Chamber Opera

In 2003 I wrote the chamber opera (or mystery play) The Story of the Rabbi and His Son, based on a story by the hasidic Rabbi Nachman of Braslaw. In writing the libretto I was lucky enough to have the help of Henri Volochonsky, one of the most significant authors in contemporary Russian modernism and at the same time an expert on Jewish religious tradition. The Jewish themes in the work are explicit: The coming of the messiah, the relationship between hasidism and orthodoxy, kabbalistic symbolism, and the figures of the four main characters, who would perhaps be at home anywhere in European folklore, but have much in common with the story of the Erlkönig. The libretto was transposed into Yiddish by Angelika Glau. There are five roles: a boy soprano, baritone, countertenor, bass and tenor. The orchestra consists of 13 musicians, some of whom are called upon to move between modern and historic instruments.
While I was writing the opera I had the feeling, as with the quartets, that every element in and around me was somehow participating in the work (alchemy?). When I look at the finished opera, it seems to me that my perceptions as a whole are perfectly reflected in it: A world in which a single spirit reveals itself on different levels that exist independently, knowing nothing of one another or of the entirety. The music does not exist to tell or illustrate the story, but rather to express its most diverse aspects, to give the ideas a material form. The music of each of the four scenes has a style of its own. I employed material from the Book of Quartets and several of my juvenile compositions.

***

The idea for the chamber Opera "Racine's Esther" came from Gilbert Saada, a music connoisseur and impassioned devotee of Racine. Racine's treatment of the Biblical story fascinated me along with the chance to write a further Jewish mystery play (in this case, a "Purimshpiel"). I found the opportunity to ridicule anti-Semitism especially rewarding. The opera was composed for an ensemble of seven baroque instruments and four singers who sing all the parts and also serve as a chorus. First performence: Esther de Racine: Oper von Boris Yoffe Ensemble Muscadin. Regie M. Rovensky Offene Kirche Elisabethen (Basel) 03.03.2006
http://www.esther-de-racine.com

Fragment from Esther (Video)

Another compositions

In the past few years I have composed nearly nothing that was not in some sense a commission – either from a friend, or from one of many ensembles and organizations.

Elis
für Gesang solo
für Cornelia Melian

Muse der Demut
für Klavier
für Konstantin Lifschitz

à la recherche du Cygne
für Geige, Klarinette, Horn und Cello
für Ensemble GAM, Moskau

Aus dem Hohelied
für Gesang und Streichqaurtett
für Rosamunde-Quartett, Hilliard-Ensemble
und Manfred Eicher

Drei Romanzen nach N. Sabolozki
(in Genedken an Blum)

Limericks für Kinderensemble,
(nach Struwwelpeter und Folkloretexte)
für Musikschule Kandel

Symphonie für Gitarre, Gambe, Cello und Stimme
für Augustin Wiedemann, Ekkehard Weber, Dmitri Dichtiar, Cornelia Melian
und Klaus Wildner

Aus Aschkenaz
für Gitarre
für Augustin Wiedemann

Angelus novus (Der neue Engel)
für Klavier
für Dina Ugorskaja

Namen
für Gambe, Bläserquintett und Harfe
für Ensemble Pro Arte, Petersburg

Psalm 19
für Tenor und Ensemble

Symbol für Geige und Bratsche
für Daniel und Gwenaelle

Vejashav
für Ensemble La Morra

Mit geschlossenen Augen für Klavier
für Kinder

Sonnet (Lautespieler) for Gamba solo
for Myrna Herzog

Ladino for Gamba solo
also for Myrna

Oratio de hominis dignitate for Gitarre
für Pavel Chlopovski

Gedicht (Poem) for Bratsche solo
for Roman Spitzer

Six drafts for a sonata of Vinteuil
for solo violin, for Daniel Kobyliansky, as a continuation of our conversations about Proust.

