Fridrich Bruk at 80: programmatic narratives and Jewish folk influences in Symphonies

3, 10 and 11
Author(s): TISH KENNEDY DAVENPORT
Source: The Musical Times, Vol. 158, No. 1940 (AUTUMN 2017), pp. 19-36
Published by: Musical Times Publications Ltd.
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Fridrich Bruk will be 80 on
18 September. I am grateful to
him for his help in the writing
of this article , and
Topati for his assistance
symphonywith
is currently flourishing through the efforts of composers such
the music examples.
i. Alexander Goehr: Reith
Lectures 198p: the survival
of the symphony , Lecture 1:
'The old warhorse' (Radio
4, transmitted 18 November
1987), http:// downloads.
bbc.co.uk/ rmhttp/ radio4/
transcripts/ 1987_reith1.pdf
(accessed 5 May 2016).
2. Martin Anderson: 'The
symphony set to soar', in
Finnish Music Quarterly
4/ 2009. In this 25th
anniversary issue, Anderson
surveys the Finnish musical
landscape and reveals a
renewed interest in the
symphony and other genres
that demonstrate large-scale
tonal thinking.
3. This performance was
of the first version of
Symphony no.6, given in
Helsinki by the Finnish
Radio Symphony Orchestra
conducted by John Storgârds.
4. In an e-mail correspond-
ence on the topic of his
mother's death, Bruk states
'My dear Mother was dead
directly as a victim of [the]
Holocaust because of Nazis'
biological war against
[the] peaceful population
(to the present days that
terrible crime was never
investigated)'.
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TISH KENNEDY DAVENPORT
Fridrich Bruk at 80: programmatic na
and Jewish folk influences in Symph
and ii
the symphony as a genre is as uncertain as the institution of the
to While
Scottthe 'symphony symphony
'symphonysome concert'
concert' that hashaveso long
as anurtured
genre argued that hastheis as in so uncertain recent long nurtured years as the that it,1 institution in the Finland future of the the of
it,1 in Finland
as Fridrich Bruk, a Jewish-Russian-Finnish composer, who actively contri-
butes to this genre with a bold compositional style and programmatic
narratives which draw the symphony into present-day relevance.2 Bruk's
symphonies, perhaps best known currently in Finland and surrounding areas,
inspire his audiences in new and interesting ways. For instance, following
a 2003 performance in Helsinki of his Symphony no.6: 'Birds of passage',
a group of Catalan tourists from Barcelona recognised the composer at his
hotel and enthusiastically broke into a song and folk-dance for him.3 Each
of Bruk's symphonies is a unique creation and many of them directly reflect
folk influences from his Jewish, Russian and Finnish roots. This article,
following a short biography and brief overview of Bruk's symphonic output
to date, will provide a glimpse into three of his 16 symphonies: Symphony
no.3 for orchestra and tenor: 'Artist Chagall' (2000); Symphony no. 10:
'Klezmorim-2' (2010); and Symphony no.11: 'The universe' (2000). These
particular symphonies share notable inclusions of Jewish folk melodies
and themes, woven into the programmatic narrative found in each work.
Please note that over the course of this article, all quotations from Bruk,
unless otherwise cited, were given to this author through a series of e-mail
correspondences and phone conversations with the composer.
Bruk was born in Kharkov, Ukraine, and his childhood and later musical
compositions were both decisively shaped by the events of World War 2.
His personal experience of the war as a young child and his mother's death
on 21 September 1943, a result of Nazi biological warfare on the peaceful
population, led to a deep tragedy which still resonates through his music
today and can be heard, for example, in his Symphony no. 2 for orchestra
and piano.4 In the CD liner notes for Nordic legends , Bruk's wife, Nadezhda,
describes Symphony no.2 and references 'tense collisions [in the first
movement]'. She states: 'It is quite obvious that those are the memories of
the composer's childhood during the years of war, of losing his mother and
THE MUSICAL TIMES Autumn 201J I9
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20 Fridrich Bruk at 80: programmatic narratives and Jewish folk influences in Symphonies 3, to and it
5. Nadezhda Bruk: Nordic
legends , ERP CD liner notes,
trans. Tiina Jokinen.
6. Kai Laitinen: Literature of
Finland: an outline (Helsinki,
1985)^.10-11.
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of the everyday world collapsing around him'.5 The prominent inclusion
of piano in this symphony lends further relevance to this interpretation, as
Bruk's mother was a well-known pianist at the time of her death. Raised by
his grandparents, Bruk graduated from the Special Music School for Gifted
Children (Kharkov) in 1956 with a silver medal and over the next five years
studied composition with V. Voloshinov and B. Arapov at the Leningrad
Rimsky-Korsakov State Conservatory. He lived and worked in Karelia
for several years, then Leningrad, heading the department of music at the
Lennauchfilm studio. Since 1974 Bruk has lived in Finland with his wife
Nadezhda and their son Alexander.
Although he has composed in many other genres (such as chamber
works, popular songs, and music for theatre and movies), Bruk is a prolific
symphonist. As previously mentioned, he has published 16 symphonies,
with the most recent titled Symphony no.16: 'The Dnieper river' (2016). In
general, Bruk's symphonies are programmatic; Symphony no.i for orchestra
and trombone (1998) contains a musical narrative from the Finnish Civil
War of 1918 with its bloody aftermath, and Symphony no.2, as noted by
Nadezhda, is loosely autobiographical. Symphonies nos.3 to 15 are each
inscribed with meaningful dedications and tributes to great artists, musicians
and scholars. The programmes of these symphonies often reflect the life or
achievements of the dedicatee, such as Symphony no. 3, a musical tribute to
the artist Marc Chagall (to be discussed later in this article) and Symphony
no.13: 'Artist Malevich' (2014), a tribute to the Ukrainian painter Kasimir
