Steppin' Out

Story

Musical open house keeps the mood strictly casual

By Heather Zimmerman

Tuxes and gowns look great on a symphony stage, but a classical music performance doesn't have to be a formal affair. And in some instances, audiences don't even have to be on their very best behavior.

Classical music can be laid-back and hands-on. That's one of the ideas behind a free musical open house that takes place Aug. 26, 4:30-7:30 p.m. at Temple Emanu-El, 1010 University Ave., San Jose.

The event will feature two to four chamber ensembles performing classical music at various locations on the temple campus. So informal is this event that organizers Peter Gelfand and Deborah Zimmer stop short of calling it a concert, likening it more to a classical music jam session. Zimmer jokingly calls it a "non-concert."

Gelfand and Zimmer are making a point to set the event apart from the traditional concept of a concert because the rules in this case are not what most listeners might be used to. During performances, guests can come and go; they can chat quietly or play a game, such as cards or chess, or have some refreshments. "We want to keep it as informal as possible," Gelfand says. "It's the musical community reaching out to the community at large."

Bay Area-based musician Gelfand, who is the principal cellist for Symphony Silicon Valley, invited other local musicians to join the lineup at the open house. Performances will feature a variety of professional and amateur Bay Area musicians, including some of Gelfand's colleagues from the symphony. The music on the program will be a combination of more familiar pieces by well-known composers, as well as some lesser-known works. Guests are encouraged to chat with the musicians before or after the performances.

Gelfand took inspiration for the event's informal, friendly atmosphere from experiences in his youth. For 40 years, his father, who played as part of an amateur string quartet, hosted casual musical get-togethers every Saturday night at his home in New York. He recalls that in addition to music, at these open houses, guests might also have enjoyed lively conversations, or as he remembers, taking part in "some highly competitive chess games."

When he first moved to San Jose, Gelfand aimed to host a similar event in his own home. But that proved to be challenging to schedule, since Gelfand works as a professional musician, most of his weekends were already booked, and the turnout was difficult to accommodate in a private residence. "We were hard-pressed to keep it under 60," he says.

The idea stayed with Gelfand, though, and when he and the staff at Temple Emanu-El began discussing ideas for a musical event for the community, the open house seemed like a good fit. "Peter has been like our cellist in residence," says Zimmer, who is on the administrative staff at Temple Emanu-El. "He plays for the high holidays and other musical events. We've had other kinds of music, cantors' concerts; the music is not always Jewish music. We thought this would be a nice thing to do in the summer."

And with the event being held at Temple Emanu-El, the "open house" concept certainly applies, Zimmer notes. "A synagogue, as a venue, isn't quite like a living room," she says, "but we're opening the doors to our home."

With performances taking place around the campus, guests can also wander throughout and take in some local history, too. Although its current building dates from the late 1940s, Temple Emanu-El is San Jose's oldest Jewish congregation, having been founded in 1861. The temple's current chapel features stained glass windows from the original 1870 Temple Emanu-El synagogue, which burned in 1940.

Open house visitors can check out the temple's Wall of History, a display of vintage photographs and historical information about the temple and some of its early congregants, who included such prominent 19th-century San Jose citizens as Marcus Stern (of Stern's Luggage) and Leopold Hart (of Hart's Department Store).

Temple Emanu-El is hosting the open house as an event for the community and all are welcome. "The broad theme is that music is the international language," Gelfand says. And he notes that, depending on the audience response, the open house may be something of a jumping-off point for further musical events at Temple Emanu-El, possibly as something that might evolve into a more structured concert series, continue as it is or take on another form. Response cards will be distributed during the event to gage guests' reactions. But the main idea of this laid-back afternoon is for everyone to hear some music and have a good time.

"It's open to the community, Jewish and non-Jewish. We want people to come and enjoy some refreshments and a 'non-concert'," Zimmer says with a smile

Admission is free. For more information, call 408.292.0939 or visit www.templesanjose.org.