-harpsichord and PHOENIX founder and musical director Myrna Herzog-viola da gamba.
The strength of the PHOENIX performance was the artists’ in depth enquiry and insight into each and every movement of the concerts, an exceptionally rich and motley collection of pieces - French music spiced with some Italian flavors. The concept of each piece has undergone fine chiseling to result in splendid execution of Rameau’s huge range of ideas, from the elegant rondeau of La Livri to the folksy drone of pipes and heavy-footed enjoyment of La pantomime.
The heart of the “Pièces de clavecin en concerts” is the harpsichord, its fully written-out obbligato part demanding and virtuosic. Marina Minkin’s reading of it was secure, interesting and brilliant in execution. The Baroque expertise of all four artists took the pieces beyond that of technical know-how, recreating the evocative selection of musical vignettes in all their intricate detail. Altogether, the ensemble’s careful and strategic consensus on such elements as tempo, ornamentation, doubling and inégal playing made for a result that was stylish, personal, convincing and enormously enjoyable." Pamela Hickman
Read the full review here.
"Making History at Abu Gosh: Ensemble PHOENIX brought Il Diluvio Universale.
A piece of history in the history of baroque concerts in Israel: "Il Diluvio Universale", the wonderful Sicilian baroque oratorio by Michelangelo Falvetti, on the story of Noah and the Flood, composed at Messina in the end of the 17th century (perhaps due to an earthquake and tsunami), appeared for the first time in a public concert in Israel.
The precedent was signed by five of the finest Israeli singers and the musicians of Ensemble PHOENIX conducted by Myrna Herzog (who also occasionally played the cello), who presented an interesting Israeli premiere of the Sicilian baroque oratorio". Hagai Hitron, HaAretz.
"A major event of the 2015 October Abu Gosh Vocal Music Festival was the Israeli premiere of Michelangelo Falvetti’s “Il Diluvio Universale” (The Great Flood), to a libretto of Vincenzo Giattini, a work of exceptionally fine quality, its originality and inventiveness fired with fine melodic, harmonic and polyphonic writing. Performing the work were singers and instrumentalists of Ensemble PHOENIX conducted by the ensemble’s founder and musical director Myrna Herzog, who has once again thrilled festival audiences, introducing them to a rare Baroque treasure that recounts a well-known Bible story with freshness and magic." Pamela Hickman
"I really like it, it's a performance musicologically cared for and yet full of passion and emotion with (rare thing) an excellent Italian pronunciation!” Fabrizio Longo, editor of Il Diluvio Universale
"Caresana, Falconieri and Orazio Michi have been resurrected to vibrant life by the Phoenix Ensemble, conducted by Myrna Herzog, with singers Sharon Rostorf, Michal Okon, Yael Izkovich, Jacob Halperin and Guy Pelc… Andrea Falconieri’s Battalia emerged as a veritable battle of the strings against the contrasting recorders. The same composer’s La suave melodia, with its unabashed lyricism, performed with almost seductive sensitivity, seemed to forecast the Romantics of some 200 years later.
Above all, the singers and instrumentalists obviously seemed to have a good time with this fascinating music. So did the audience." Ury Eppstein, The Jerusalem Post
"Hearing these works performed was a fine opportunity to appreciate the style of Naples’ specific form of religiosity – a spontaneous, gregarious and “secular” affair, one of angels and devils, celebrated with works that were vigorous and ostentatious, an aesthetic of color, directness and contrasts.
The ensemble was absolutely superb. This was music-making to be seen as well as heard. All singers displayed involvement and understanding of the decidedly theatrical aspect of the works. Myrna Herzog’s staging, though understated, was never static and pointed to the focus and meaning of each development. Her instrumentation brought out the inner emotional and descriptive content of each piece. Instrumental textures produced constant new colors.
Guy Pelc gave an intense portrayal of the unbending, power-struck Toro, his sturdy, rich voice ringing out dramatically, changing with each gesture, as he vied with the wise, courageous figure of Humility, performed by expressive and well cast Sharon Rostorf-Zamir. Michal Okon’s tender, unmannered solo performance of the lullaby Ninna nanna was communicative, exquisitely tranquil and warm, her voice well projected into the dimensions of the church." Pamela Hickman's Concert Critique Blog
"For the Mexicans, unlike the Europeans, the mass was not a solemn affair but a sacred merrymaking. Catchy tunes in unfamiliar tonalities, captivating syncopated dance rhythms, dominating percussion and other period instruments came paradoxically close to the Jewish idea of worshipping with joy. There was a lot of musical fun and good humor… and a polished, professional rendition". Ury Eppstein, The Jerusalem Post.
"I was blown away by their performance…. showing a part of the Mexican heritage that I am tremendously proud of, but not only that, presenting a piece that I, a lover of Early Music, had never heard ! A world premiere of a Mexican piece written in the 17h century, almost four hundred years ago, and here, in Israel , I think that this is truly remarkable. I hope we will be able to bring the ensemble and the piece and all it represents to Mexico. I want to make a public commitment for the [Mexican] Embassy support. You are doing something which puts Israel in a very special place in the world of early music". The Mexican ambassador, Mr. Carlos Rico, at the world premiere of the Zapotec Mass, the Israel Festival, Jerusalem, June 11th, 2006.