Leicht, aber mit Hingabe
for solo violin, for Daniel

Sijo (Einheit und Einsamkein des Mondes)
in memoriam Moon Shin
for Oboe, Harp and Quartett
(for Moon-Shin-Society, Korea)

Ich durste! (I’m thirsty!)
for violin, viola, oboe, clarinet, horn and bassoon was written for the Petersburg Pro Arte Institute in connection with B. Filanovsky’s project, “The Seven Words.”

Caprichos
for cello and guitar, for the Duo Heinrich-Bakowsky.

Sixteen pieces for harp. flute, oboe and bass clarinet
for my friends in Baden-Baden, Cynthia Opperman, Gudrun Knop, and Annette Konrad.

Speech
for Clarinet, Viola and Piano, also for Annette.

Baum für Fagott
für Diego Chenna

Six drafts
for solo cello, for Dmitri Dichtiar.

Bracha
for flute and cembalo, for Corina Marti (www.lamorra.info).

Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening
(text by Robert Frost, for voice and string quartet),

My Prayer
(text by F. Schubert, for voice, oboe, violin, and cello),

Folk Song
(text by R.M. Rilke, for voice, flute, and harp),
for J. Kühnel, M. Höfler, and C. Opperman.

The children’s piece “Von Prinzen, Prinzessinnen” for actors and orchestra was written for the Baden-Baden Philharmonic and performed under the title “Prinz Kuckuck”. (with M. Poliatskin, cembalo) An arrangement for piano, two violins, clarinet, viola and contrabass was performed at the Rüttihubeliade Festival as “The Fairy Tale.”

Aria
for String Trio, for the City of Karlsruhe.

VIER (Four)
a song cycle for mezzosoprano and three instruments, for the Ensemble La Morra.

Romance
for Piano-trio, for Ivan Sokolov

Folk Song
for solo violin, for Kolja Lessing.

Nachtmusik (Glasfenster bei Nacht)
für Horn, zwei Celli und Kontrabass
for 3. Rüttihubeliade

Klagenspiel for Blockflute
for Ulrike Mayer-Spohn www.ulrikems.info

Bagatellen for three Blockflutes
for Ulricke Mayer-Spohn

Meisterwerke der naiven Malerei
for Viola, Cello and Kontrabass
for Luckas Fierz

Bagatellen for Piano
for Angela

Tanka für vier Celli
für Baden-Badener Philharmonie

Essay,
Nine Dedications
for violin and piano

3 Canzoni for violin and strings
for Patricia Kopatschinskaja

(newspaper article).

At Patricia’s request, I wrote (2001-2003) a Motet for violin and orchestra.

My Variations for string quartet, flute, bassetthorn, piano and tuba (1998) were not a commission and have been performed by Staatskapelle Karlsruhe.

Two new songs:
Air and Angels (Donne) for Sopran and Chor
and
Russische Musik (Platonov) for Alt and Windquintett
were also not a commision

Sonata Ricercata
for piano (2000) was premiered by Konstantin Lifschitz.

Of my compositions from before 1996, I would like to mention the following:
Variations for orchestra, cantata No. 2 for soprano, mezzosoprano and orchestra with texts by Blake and the “Ave verum”; piano trio; string trio; nine string quartets in single movements; three fragments for orchestra; a sonata movement for flute and piano; cycles and individual poems for violin piano; (einfache) () (easy, simple?) sonatas and other pieces for viola and piano. Nearly all of my compositions in those days were performed in either St. Petersburg or Tel Aviv.

Arrangements

F. Schubert, A minor allegro “Lebensstürme” for piano four hands, arranged for piano. Premiered by Angela Yoffe (43rd Bad Hersfeld Festival).

F. Schubert, Hungarian Melody for piano, arranged for violin and piano.

M. Balakierev “Islamey” for piano arranged for two pianos (commissioned by the Duo F. and F. Önder; appeared 2003 on the CD 1001 Nacht, EMI Classics).

