Zimro premiered the new work inJanuary 1920, which turned out to be a rousing success, much to thecomposer’s surprised delight. In
1934, Prokoev recast it in orchestral
garb, though in its original guiseit has an immediacy and idiomaticKlezmer-like feel that heightens itsconsiderable charm.From the book of Jewish tunes,
Prokoev chose two contrasting
themes, one for each of the
Overture
’s
two sections. The rst heard is a light-
hearted dance tune, presented initially by the clarinet over a simple buteffective rhythmic accompaniment.
For the second part, Prokoev uses ahymn-like broadly inected melodyentrusted on rst hearing to the high
register of the cello. After playing
with the rst theme in Klezmer style
(i.e., presenting and embellishing
fragments of the tune), Prokoev
recaps both themes before adding acoda that builds in momentum to acluster of punching chords.An interesting, but sad and alarmingnote: in the 1970s a performance of the work was allowed in the SovietUnion
only
if the word “Hebrew”were dropped from the title; it wassimply called “Overture, Op. 34.”Still, rumors about the true natureof the piece spread quickly andthe performance at the MoscowConservatory took place in front of a packed house.
Prelude
g
rigori
K
rejn
(1879-1957)
G
rigori Krejn studied violinand composition at theMoscow Conservatory before moving to Leipzig for further work with that devotedcontrapuntalist Max Reger. Krejn’smusicality was a family affair; his brother Alexander and his son Julianwere also talented musicians. In 1913,the two brothers played an activerole in the founding of a chapter of the Society for Jewish Folk Music inMoscow. Grigori eventually taughtat the Moscow Conservatory andspent eight years living with his sonin Vienna, Paris and Berlin beforereturning to the Soviet Union in 1934.Krejn’s Prelude opens quietly inthe strings, sweetly and with justa
soupçon
of Impressionist quasi-dissonance. The clarinet provides anactive, serpentine melodic line againstthe primarily chordal accompanimentof its partners. A few minutes intothe music, a feeling of heighteningagitation overcomes the earlier calm.Impelled by forceful chords fromthe piano, the strings and clarinetcomment anxiously. Midway throughthe roughly 12-minute work thedynamic level drops, but obsessivetrills from the clarinet and stringsmaintain the feeling of unease. Thechromaticism of Alexander Scriabininfuses Krejn’s harmonic language,with a dose of Debussyian dreaminessattendant as well. The themes alsosuggest intimate familiarity withJewish liturgical melody withoutquoting actual traditional material.
Selections from
Children’s Suite
,Op. 57 (ca. 1925-cl., str. Qt., pno.)
j
osePh
a
chron
(1886-1943)
P
olish-born Joseph Achronstudied violin with LeopoldAuer (teacher of JaschaHeifetz) and composition with thegifted but notoriously procrastinating
a
bout
the
P
rogram
T
he Zimro Project
derivesits name from the ensembleformed following WorldWar I. A blurb in the April 25, 1920
New York Times
notes that “ZimroEnsemble gave Carnegie Hall concertfor a Hebrew musical institute inJerusalem as a memorial to Jewishsoldiers killed in the war. The sextetof players, formerly members of the Petrograd Opera, volunteeredtheir services in characteristic worksin chamber music out of the usualorder…under auspices of the JewishVeterans of the World War, organizedat St. Mihiel and the Argonne.”
Overture on Hebrew Themes
, Op.34
s
ergey
P
roKofiev
(1891-1953)
A
fter the Russian Revolution
in 1917, Sergey Prokoev
decided to “go West” (thank you, Horace Greeley!), naivelythinking he’d have an easier timeestablishing himself away fromhome. While living in New York in1919, he was approached by a groupof former classmates from the St.Petersburg Conservatory. They hadformed a chamber ensemble calledZimro, which consisted of a stringquartet, clarinet and piano, and calledupon their friend to compose a work for them based on Jewish themes.
Demurring at rst, the composer
acquiesced to their request, but pledthat he didn’t know any Jewish music.The ensemble lent him a book of
Jewish folk songs, which Prokoev
perused with increasing interest—heeven asked to keep the book.In two weeks, the
Overture on Hebrew Themes
emerged, writtenfor the entire sextet of musicians.
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