"Quite outstanding! I love your combinations of instruments. Your festive approach is exactly what this kind of music needs. The mass is stunning, Well done!" Dr. Mark Brill, editor of the Zapotec Mass
”I do feel that no year goes by without PHOENIX offering audiences some very unique programs and new listening experiences." Pamela Hickman, July 2014
"The instrumental mix [was] rich and variously colored in timbres, the singers – both solo and in ensemble – blending smoothly with the instruments. There was fine teamwork. Herzog’s reading of the work encouraged suave dynamic changes, embellishments, coquettishly swayed rhythms, gentle dissonances and florid endings, offering her singers and players opportunities for personal expression. There is much to be said for one-to-a-part playing and singing: when performed well, no gesture is lost in this ideal, transparent setting. Such was the case in PHOENIX’s delightful concert".
Pamela Hickman's Concert Critique Blog
"They did an admirable job…
All four players wove melodic lines into the piece's rich tapestry with a sense of balance that is the fine-tuning of high quality chamber musicians." Pamela Hickman
The program amazed with its enormous diversity. Besides a little known Iberian repertoire, it included also pieces from the Sephardi tradition and, most surprisingly, songs of the Portuguese Crypto-Jews (i.e. Maranos) recorded at their community in Belmonte, Portugal, and transcribed by Herzog... Far from being monotonous, this music is versatile both in style and emotional expression. Much of it is highly romantic, intensely emotional, sometimes sorrowful, sometimes lyric, and sometimes even humorous.The ensemble's teamwork was perfect, and their command of the various tricky instruments was thoroughly professional.
Ury Eppstein, The Jerusalem Post, Israel
Once again, Myrna Herzog, the group’s musical director, has presented us in Jerusalem with a musical journey into the past and into our own senses… Music with an oriental flavor so perfumed and inebriating as one takes in the minarets and arched windows seen through the glass front of the hall. Time stands still... This was an evening of magical, delicate sounds, of humor and joy. Among the artists were musicians of three religions, hence “Convivencia” (living together.) The Mormon University auditorium, packed to capacity....
Pamela Hickman, Go Jerusalem, Israel
“A historical landmark in the performance of the "Art of Fugue" in Israel… we must thank the members of "Ensemble PHOENIX " for the experience (chavaiah).” Hagai Hitron, HaAretz
"I enjoyed it profoundly... Listening with the score in hand, it was wonderful to see how the
ensemble brings this complex musical text to life." Omer Shomrony, Globes
“Great concert/spiritual enchantment and important experience. Beautiful and enlightening.” Yossi Mar Chaim, HaBamah
“It was, indeed, a highly intelligent and professional performance, held together by accuracy, fine musicianship, the beauty and richness of Baroque instrumental timbres and a deep sense of reverence for composer and music. A live performance of this quality brings players and audience together in an experience that reaches far beyond analysis.” Pamela Hickman, Israel early music scene
On the YMCA Bach Festival performance: "The PHOENIX players’ approach to the Art of Fugue was intelligent, articulate and devoted as they delved deeper and deeper into the mysteries of Bach’s counterpoint, its possibilities and expressive potential. " Read the full review by Pamela Hickman here.
"The Ra’anana house concert offered maximal conditions for hearing the finest details of Corelli’s Opus 3 No.2 and Opus 4 No.8 trio sonatas in all the text’s articulate detail, highlighting the imitative interaction between Herzog and Arbel and much elegant shaping of phrases... Marina Minkin performed with verve and inventive ornamenting. Making this event unique was seeing and hearing two beautifully crafted French pardessus viols built by Louis Guersan and Benoist Fleury and a quinton made by Nicolas Chappuy, heard in performance, in my opinion, for the first time in Israel.
Myrna Herzog’s musical ventures bring together ideas and fine playing. Her concerts never fail to take the listener into other worlds of sound, of fantasy and of interest, revealing so much about the essence of early music, its background and the people who created it." Pamela Hickman
Read the full review here.
