Paul Ben-Haim's Three Songs Without Words were originally conceived from a Sephardic song arranged for singer Bracha Zefira, which inspired him to create pieces entirely without text.
Recording & Production
This double CD features Paul Ben-Haim's Three Songs Without Words performed on four different instruments: violin and orchestra, bassoon and strings, cello and piano, and clarinet and piano.
Performer Biography
Violinist Liv Migdal, the curator of this album, first encountered Paul Ben-Haim's music in 2008 during a project in Tel Aviv and felt an immediate, profound connection to it.
Historical Context
Paul Ben-Haim's promising career in Germany was abruptly ended in 1931 by his immediate dismissal from the Augsburg theatre by a new Nazi director.
Composer Biography
Paul Ben-Haim, born Paul Frankenburger in Munich in 1897, was a repetiteur and assistant to Bruno Walter at the Munich Staatsoper before becoming Kapellmeister in Augsburg.
Composer Biography
After fleeing to Palestine in 1933, Paul Frankenburger changed his surname to Ben-Haim, meaning 'son of Heinrich', to symbolize a break with his past and a desire for a fresh start.
Composer's Artistic Vision
In Palestine, Paul Ben-Haim developed a new musical language that blended European structures with oriental rhythms and sounds, aiming to create a new Israeli national style.
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