The piece incorporates archival recordings of Yehuda Elkana recounting his life story, serving as narrative anchors between the fourteen musical sections.
Composer's Artistic Vision
The title Que sais-je? (meaning 'What do I know?') comes from Michel de Montaigne's motto, reflecting the intellectual humility and inquiry that influenced the composer's father, Yehuda Elkana.
Composition History
Que sais-je? is a one-hour composition that explores the life and philosophy of Yehuda Elkana, the composer's father, through music, archival recordings, and visual media.
Performer Biography
The Meitar Ensemble, based in Tel Aviv, is praised by The New York Times for its 'excellence, poise, and precision' and has premiered over 400 works.
Compositional Technique
The composition also includes recordings of two poems, 'Whither Do You Go Home' by Péter Nádas and 'If I Told Him, A Completed Portrait of Picasso' by Gertrude Stein, heard in the poets' own voices.
Compositional Technique
The composition integrates live instrumental performance by the Meitar Ensemble with multichannel audio and video projections, creating an immersive experience for the audience.
Performer Biography
Pierre-André Valade, the conductor, specializes in contemporary music and has been Conductor in Residence of the Meitar Ensemble since 2014, a partnership he considers highly creative.
You might also enjoy...
Open Barrier
Derek Charke: Bathymetric Terrains
On the Trail, Pt. 5
Seasons of Change
Mouthpieces
Applebaum, M.: The Janus Remixes
Ruta And Daitya
Goebbels: Landschaft mit entfernten Verwandten
Prokovief Pieder ed il luf, ina praula musicala per affons Op. 67