Malevich (1878-1935). Symphony no. 14: 'The scream' (2015) is based on the
1 893 painting The scream by Norwegian artist Edvard Munch; Bruk considers
this symphony to be 'a form of [his] composer-protest against antihumāni ty
in our world'. The dedicatee of Symphony no.15: 'Reflections' (2015) is the
historian Martti Turtola, who is also the nephew of Colonel Jussi Turtola,
the hero of Symphony no. 12: 'Turtola's star' (201 1).
In particular, folk themes or topics appear prominently in Bruk's sym-
phonic output. For instance, the image of Nature as 'a place of refuge
or consolation', found frequently in the Finnish literature and poetry,6 is
musically reflected in the conclusions of Symphonies nos.6 and 12, where
narrative conflicts dissolve into calming sounds from Nature. For example,
in Symphony no. 6 there is a shift from a turbulent storm and tsunami in
the second part to the hopeful conclusion of the third part which depicts
the returning of life, beginning with the sound of bird calls and warbles.
Symphony no. 12 also concludes with the sound of a forest wind, from which
the second and final movement is titled. The opening movement and much
of the second evoke the conflicts within a narrative of war, the Continuation
War - Karelia (1941). In Symphony no. 16, the Dnieper river symbolises
the beauty and resilience of Bruk's birthplace and represents his 'hope of a
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7. Jonathan Wilson: Marc
Chagall (New York, 2007),
pp.46- 47. On Self-portrait
with seven fingers (Wilson
notes the title itself is derived
from a Yiddish expression)
Chagall has inscribed the
Yiddish words 'Paris' and
'Russia' along the top edge
of the painting.
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better future for Ukraine ', which has experienced much tragedy throughout
its history. This symphony musically illustrates the grim historical events in
Ukraine including, but not limited to, the 1648-49 massacres initiated by
Bogdan Chmielnicki, wartime devastation and loss of life in World War
2, the 1986 Chernobyl disaster (depicted in the second movement), and
the more recent protests and civil unrest which evolved into the Ukrainian
revolution of 2014 in Kiev. As also noted for Symphony no.6, sounds of
nature can be heard (in the third movement) but consolation is not to be
found for, in the fourth movement, the Dnieper river storms and rages,
representing Bruk's 'Soulscream' for the tragic fortune of the Jewish people
in Ukraine. Despite tremendous devastation, the pealing church bells at the
conclusion of this symphony 'ceremoniously proclaim faith in the future of
Ukraine' and illustrate Bruk's 'hope of a better future for Ukraine'.
Folk music or original music in the folk style of Jewish, Karelian and
Finnish traditions appears in many of the symphonies, such as Symphony
no.4: 'Carelia', Symphony no.5: 'In the Jewish mode', Symphony no.7:
'Kalevala by artist Axel Gallen-Kallela', Symphony no.8: 'Tampere',
Symphony no.9: 'In the Finnish mode ', and Symphony no. 16: 'The Dnieper
river'. Symphony no. 3, Symphony no. 10 and Symphony no. 11 all include
Jewish folk themes and topics, Jewish folk poetry, and /or Jewish folk
music. In both Symphony no.3 and Symphony no. 10 the programme clearly
articulates the formal divisions for the overall work; Symphony no.3, f°r
example, is organised into three large sections, chronologically representing
tangible blocks of time in Marc Chagall's life and work ('Images of Vitebsk'
- 'Bella's death' - 'The revival'). In contrast, Symphony no.n contains
a more subtle philosophical narrative and is dedicated to a present-day
scholar, Timothy Jackson, who unearthed evidence of antisemitism and
forever changed the way Bruk would view the renowned Finnish composer
Jean Sibelius.
Symphony
Symphony Jewishthemes
themes artist,
and the theJewish
and no.Yiddish 3: Yiddishartist,
knownlanguage.7 'AAccording known
rtist for Chagall'
tolanguage. for
Bruk,7 his'The is usehis
boldmain aidea boldtributeuseof colourofto thecolour
According to and prolificand inclusion
Bruk, inclusion 'The Russian-bornofmainJewish
of Jewish idea
of the symphony is the painful search for the image of the Holocaust in the
paintings of Marc Chagall'. Sidney Alexander, in his book on Chagall, also
points out the presence of Holocaust themes in the paintings, saying:
But there can be no question whatever about Chagall's intent in the series of crucifixions
dating from the White Crucifixion of 1938. In this painting as in a number of others
(the Martyr of 1940, the Descent from the Cross of 1941, the Yellow Crucifixion of 1943,
etc.) the crucified figure wearing a tallith around his loins, and sometimes phylacteries
on his forehead, the presence of Nazi brownshirts storming the Holy of Holies, Jews
carrying the Torah, menorah candelabra at the foot of the Cross - all make the meaning
THE MUSICAL TIMES Autumn 20iy 21
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22 Frìdrìch Bruk at 80: programmatic narratives and Jewish folk influences in Symphonies 3, 10 and 11
8. Sidney Alexander: Marc
Chagall: a biography (New
York, 1978), p.476.
9. Horst Keller: Marc
Chagall : life and works , trans.
Roger Marcinik (New York,
1980), pp. 1 1 - 1 2.
10. ibid., p. 12.
ii. http://mediaburn.org/
video / the-monumental-art-
of-marc-chagall (accessed
5 May 2016).
12. Keller: Marc Chagall ,
p.25.
13. This interval is prominent
in both the 'altered phrygian'
and 'altered dorian' scales
and appears often in
Jewish folk melodies. See
Moshe Beregovsky: Jewish
instrumental folk music: the
collections and writings of
Moshe Beregovski , trans. &
edd. Mark Slobin et al. (New roof which is said to have taken its name from this painting.14
York, 2001), pp.ix & 15-21.
14. Stephen J. Whitfield:
'Fiddling with Sholem
Aleichem: a history of
Fiddler on the Roof', in
Key texts in American Jewish
culture , ed. Jack Kugelmass
(New Jersey, 2003), p. 106.
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unmistakable. All these pictures mean - and Chagall has said so explicitly- the martyrdom
of the Jews under Hitler.8
