Composing Israel: The First Three Generations
Neuma, 2023
8/10
Listen to Composing Israel: The First Three Generations
A project that assembles music made in Israel since 1943, the diverse pieces present are mostly recorded live and include both American and Israeli musicians.
Paul Ben-Haim’s “Toccata” opens the listen with Liora Ziv-Li’s fascinating piano acrobatics that quiver with intrigue and rumble with a low intensity, and “Bashrav”, by Betty Olivero, recruits members of the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra for the tense strings and well timed winds that emit a very firm execution.
Further into the listen, Abel Ehrlich’s “Death of Dan Pagis” spotlights William Goldenberg’s very expressive piano playing, while Tsippi Fleischer’s “The Gown of Night” layers the voices of Bedouin schoolchildren in an electronic collage that’s quite creative and artistic.
Close to the end, “Three Romances”, by Ari Ben-Shabetai, unfolds across 3 chapters of minimal versus busy playing from Liora Ziv-Li’s very meticulous fingers on the piano, and Oded Zehavi’s “Wire” exits with Denise Lundine’s soprano and Stacey Pearson Stamas’ flute helping make for nearly 20 minutes of pretty, mysterious and poetic song craft.
A listen that documents Israel’s 75th year, there’s a deep history to these songs that touches on the traditions and spirt of the country, and certainly hints at the cultured songwriting that’s still being made today, with much emphasis on chamber and classical ideas.
Travels well with: Evan Ware- The Quietest Of Whispers; Edmund Campion/Earply- Quadrivium