Dov Seltzer

Dov Seltzer

Dov (Dubi) Seltzer (Hebrew: דב (דובי) זלצר), Israeli composer and conductor, born in Romania (1932), began studying music at an early age. He studied theory and harmony with professors Alfred Mendelssohn and Michael Jora. When Seltzer immigrated to Israel at age 15, a musical comedy he had written continued to be played for two more years, performed by one of Bucharest's professional Youth Theaters. Seltzer finished his high school studies in Kibbutz Mishmar HaEmek in Israel. At the recommendation of the pianist and teacher Frank Peleg, Seltzer was awarded a scholarship to continue his musical studies at the Haifa Conservatory and later in Tel Aviv.

At 18 he joined the Israel Defense Forces and was among the founders and the first official composer of the Nachal Musical Theater Group (Lehakat Hanachal). The songs he wrote for the Nachal group, and the hundreds he wrote later on, are considered cornerstones of the Israeli folk and popular Music and are standard repertory on radio and TV worldwide.

During his military service, Seltzer received a special grant from the army to pursue studies in composition, harmony and counterpoint with composers Herbert Bruen, Mordechai Seter and professor Abel Erlich. Following his military service, Seltzer studied in the United States at the Mannes College of Music, receiving a diploma in composition, and then at State University of New York, where he earned a B.S. in music, majoring in conducting and composition. Among his teachers were Dr. Felix Salzer, Carl Bamberger, Roy Travis, Noah Sokolof and Robert Starer.

Upon his return to Israel, Dov Seltzer embarked on a continually active musical career, writing in particular for the musical theater. He has also written the music scores for more than 40 full-length feature films, among them Israeli, American, Italian, German and French productions.

Seltzer has to his credit several symphonic works commissioned and performed by the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra and the Jerusalem Symphony Orchestra. He has conducted both orchestras in concerts of his own works – the first Israeli composer to be thus recognized and honored. His works were performed by all the major Israeli orchestras as well as by the New York Philharmonic, the Queens Symphony and the British Chamber Orchestra. His works were conducted and played by artists such as Zubin Mehta, Kurt Masur, Yehudi Menuhin and Yitzhak Perlman.

Dov Seltzer has twice received the Kinor David (Israel's "Oscar") as well as having been presented the Judges' Award by the Israel Composers' Association (ACUM) for Life Achievements. He has also earned numerous other awards during the course of his career. In 2009 he was awarded the Israel Prize for lifetime achievements and contribution to the Israeli Music.

Awards and prizes

(Partial list)

• 1967 – The musical Ootz Li Gootz Li, music by Dov Seltzer, received the Prize of the City of Tel Aviv as the Best Musical Play of the Year.
• 1968 – Awarded the Kinor David (Harp of David), the Israeli "Oscar", as the Best Screen and Theater Composer of the Year.
• 1969 – The stage version of the musical Kazablan, music by Dov Seltzer, received the Prize of the City of Tel Aviv as the Best Musical Play of the Year.
• 1970 – Awarded the Kinor David as the Best Screen and Theater Composer of the Year.
• 1971 – The film Yadaim (Hands), music by Dov Seltzer, was awarded the Prize of the Ministry of Industry and Commerce as Best Documentary Film and Best Score for a Documentary Film.
• 1973 – The film I Love You Rosa by Moshé Mizrahi, music by Dov Seltzer, was nominated for an Academy Award in the category of Best Foreign Film. The film also represented Israel at the Cannes Film Festival and the score was cited by the judges.
• 1974 – The main song of the musical Kazablan (film version) was nominated for the Golden Globe Award.
• 1985 – Received Itzik Manger Prize for contribution to Jewish and Yiddish Music and Culture.
• 1985 – Received Jury Award of the Israel Composers and Authors Society (ACUM) for Lifetime Achievement in Music.
• 1989 – Received Sholom Aleichem House Award for Contribution and Creativity in the Realm of Jewish Culture.
• 2000 – Received Prime Minister's Prize for Israeli composers for his work Lament for Yitzhak.
• 2006 – Received Prize of The Minister of Culture, Science and Sport for Lifetime Activity in the field of Israeli Song and Music.
• 2009 – Received Israel Prize for his lifetime contribution to the different genders of Israeli music from Songs, through Musicals, Film scores and Symphonic music.

Musicals

(Partial list)

• The Megilah – Musical based on the poetical libretto Songs of the Megillah (in Yiddish) by the famous poet Itzik Manger, after the original run (450 performances) had 5 additional theater productions, one of them on Broadway and 3 film versions.
• Kazablan – the most successful original musical in the history of Israeli Theater. Also a film version (title song nominated for the Golden Globe).
• I Like Mike – Musical produced at the Alhambra Theater in Tel Aviv (one year run).
• To Live Another Summer – at the Helen Hayes Theater on Broadway.
• Comme la neige en été – at Theatre des Varietes in Paris.
• Ootz Li Gootz Li (Rumpelstilskin) – Musical for children (more than 1,500 performances in 8 different productions for more than 30 years).
• Choumesh Lider (Songs of the Bible) – Musical (in Hebrew and Yiddish) based on a poetic cycle by Itzik Manger (four different productions).