This symphony contains three movements titled 'Images of Vitebsk',
'Bella's death', and 'The revival'. The first movement presents musical
images of Vitebsk, the town of Chagall's childhood, which at the time
had a high percentage Jewish population but was mostly destroyed by the
Nazis in World War 2. The vivid images of Vitebsk remained with Chagall
throughout his life and, according to Horst Keller, Vitebsk represents the
first stage of his life as an artist and his 'first spiritual landscape'.9 Keller
notes 'Chagall, in truth, does not leave his first spiritual landscape. In his
paintings, one experiences the initially rather strange-appearing validity
of his saying: "Paris - my second Vitebsk." No painter of our century
described his "topos" [place] - the place of his innermost, inborn reference
- more clearly.'10 It is apropos that the first movement of this symphony
begins here with the title 'Vitebsk'; Chagall, even after moving to Paris in
1 9 10, continued to paint images of his beloved Vitebsk and his future wife,
Bella, who resided there.
In an informative video, The monumental art of Marc Chagall , Pierre
Provoyeur, curator of the Chagall Museum, explains how Chagall utilised
colour in his paintings much as a composer employs sounds in music.11 With
a similar attentiveness to colour, Bruk employs a small palette of orchestral
timbres for the opening of the symphony, using strings, celeste and English
horn, which combine to produce a striking overall effect. Throughout the
symphony, melodies with Jewish folk characteristics weave in and out of the
texture, orchestrated with Klezmer-associated instruments such as clarinet
and solo violin. One passage with solo violin in the first movement marked
'a la dance ' may call to mind one of Chagall's well-known paintings, The
fiddler , which so colorfully represents the indomitable spirit of the Jewish
people. As noted by Keller, prior to 19 10, Chagall's paintings of the village
community 'always includfed] the fiddler'.12 In the musical narrative for
Symphony no. 3, the solo violin passages could easily be interpreted as
representing Chagall's fiddler with its expressive melody and prominent
use of the augmented second, both characteristic of Jewish folk-music.13
The first few bars with this melody are shown in ex.i. This character of 'the
fiddler' also later appeared in the popular Broadway musical Fiddler on the
The second large section of the symphony is titled 'Bella's death' and
features a tenor soloist singing a text which Bruk created out of several
different Jewish folklore poems. The inclusion of an entire movement based
on Bella's death is befitting; they had a strong, loving marriage and her
untimely death on 2 September 1944 was difficult for Chagall. The theme of
the Holocaust lingers just beneath the surface in this movement, as one might
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15. Benjamin Harshav:
Marc Chagall and his times:
a documentary narrative
(Stanford, 2004), p. 543.
16. Ira Konigsberg: 'Our
children and the limits
of cinema: early Jewish
responses to the Holocaust',
in Film Quarterly vol.52 no.i
(Autumn, 1998), pp.7- 19.
17. As indicated in the score.
18. The symbolic association
of doves with mourning
and lament is certainly
not limited to the Jewish
tradition. For example, two
other works that include
similar symbolic references
include Schoenberg's
Gurrelieder ('The song of the
wood dove ') and Dvořák's
The wild dove op. 1 10.
Ex.i: Fridrich Bruk:
Symphony no. 3, first
movement, 4 bars after
Rehearsal 7
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intuit from Bruk's earlier comment regarding the image of the Holocaust
in Chagall's paintings. Even though the Chagall family was staying in
upstate New York at the time, perhaps this image of the Holocaust can be
found in connection with the events surrounding Bella's death. As laid out
by Benjamin Harshav in his definitive book on Chagall, there are several
different accounts of the circumstances surrounding Bella's death. Based on
Chagall's description of these events, there are intimations of antisemitism
surrounding their visit to a hospital - in which she refused to be admitted
when asked her religion (through Chagall's account) and in which she was
blatantly turned away because she was a Jew (in the version Meyer Chápiro
heard from Chagall). Chagall's daughter Ida tells a different story in a letter
written to a cousin in Europe months later. Ida's account says Bella had a
virus and was unable to get penicillin (due to wartime conditions, it is likely
that medication in the US was in short supply).15 Either way, when searching
for an interpretation of Symphony no. 3, it is important to know that the
composer himself believes that Bella died as a victim of the Holocaust.
One of the Jewish folk poems utilised by Bruk in this section also has
connections to the Holocaust. This text was previously set to music by
another composer, Joseph P. Katz, and became known as the Yiddish song
Doves . According to Ira Konigsberg, 'The song itself ("Doves"), with lyrics
by Zishe Weinper and music by Joseph P. Katz, was originally published in
New York City in 1924, but apparently was known in Europe and sung in
the ghettos during the Holocaust as an expression of mourning and loss.'16
Bruk sets a portion of this same text, in Yiddish, to original music (the text
is to be pronounced as if German).17 Ex.2 shows an orchestral reduction of
a small section from the second movement that includes this text. Roughly
translated, it reads ťDoves stand by my window, by my window stand.
White doves two, two, two, white doves two.' On the surface, the symbolic
image of the two doves represents grief knocking at the window. More
importantly, for Bruk: 'White Doves [are not only a] clear symbol of Jewish
death and pogroms (massacre), but in Symphony no. 3 it can, of course, be
interpreted as a Symbol of the Holocaust also.'18
THE MUSICAL TIMES Autumn 201J 23
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24 Frìdrich Bruk at 80: programmatic narratives and Jewish folk influences in Symphonies j, to and it