"I listened to the music only, and how was I enchanted! The two most notable features, in my opinion, in Falvetti: he had a wonderful ability to create melodies as if they grow on trees and one should only pick, and had a sense of proportion. The singing was delightful, led by Einat Aronstein and Guy Pelc. We owe thanks for the introduction to Falvetti to PHOENIX‘s musical director Myrna Herzog, who was the conductor. The pleasure bestowed by this piece of Falvetti, justifies a quote from Myrna Herzog in the program. "To paraphrase Goethe," she writes, "according to whom “to see Italy without seeing Sicily is not to have seen Italy at all”, one could say that without knowing Sicilian music, one cannot have an understanding of Italian music. Sicilian culture, which embraced the many civilizations which ruled successively over the isle, can certainly be felt in the music." Hagai Hitron, HaAretz
"This was an auspicious, ground-breaking event in the history of performance of Italian Baroque music. Michelangelo Falvetti’s “Il Dialogo del Nabucco” is an extraordinary work, its musical canvas as rich instrumentally as it is vocally, one of both high drama and personal expression. Myrna Herzog’s deep enquiry into the work and her exhilarating direction of it were meticulous and uplifting, resulting in Baroque performance of the highest order. Deeply moved, the audience showed its enthusiasm in lengthy applause, shouts and whistles". Pamela Hickman's Concert Critique Blog
"The reaction of the audience leaving the concert was: 'Wow!! One of the best and most interesting concerts in the history of the festival'!" Gershon Cohen, director of the Abu Gosh Festival
“Dear Myrna,
We just loved your performance of Falvetti's Nabucco, today at Haifa. So beautifully rendered, so joyous and full of hope - for not only was the music delightful but the message is just as relevant today as ever. The rich orchestral backing and the beautiful voices were enchanting. I felt great pride that most of the artists and soloists were young Israeli talent. We try to get to as many of your concerts that reach Haifa as possible. Dear Myrna - I can only wish you the continued enthusiasm, passion and well being from every point of view to keep inspiring us with your varied and exciting musical programs. Thank you!” Coral Navon 
— feeling inspired. (facebook posting on the ensemble's page)
”The performance was rendered with facility and elegance that left no trace of the works’ technical demands. Melodic phrases were virtually sung on the instruments and shaped with loving care. The artists’ mutual attentiveness highlighted the frequent responsorial episodes, and contrapuntal textures were clear, without gliding into academic dryness, but radiating the joy of music.” Ury Eppstein, The Jerusalem Post.
“Myrna Herzog and David Shemer are both key figures and pioneers in Israel’s musical life, in particular on the early music scene. In this prestigious Bach recital, they struck a fine balance between personal- and joint expressiveness. The concert was, indeed, one of the highlights of the 2012-2013 concert season".
Pamela Hickman's Concert Critique Blog
"This unique event of the 51st Abu Gosh Vocal Music Festival (June 3rd 2017), researched and conducted by Brazilian-born PHOENIX founder and director Myrna Herzog, offered festival-goers a totally new listening experience, with the ensemble transformed into a full orchestra performing on period instruments from the Classical period.
Sofia Pedro’s luxuriant, easeful and substantial voice reached all corners of the Kiryat Yearim Church, as she eyed her audience, teasing it with the word-painting of [Marcos Portugal’s] love-struck aria. Gili Rinot's playing of the clarinet obbligato role was suave and richly shaped.
Herzog's performance of Garcia's Requiem presented the rich possibilities of the work. Her large orchestra highlighted the score's vibrant colors. The result was an orchestral canvas of great richness and subtlety, offering as much interest to the players as to the audience. The Upper Galilee Choir gave a most impressive, finely detailed, well blended and meaningful performance, its choral sound fresh and flexible. The vocal quartet’s teamwork (Pedro, Evers, Segev, Polishook) produced a sympathetic and sensitive blend. Tenor Oshri Segev's full and mellow timbre and musicality were well suited to the work. Especially imposing was Yair Polishook's performance – his vivid mix of bass timbres, careful pacing and compelling dramatic sense drawing the listener with him into the work’s emotional fabric.
Myrna Herzog's production of Garcia's Requiem was electrifying. Once again, she has introduced Israeli audiences to repertoire not previously heard in this country and in the most uncompromising and authentic manner. In this ground-breaking event of great interest and beauty, the audience was swept into the excitement experienced by the artists involved in the performance."
Pamela Hickman's Concert Critique blog.
Read the whole review here.
“A literary-musical tapestry, a beautiful voyage into the dawn of the Age of Discoveries, its colors and cares, explored within a refined musical treatment… All this is enveloped in an exquisite sonorous mantle dominated by the sound of violas da gamba, trademark of the PHOENIX ensemble." Luiz Paulo Horta, O Globo, Brazil
"Carefully-chosen texts interwoven among the musical selections… Good musicians, and a refreshing concept clearly prepared with conscientious research." Judith Cohen, A short bibliography of Sephardic Music
"The highly attractive, almost entirely unknown program, and its fascinating performance revived the exciting experience and moods of a major historical event." Ury Eppstein, The Jerusalem Post, Israel
"Dear Phoenix ensemble, I have been listening to your music for quite a while now - I always enjoy your concerts and I also have several of your CDs (my favorite now is "Por Mares Nunca Dantes Navegados" [launching title of the CD in its Portuguese version]. It is wonderful! I can't stop listening to it). I felt like I had to write a note of thanks for the beauty which you bring to us, your audience, your listeners. I am continuously touched, invigorated, intrigued, moved -- by the pieces you play, the quality of your performance, the energy that emanates from your music, the sense of joint artistry which characterizes every performance, both live and recorded. Thank you all, and especially thanks to Myrna Herzog". Bracha Nir, PhD, University of Haifa.