N. Rimsky-Korsakov “The Flight of the Bumblebee” arranged for two pianos (commissioned by the Duo F. and F. Önder).

F. Liszt Totentanz for piano and orchestra, arrenged for two pianos (commissioned by the Duo F. and F. Önder)

H. Vieuxtemps “Souvenir d’Amerique Yankee Doodle” for violin and piano arranged for violin and orchestra, for Patricia Kopatschinskaja; further performances with Y. Ideue the Baden-Baden Philharmonic).

Newspaper article

M. de Falla Suite populaire Espagnole for voice and piano arranged for violin and orchestra (for P. Kopatschinskaja).

W.A. Mozart, “The Violet” for voice and piano arranged for voice, violin, piano und two cellos (for G.Lipkind).

D. Gabrielli, 4 Ricercari for cello solo. One voice for the second cello (for D. Dichtiar).

W. A Mozart “Non piu andrai.” Arranged for flute, oboe, clarinet and bassoon (for the Baden-Baden Philharmonic)

H. Berlioz, “The Unknown Land“ from “Nuits d’ete” (voice and orchestra). A variant in D major.

S. Prokofiev, march in C major from the children’s music for piano, arranged for cello und piano (for the Duo R.Armleder - D.Hartman).

Numerous arrangements for diverse ensembles in the area of salon music (pieces by Elgar, Offenbach, Strauss, Loewe, Villa-Lobos, et al.)

Click to listen (MP3):
-		Six drafts for a sonata of Vinteuil, D. Kobyliansky, Violin
-		Vier, ein Liderzyklus Els Janssens, Ensemble La Morra 1. Villon 2. Mandelstam 3. Ise monogatari, Kapitel I 4. Der Herr der Burg
-		Namen A. Ivanov, Gambe; Ensemble Pro Arte, St. Petersburg (19.04.2009) A story is told of several Rabbis, arguing over an abstruse point of law. One of them, Rabbi Eliezer, vehemently disagreed with the other sages. After long debate, he at last said, "If the law is as I say, may this carob tree prove it!" And the carob tree uprooted itself from its place. But the sages said, "No proof can be brought from the carob tree." And Rabbi Eliezer said, "If the law is as I say, may the walls of the study house prove it!" And the walls of the study house began to bend inwards. But Rabbi Joshua rebuked them, saying, "When the sages debate, what right have you to interfere?" So, out of respect for Rabbi Joshua, the walls did not fall, but out of respect for Rabbi Eliezer they did not return to their place; hence they are still bent to this day.
-		Sonata ricercata (Angela Yoffe)
-		Introduction to "Rabbi...", G. Knop (Fl.), P. Kopatschinskaja (V-no), D. Dichtiar (Cello)
-		Sonnet (Myrna Herzog)
-		Kadenz to the Klavierkonzert Nr.26 von Mozart (Konstantin Lifschitz)
-		"Lebensstürme" (Schubert, arr.B. Yoffe) Angela Yoffe
-		Monolog of Esther from "Esther de Racine", Ulrike Hofbauer
-		Caprichos für Cello und Gitarre (D. Dichtiar, P. Chlopovsky
-		Volksweise for violin solo, D. Kobyliansky
-		Bagatellen für Klavier, Timur Ismagilov
-		Bagatellen für Klavier, Vadim Ryzhkov 1. 2. 3.
-		Bagatellen für Klavier, Angela Yoffe
-		Marsch from "Märchen"
-		Commentary to D.Gabriellis Ricercar for cello solo, M. Herzog and A. Tiefenbrunn, Viola da gamba
-		Une poule sur un mur qui picore du pain dur Picoti picota lève la queue et puis s'en va (Aus Limericks)
-		"Purr", the Cat-song from cantata for children Limerics, Ensemble Phoenix
		Der neue Engel; Dina Ugorskaja, Klavier
-		Fragment from "Esther de Racine" (J. Hagen, J. Knutti, B. Kusa, E. Janssens, "Muskadin"