Ex.2: Fridrich Bruk: Symphony no.3, second movement, 14 bars after Rehearsal 26

The frequent appearance of the augmented second in the vocal line

19. Virginia Haggard:
My life with Chagall (New
York, 1986), p.32.
(tenor), so prominent in Jewish folk melodies, mimics the lament of a man
who has just lost his beloved wife and the artist who has forever lost his
first muse. The slowly rising chromatic line in the first six bars, played by
low strings, further emphasises the pain and sadness of Bella's death; these
topics are represented artistically in Chagall's 'tragic paintings inspired by
the war and the Holocaust, and the melancholic series he had painted since
Bella's death'.19

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 The third and final section is titled 'The revival' and begins with rhyth-
mic variations on the previous melodic material, further punctuated by
dramatic string flourishes. Dominated by semitone motion in the strings,
the dissonant counterpoint that follows, although found in subsequent
symphonies, heavily adumbrates the musical texture and style of the first
and third movement of Symphony no.n. With the appearance of a lively
2/4 meter at the Andantino (rehearsal 36 in the score), a Jewish folk-
like melody dances over the top of chromatic scale ascents and descents
in the strings. This melody, a variation of the song in the coda, is passed
through the individual members of the woodwind section and 'The fiddler'
makes another brief appearance at rehearsal 37. Although the title of this
movement has an uplifting connotation, 'Renaissance' or 'The revival',
darkness lingers through most of the movement as a vivid reminder of the
devastation from the Holocaust. One might further interpret the darkness
and dissonant conflicts of most of the movement as relating to the other
effects from World War 2 such as the destruction of Chagall's beloved
childhood home, Vitebsk, and the death of his first love, Bella.
The true feeling of 'Renaissance' or 'Revival' finally arrives with the
coda, which introduces a contrasting light-hearted Jewish folk dance with
Yiddish text sung by a tenor soloist and male chorus. The melody is initially
presented in a minor mode centered on G with a phrygian cadence, followed
by a varied repetition transposed up a whole step, centered around A as 'tonic',
and then reappears with F as 'tonic' at rehearsal 49, marked 'Con giòia'. The
solo tenor melody with its Yiddish text, excerpted from this section, is shown
in ex.3. This melody is but one example of how Jewish themes and flavours,
common in Chagall's art, season this symphony as well.
In general, the title of this third movement, 'Revival', denotes regrowth,
indicating an uplifting turn of events which is mirrored in the music. A
listener might imaginatively infer the return of Chagall's artistic spirit after
Bella's death or hear the revival of love (with Virginia Haggard's entrance
into his life in 1944). The composer himself describes this coda as 'a turning
point in the symphony which occurs only in the finale in the form of a men's
chorus embodying the image of an Israeli' which, for this author, prompted
a closer look at the deeper biblical allusion to deliverance and freedom - the
story of the Israelites, as told in the book of Exodus in both the Torah and
the Old Testament of the Christian Bible.

