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Jerusalem’s Mazkeka basement venue will host a truly unique musical experience this Saturday at 9:30 p.m., when renowned multi-instrumentalist, composer, and educator Stephen Horenstein takes the stage with his new work, Quick Shift Messenger.
Horenstein, a septuagenarian Jerusalemite, is known for his adventurous approach to music and will be performing in a trio setting with longtime collaborator drummer-percussionist Haggai Fershtman and bassist Asaf Shchori, who is making his debut with the trio.
Horenstein, a respected figure in the world of contemporary music, is no stranger to pushing the boundaries of sound. However, with Quick Shift Messenger, he aims to provide something more introspective and calming for the audience.
“I always wanted to do a piece with large gaping silences and a lot of surprises,” he says, emphasizing his desire to create a musical breather amidst the complexities of contemporary music.
Horenstein believes that in today’s music scene, especially in classical, modern, and jazz genres, there is often a tendency to fill every available space with sound. Instead, he aims to strip things down, offering a work of “essences” in a small ensemble format.
In the performance, Horenstein plans to explore the delicate interplay between time, space, and silence.
The composer, who holds a doctoral degree in music and its effect on time perception, has incorporated techniques into the work that focus on how sonic textures and density can alter the audience’s experience of time.
For example, certain sections of the music will be layered in such a way that the perception of time will seem to stretch out, with five minutes of music feeling closer to eight or nine.
This manipulation of sonic texture could induce a calming effect, subtly guiding the audience into a state of tranquility without them consciously realizing the passage of time.
Beyond the technical aspects, Quick Shift Messenger is deeply personal for Horenstein. The work was conceived in response to the tumultuous events of the past year, and Horenstein describes it as an attempt to help his audience process and release the tension that has built up in their bodies and minds.
“I’m trying to draw these kinds of feelings out of people,” he explains. “I think people with these experiences will come away with a calmer feeling.”
For Horenstein, the opportunity to perform again after a hiatus spent exploring his other creative love, poetry, is a return to his true passion. “I really need to play. I realized that the thing I missed most, in life, was just to stand in front of an audience,” he shares.
His longstanding connection with Mazkeka, where he has been involved in testing the venue’s acoustics years ago, makes it a fitting location for this introspective musical offering.
As the audience at Mazkeka takes in Quick Shift Messenger, they can expect a performance that invites them to not just listen to music, but to actively engage with it, experiencing the transformative power of sound, silence, and time.
Horenstein’s thoughtful exploration of these elements promises to leave attendees with more than just a memorable concert—perhaps a bit of inner peace, too.