Music in a
State of Anomaly
(summary)
Tzvi Avni
Some 150 Israeli composers produce about 500 compositions every year. Due to Israel`s geopolitical situation Israeli composers unlike their European colleagues cannot expect to have their compositions performed in neighboring countries. Most of them cannot expect to have their works performed more than once, except in the case of the few who have connections - at home or abroad. The content of contemporary Israeli compositions is as varied as the background, ages, training and ideologies of the composers. Vague concepts such as post-modernism and eclecticism lead to a blurring of criteria, of the distinction between old and new, right and wrong. And what is to be the fate of that corpus of impressive works written here since the thirties - such works as Erich Walter Sternberg s The Raven (after E.A.Poe), Paul Ben-Haim s The Visions of a Prophet (After Ezekiel), Mordechai Seter s Judith (music for M.Graham s ballet), Yizchak Edel s Capriccio for Orchestra and Artur Gelbrun s Second Symphony? Is it not time that an institution was established for the preservation, recording and distribution of our musical treasures?
English summary - Valerie Arnon