Oppressed and enslaved by the Egyptians for hundreds of years,

Moses led the Israelites away from their homes and toward the promise
of freedom. The turning point in this dangerous journey came after the
Israelites successfully traversed the Red Sea, where the waters parted to
allow them through, then closed in on their former captors who had been
pursuing them. It is at this point in the journey that a great song of faith and

THE MUSICAL TIMES Autumn 20 1 J 25

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2Ó Frìdrìch Bruk at 80: programmatic narratives and Jewish folk influences in Symphonies j, 10 and 11
Ex.3: Fridrich Bruk: Symphony no.3, third movement, Rehearsal 49, a Jewish folk dance with Yiddish text
20. Fridrick Bruk: CD The
Search/ Etsiskely , liner notes,
P-5-
21. ibid., p .6.
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affirmation appears in the Bible (Exodus 15). The Israelites began to sing
and the women played timbrais as they danced (Exodus 15: 20). In the music
of the coda, the prominent and rhythmic cymbal part enhances the dance-
like character of the music and prompts spontaneous toe-tapping. Although
darkness lingers throughout the third movement, the deliverance at the
hand of God finally appears with the coda and the great Israeli affirmation
of faith is sounded in the form of a song.
Another
Another Jewish no.Jewish
10: 'Klezmorim
scholar, no.
scholar,the 10:the 'Klezmorim
symphony
Ukrainian II',musicologist
Ukrainian with which II', which
and prominent provides
folklorist Moshe provides
musicologist a symphonic
Jewish a symphonic tribute
and themes folklorist is tribute to toaa
Symphony Moshe
Beregovsky (1892-1961), who diligently sought to collect and preserve the
Ukrainian folklore of the klezmers. After World War 2, 'because of his love of
Jewish folklore he [Beregovsky] was accused of Zionism, nationalist Jewish
propaganda, and was locked up in one of Stalin's concentration camps from
1950- 195 5'.20 Upon his return, Beregovsky 's 1500 files of klezmer music
were confiscated and he was warned not to continue his scholarly pursuits in
this area. Fortunately, Beregovsky had foreseen this possibility and ensured
the preservation of 700 folk songs by secretly copying and sending some of
his work to friends in Leningrad.21 Bruk's Symphony no. 10 is based upon
these surviving Jewish folk songs.
This symphony is divided into two movements: 1. 'Great love' (Ahava
rabo) and 2. 'Klezmorim'. According to Bruk: 'The first movement of the
symphony, "Great love", is built on traditional wedding songs, free melodies
and free rhythms that the composer moulds into an entity by creating a
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22. ibid., p .6.
23. Howe and Eliezer
Greenberg: Voices from the
Yiddish : essays, memoirs,
diaries (New York, 1975),
P-II5-
24. ibid., p. 1 1 5 .
25. Beregovsky: Jewish
instrumental folk music ,
pp.78- 79.
narrative flow. The second, and final, movement is based on the intonations
of the dance tunes of the klezmers that inspired the composer with their
bouncy rhythms, infinite optimism and faith in their Jewish happiness.'22
The title of the first movement, 'Ahavo rabo', for Bruk, means 'the big gift
from God' and is sometimes also translated as 'with abounding love'.23
These two words are found in a Jewish prayer 'which speaks of God's great
love for the Jews'.24 Ahavo rabo' is also the name of one of the Jewish folk
melodies that was preserved by Beregovsky, and as indicated by the title of
the first movement, this melody plays a large part in the organisation of the
'narrative flow'.
The general form of this movement is A B A' Bf A", as shown in fig.i.
The A sections are rhapsodic in nature (with improvisatory flourishes
moving between solo saxophone, solo trumpet, xylophone, and solo violin)
and alternate with more strict realisations of the folk song 'Ahavo rabo'
in the B sections. This folk song was originally notated with two different
variations, nos. 17 and 18 as they appear in Jewish instrumental folk music , and
are both employed in this movement.25

Fig.i: Form chart of Symphony no. 10, first movement (Ahavo rabo')

A Beginning: Introduction (a) Rehearsal 2: Free, improvisatory 5th bar after Rehearsal 9:
section (based upon mode of Introduction material
'Ahavo rabo' and snippets of returns (a)
the folk song) (b)

g Rehearsal 10: first complete Rehearsal 11: Shift of mode 7 bars before Rehearsal 13: final
presentation of 'Ahavo rabo' to major with violin solo on section of 'Ahavo rabo* with
(no. 1 8) tenor saxophone, melody (b) return to same mode as first
trumpet, xylophone (a) (a) section

