The Klezmer Concerto by Ofer Ben-Amots
WORLD PREMIERE
The source of inspiration to this concerto is the unique musical language of clarinetist David Krakauer. Over the last four years I have collaborated with David on several performance and recording projects. It is, however, the first time that I wrote a composition entirely dedicated to him and with the intention to prominently feature his playing. In October 2004, I visited David in New York City and we went over some early sketches. The few hours we spent together seemed to me more like a wizardry session than a musical rehearsal. David demonstrated amazing sounds, passages, and techniques; something I had never heard before and never imagined possible. Some of these inspiring sounds found their way into the composition and they echo frequently throughout the solo clarinet part.
The concerto opens with a slow but intense movement titled Pastoral Doyna. A Doyna is a lament-like melody -- both declamatory and melancholic -- of Eastern-European origin, most likely Romanian, Gypsy, or Jewish. The opening by the string ensemble is reminiscent of the awakening sound of nature. On top of the busy accompaniment, the clarinet enters with occasional shouts, echoes, and cry-like gestures.
The second movement is a sort of a wedding-waltz, titled: Dance of the Seven Circles. The name goes back to the old Jewish tradition according to which a bride must circle seven times around the bridegroom before the actual start of the marriage ceremony. The nature of this movement is a mixture of irony and passion, humor and pain. At the end of the waltz the clarinetist is invited to play a free cadenza and improvise on previous motives and melodic patterns. The movement ends with a return to the orchestra, with a soulful lament and quiet murmuring of the soloist.
The third and last movement of the concerto is titled Halleluyah (Praise the Lord.) It is inspired by the textual content, vibrant rhythms and many musical instruments suggested in the 150th Psalm:
150:1 Praise the Lord! Praise God in His sanctuary; Praise Him in His mighty firmament!
150:2 Praise Him for His mighty acts; Praise Him according to His excellent greatness!
150:3 Praise Him with the sound of the trumpet; Praise Him with the lute and harp!
150:4 Praise Him with the timbrel and dance; Praise Him with stringed instruments and flutes!
150:5 Praise Him with loud cymbals; Praise Him with crashing cymbals!
150:6 Let everything that has breath praise the Lord. Praise the Lord!
Toward the end of this movement, there is a second solo cadenza in a perpetual motion style, where upon the players of the orchestra join in and add their voices to the pandemonium with a song of praise: "Halleluyah!"
--Notes
by the composer
