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Klezmer Suite

Composing Year:

2016

Instruments:

Clarinet, Viola or Oud, Double-Bass and Piano

Duration:

12'

Chen Halevi - clarinet, Silvia Simionescu - viola, Winfried Holzenkamp - double-bass, Daniel Borovitzky - piano (2021)

 

“Klezmer Suite” for clarinet, viola (or oud), double-bass and piano is the condensed, chamber version of my orchestral piece “Encounters IV: Suite Concertante”.

The piece is dedicated to my late father, Daniel, who was a superb musician and a wonderful Klezmer, playing violin, clarinet and saxophone. This is another one in a chain of pieces I've already written in the past-including my pieces for the Arabic Oud, which tries to bridge between different musical cultures. In this case it's the ethnic, folk-like klezmer tradition alongside that of the classical concert hall tradition. The piece is written in one long movement, which flows from one mood to another, trying to reflect different emotional states. I've used quite a few magnificent klezmer tunes and dances and added some original ones which I've invented. Writing such a piece for me was a way to connect to the deepest and even primordial layers of my memories as an infant and a child. It deeply reflects my innermost beliefs as a Jewish musician and as a human being.



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