PJ Rehearsal 13: a variation of Rehearsal 2, another improvisatory secti

accompaniments. It is more developmental and less structured in form

g? Rehearsal 17: another 2 bars before Rehearsal 18: 12

presentation of 'Ahavo tenor saxophone introduces so
rabo' (version no. 17) the (b) section of 'Ahavo rabo', of 'Ahavo rabo' (a)
from the original notated with more variations followed
version than found in the by solo violin
first B section (a)

Rehearsal 19: Introduction Rehearsal 20: a more metered 7 bars after Rehearsal 23: tenor
material returns (a); exactly variation that begins with strings saxophone flourish reminiscent
the same with changes only and then builds orchestration of the (b) within the first large A
toward the end to facilitate starting at Rehearsal 22
transition into different
section than in first A section

THE MUSICAL TIMES Autumn 201J 27

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 28 Frìdrìch Bruk at 80: programmatic narratives and Jewish folk influences in Symphonies 3, 10 and 11
26. Written on the first
page of the score are
both titles, exactly as
follows: 'Symphony Nr 10
"Klezmorim II" or Jewish
Rapsody for Flute, Clarinet
(B), Saxophone-tenor
(B), Trumpet (B), Piano,
Percussions and String
Orchestra'.
27. Beregovsky: Jewish
instrumental folk music , p. 79.
28. Further information on
this topic may be found in
Timothy Jackson: 'Sibelius
the political', in Sibelius in the
Old and New World: aspects
of his music, its interpretation,
and reception , edd. Timothy
L. Jackson et al. (New York,
2010), pp.69- 125.
29. More information on
this project can be found
online: 'Music professor
Tim Jackson's legacy
drives passion for lost
composer's project' at
https:// facultysuccess.unt.
edu/ music-professo r-tim-
j acksons-legacy-drives-
passion-lost-composers-
project (accessed 5 May
2016).
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With the first A section, the movement begins softly, slowly building both
in intensity and dynamic through a series of freely expressed instrumental
folk melodies in a chamber-like orchestral texture, apropos considering the
alternate title for this symphony is 'Jewish rhapsody for flute, clarinet, tenor
saxophone, trumpet, piano, percussions and string orchestra'.26 The first B
section (the opening bars from this section are shown in ex.4a) presents
a complete rendition of this Jewish folk song, essentially version no. 18.
Bruk presents this melody with only slight modifications from the version
transcribed by Beregovsky; the opening of this melody appears in ex.4b.27
The second B section (Bf) is based upon version no.17 and is presented
with a greater degree of melodic variation than the first B section. Both
B sections mirror the loosely ternary modal shifts within the original folk
melody (shown in fig.i as 'a b a'.) The opening 'a' section of 'Ahavo rabo'
contains improvisatory melodies in an altered phrygian mode based on the
pitch G (notated in Jewish instrumental folk music as a key signature with a
Btļ, Eb, and Ab). The 'b' section shifts to a major mode with a notated change
of signature to all naturals, based around the pitch-class C. Five bars before
the end of the folk song (no. 18), the opening key signature is restored and
the final 'a' section appears with the return of the altered phrygian mode.
Although the modal structure is ternary in nature, the melody is not. The
improvisatory flourishes continue to evolve and develop of their own free
will. The influence of this improvisatory folk style can easily be noted in
many of Bruk's compositions as variation is a primary means of creating
narrative flow and forward motion in his symphonies.
Symphony no.n: 'The universe'. A tribute to Dr Timothy L. Jackson
The - Symphony-a scholar, third no.andn: researcher
scholar, researcher professor atandthe final 'The ofandNorth
University universe'
Texas . symphony professor A tribute at for the discussion University to Dr Timothy in of this North L. article Jackson Texas is
- the dedication page in the score reads: 'Professor Timothy L. Jackson's
World activities [are] to find and to make known such creators which
suffer because of their nationalities or political views'. Jackson's research,
which inspired this dedication, uncovered evidence about Jean Sibelius that
indicated Sibelius not only had antisemitic attitudes but also had a political
affiliation with and supported propaganda for the Nazi party during the
time of World War 2. 28 Notably, Jackson is also the lead project director for
the Lost Composers Project, which has, since the year 2000, unearthed the
music of ten 'Lost Composers',29 whose music was suppressed as a result of
the Holocaust; Jackson and his team bring their compositions to the surface
and make arrangements for performances and recordings, thus resulting in
a greater awareness of their music.
Bruk was moved by Jackson's scholarship since antisemitism had affected
his own father's family, 'exiled by the tsarist regime as late as 191 5 together
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Ex.4a: Fridrich Bruk: Symphony no. io, first movement, Rehearsal io.The melody, as shown in
ex.4b, has been divided among several instruments (tenor saxophone, trumpet and xylophone).

