Daria Hovora, the pianist on tracks 1-14, passed away on November 9, 2017, and this recording is noted for her tender and humorous playing.
Album & Artwork
The album's artwork features 7 drawings by Colette Brunschwig, an artist who turned to Chinese literati painters for inspiration after the events of 1945-1950.
Performer Biography
Sonia Wieder-Atherton, the cellist on this album, was asked by filmmaker Chantal Akerman to create the music for her film "Histoires d'Amérique" (American Stories).
Compositional Technique
Jean-François Zygel, one of the composers on this album, chose to compose original music inspired by traditional Jewish melodies, rather than just transcribing them.
Interpretation
Sonia Wieder-Atherton's approach to playing these Jewish chants on the cello was influenced by her studies in Moscow, where the art of playing a string instrument is considered a vocal art.
Recording & Production
The recordings for this album were made at two different locations and times: tracks 1-14 in January 1989 at Abbaye de Royaumont, and tracks 15-17 in April 2006 at Polskie Radio Studio Koncertowe in Warsaw.