Film Scores

(Partial list)

• Escape to the Sun - A Menahem Golan film, starring Laurence Harvey.
• Entebbe: Operation Thunderbolt – a Golan/Globus Production (Action Military).
• The Assisi Underground – Starring Ben Cross, Maximilian Schell. Italian Production film + TV Miniseries (World War II Drama).
• The Ambassador – A J. Lee Thompson film, starring Robert Mitchum and Rock Hudson (Drama).
• Buba – First Prize Rio Film Festival (1987) (Thriller).
• Moses the Lawgiver – Starring Burt Lancaster. 7 hour TV series and movie version (R.A.I. TV/Italy. ITV/London).
• Kazablan – Musical film based on the original stage success (1967). Distributed worldwide by M.G.M. (Main song nominated for the Golden Globe).
• I Love You Rosa – A Moshé Mizrahi film nominated for Oscar in the category of the best foreign film.
• Ramat Aviv Gimel – Music and title song for the longest running Israeli TV series.

Symphonic Works

• Stempeniu – a dramatic poem based on the novel by Shalom Aleichem. The work is for actor/narrator, solo violin and symphony orchestra. It was commissioned and given its premiere performance by Maestro Zubin Mehta with the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra. (Repeat performances by the Jerusalem Symphony Orchestra and the Ra'anana Symphonette).
• Rhapsodie Hassidique – for violin and enlarged chamber orchestra, was commissioned and performed by Yehudi Menuhin in London with the English Chamber Orchestra, conducted by the composer. (Repeat performances by the Ra'anana Symphonette and the Europa Philharmonie with Michael Guttman playing the solo part).
• This Scroll – an ode to Israeli Declaration of Independence, written for baritone solo, mixed choir and symphony orchestra. The work was composed in honour of the 100th anniversary to the birth of David Ben-Gurion. World premiere by the Haifa Symphony Orchestra conducted by Stanley Sperber, solo baritone – Yehoram Gaon. (Repeat performances by the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra, the Queens Symphony and the Beer-Sheva Sinfonietta).
• The Gold of the Ashes – a symphonic poem with solo mezzo-soprano, children's choir and symphony orchestra, was composed for the 500-year commemoration of the expulsion of Jews from Spain. The work was given a world premiere by the Jerusalem Symphony Orchestra conducted by the composer.
• The Poetry and Prophecy of the Bible – a symphonic suite with narrators reading texts from the Bible, including "The Creation", "The Expulsion from Paradise", "By the Rivers of Babylon", "The Vision of Isa'ya", "Song of Songs" (record featuring Theodore Bikel as narrator, the Vienna Symphony and Dov Seltzer conducting).
• Tradition – 9 old Jewish songs, arranged for violin and symphony orchestra. CD featuring Yitzhak Perlman and the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by the composer. Live performance by the IPO conducted by Zubin Mehta.
• Lament for Yitzhak – a Requiem in memory of Yitzhak Rabin was premiered in April 1998 by the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra, with the New Israeli Opera Choir, the Ankor Children's Choir and four soloists under the baton of Maestro Zubin Mehta, at the Mann Auditorium in Tel Aviv, as the festive opening of Israel's 50th anniversary celebrations. Repeat performance by the New York Philharmonic conducted by Maestro Kurt Masur at Avery Fisher Hall – 1999 Lincoln Center Festival. Repeat performance by the Santa Cecilia Choire and Orchestra conducted by maestro Lorin Maazel, Auditorium Santa Cecilia, Roma, Italy.
• Evening of Life – Cycle of 4 songs to words by Avraham Sutzkever, written for symphonic orchestra and soprano solo. Premiered in October 2007 by the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra under the baton of maestro Zubin Mehta.

Discography

(Partial list)

• Songs after the War – with Geula Gil Trio, 1967
• Ootz Li Gootz Li – Musical, the Cameri Theater of Tel Aviv
• Hamegileh – Musical with the Burstein family
• Kazablan – Musical
• I like Mike – Musical
• Yehoram Gaon 79 – songs of Haim Heffer and Dov Seltzer 1979
• Revisor – Musical
• Tradition – Jewish melodies, with Yitzhak Perlman and the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra
• Humesh Lieder – Musical
• The Best of Dov Seltzer – song selection
• Lament for Yitzhak – with the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra, conductor Zubin Mehta

Song Book

• The Melody Maker, Kineret, Zmora-Bitan, Dvir Publishing House Ltd. 2011