THE MUSICAL TIMES Autumn 201J 29

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3 o Frìdrìch Bruk at 80: programmatic narratives and Jewish folk influences in Symphonies 3, to and it

Ex. 4a continued

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 Ex.4b: Jewish folk melody no.i8, 'Ava rabo', as transcribed by Beregovsky (Jewish
instrumental folk music ), bars 1-4
30. Bruk: The Search/
Etsiskely , p.4.
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with several Jewish families', and particularly given the circumstances of
his mother's death on 21 September 1943.30 Jackson's revelations about
Sibelius created mixed feelings for Bruk, who recalls studying Sibelius at
the Rimsky-Korsakov University where Sibelius was 'a monument' and ťa
tradition'. To learn of his affiliations with the Nazi party was 'to say the
least, a shock', says Bruk. He ruefully admits that Sibelius's music continues
to be an influence on his own even though he cannot personally accept the
recently revealed actions of Sibelius.
According to Bruk, Symphony no. 11 is dedicated to a specific person
who 'does the noblest work in the world' but it is also a philosophical
composition. 'The image of Baltic gulls [on the cover of the CD and
represented by the upper woodwinds in the symphony] is a reflection of
the flight of thought, an aspiration to freedom, to knowledge, a feeling
of the vastness of the sea.' Given the dedication and story behind it, one
possible interpretation of the programmatic narrative reveals Jackson as the
Baltic gull, a free-thinking protagonist who is musically represented by the
continually evolving clarinet melody that opens the symphony; his 'flight
of thought' and his 'aspirations to knowledge' give him a birdseye view
of the racism and conflict in our world. The antisemitism and war conflicts
are aurally apparent in long stretches of dark, dissonant counterpoint and
clashing brass and percussion. A triumphant ending to the third movement,
a joyful Jewish celebration, is what I will refer to as the ideological goal of
the symphony (to be discussed later).
When questioned about his compositional influences other than Sibelius,
Bruk mentions Mahler, Berg, Schoenberg, and Oscar Peterson. Perhaps
in tribute to the latter, some jazz influences appear in Symphony no.u.
One specific correlation includes a section of jazz- like syncopation in the
first movement, a foreshadowing of the second. This quick, syncopated
rhythm, orchestrated with brass and percussion as shown in ex.5, evokes the
whimsical, perhaps even playful, side of 'The universe'.
At the outset of the symphony, the opening clarinet melody (ex.6) freely
winds its way through a series of developing variations and continues to
THE MUSICAL TIMES Autumn 20 1 J 3I
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32 Fridrich Bruk at 80: programmatic narratives and Jewish folk influences in Symphonies 3, 10 and 11

evolve over all three movements. There are discernible aural similarities

between the first two variations, but as the melodies continue to develop
they become increasingly divergent (as will be seen at the opening of the
third movement in the bass clarinet melody, ex.7). As shown in ex.6, a
comparison of the opening clarinet melody and its first distinct variation,
played by the oboe, reveals a segmented melody with clear contour and
rhythmic connections.
In ex.6, the similarities between the clarinet and oboe melodies are most
evident at the beginning and the end (the 'head' and 'tail' of the melody).

Ex.5: Fridrich Bruk: Symphony no.11, first movement, Rehearsal 22 (bars 315-18) showing brass with
syncopated figure and maracas

Ex.6: Fridrich Bruk: Symphony no. 11, first movement, comparison of two melodic excerpts

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Ex.7: Fridrich Bruk: Symphony no.ii, third movement, opening bass clarinet melody as a variation of
the two melodies shown in ex.6

THE MUSICAL TIMES Autumn 201J 33

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34 Fridrich Bruk at 80: programmatic narratives and Jewish folk influences in Symphonies j, 10 and 11

A comparison of the first bracketed section in each melody reveals marked

rhythmic and contour correlations. The second, smaller bracketed section
of the oboe melody shows an inverted contour segment in comparison
to the clarinet melody (although not an exact intervallic inversion). The
remainder of the melody has similar aural connections with both contour
and rhythm, but is varied in a freer, more improvisatory style rather than
through a strict motivic transformation. Despite the lack of strict motivic
repetitions, the orchestration, general contour, and rhythmic associations
allow for connections to be drawn between these melodies and their
variations over large periods of time. For instance, the opening of the
third movement begins with a solo bass clarinet melody (ex.7 ) followed
by oboe and strings, which is reminiscent of the opening clarinet melody in
movement 1 and contributes to the aural sensation of a varied recapitulation
without an exact return.

Within the narrative of this symphony, the darker moments - which

could metaphorically represent the cruelty, racism, and warring conflicts
within the world - contrast with lighter moments of humour such as those
seen in ex.5 an^ also found in the upbeat whimsical sections of the second
movement. Another element of this symphonic narrative is the occasional
interruption by the brass section which punches through the long, aphotic
stretches of counterpoint. The first appearance of the brass with such an
interruption occurs in bars 15-16 of the first movement; the trumpet part is
excerpted and shown in ex.8.
The trumpet enters assertively with accompanying brass and percussion
(preceded by a sparse texture and soft dynamic for maximum contrast). The
orchestration of this majestic melody, along with the similarly recurring
dotted figures in the timpani part, brings to mind the general topic of war
and, given Bruk's background, specifically call to mind the Holocaust. At a
climactic moment in the first movement, there is a confluence of two events
as the brass and a variation of the opening clarinet melody merge together,
shown in ex.9. A gesture similar to the opening three-note motive played
by the clarinet (in ex.6) begins with the french horns (ex.9, bracket 1). The
orchestration expands to include woodwinds and strings in the second bar
of the example but the low brass (trombone and tuba) drive the phrase to
its culmination with the triplet figures. The three-note melodic gesture in
bracket 1 is almost the same as the opening clarinet gesture, with varied

Ex.8: Fridrich Bruk: Symphony no.11, first movement, bars 15-16, trumpet melody

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 pitch content. (Instead of arpeggiating a diminished triad beginning on
C, there is an Efcļ instead of an Eb on beat 2.) The next melodic fragment,
marked in bracket 2, retains the diminished triad outline from the clarinet
melody, transposed up a semitone from the original pitches D, F and Ab to
Eb, Fjt and Atļ.
In contrast to the severity of the first movement, the second movement
is light and humorous at the outset, although it eventually turns inward,
becoming pessimistic and dark before it lightens again as movement 3
approaches. The outset of the third movement, as previously mentioned,
recalls the opening of the symphony with its solo bass clarinet melody,
picked up and continued by the oboe. The conflict of ťthe universe ' begins to
broil anew and as the developing variations cycle through more repetitions,
the third movement drives toward the teleological goal of the symphony,
bar 1 102 (3 bars after Rehearsal 66), creating a musical moment that Bruk
describes as 'a Jewish celebration or feeling'. The melody that emerges in
this moment, shown in ex.ioa, is a Jewish dance melody played by violin 1
and 2 in octaves. The original folk-melody, shown in Example 10b, appears
as a G 'altered phrygian' mode with Blqs, Ebs and Abs. Bruk's variation, in
ex.ioa, contains Bbs and Dbs but remains centered on G, giving the melody
a locrian flavour.

This melody, one of the 700 folk melodies saved from extinction by
Beregovsky, no. 34 in Jewish instrumental folk music , is categorised as a

Ex.9: Fridrich Bruk: Symphony no.11, first movement, bars 342-44 (8 bars after Rehearsal 23)

THE MUSICAL TIMES Autumn 201J 35

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 36 Fridrich Bruk at 80: programmatic narratives and Jewish folk influences in Symphonies 3, to and 11

Ex.ioa: Fridrich Bruk: Symphony no.n, third movement, 'Variation on a Jewish melody' (the
teleological goal), three bars after Rehearsal 66 (bars 1102-05), violins 1 & 2

Ex.iob: Original Skotshne melody (no.34) as transcribed by Beregovsky (< Jewish

instrumental folk music ), bars 1-6

'Skotshne'.31 Skotshne, in general, are pieces of music typically found in

wedding banquets as solos, 'both as small-form pieces, and larger-form
pieces: fantasias and sets of variations on themes'.32 With this idea in mind,
the symphony itself could be considered a larger-form Skotshne as sets of
variations on themes, although Bruk has a more complex style of developing
variations than a simple Skotshne may have employed.
As the Jewish protagonist clearly emerges with fiddle in hand, this
Skotshne melody reveals itself as what I believe is the teleological goal
of the entire symphony. (The evolution and unfolding of the symphony
leading up to this moment would make an interesting analytical study all
on its own, but that degree of detail lies outside the scope of this article.)
Although Bruk cites the Skotshne inclusion as 'maybe, a result of personal
feeling in this moment', the melody also recalls the joyous dance-like coda
that concluded Symphony no. 3, as a reminder of and tribute to those who
have preserved (Beregovsky) and now continue to promote (Jackson) the
music of 'lost' Jewish composers.

klezmers by recording their melodies, Bruk continues the Jewish

31. Beregovsky: Jewish
instrumental folk music, p.101.
32. ibid., p. 12.
The music examples in this
article are reproduced by kind
permission of Fridrich Bruk.
As klezmers folk-music beregovsky
folk-music traditionbybytradition
personalisingrecording soughtand byintegrating
the melodies their personalising to melodies, preserve the the Bruk melodies aural continues tradition and integrating the Jewish of the
them into his symphonic works. His quotations and variations of Jewish
folk-melodies as well as his original melodies in the Jewish folk style ensure
the continuation of a great tradition, one that mirrors the spirit and courage
of the people behind the music. Saddened by the many crises of the world
currently, Bruk believes that 'people need something' in these difficult times.
In this way, he creates his music for society, with the same noble strivings as
those to which his dedications often refer.

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