Ben-Haim, P.: 3 Songs Without Words (1952)

Ausgabe für Viola und Klavier. Schwierigkeitsgrad: mittel.

Ben-Haim conceived his »Three Songs Without Words« as Vocalises for high voice and piano but later occurred to him that the songs lent themselves as well to instrumental performances; the various for solo instrument and piano are the composer's own arrangements of the Vocalises. The composer explains the three parts of this little Suite as »tone-picture of a oriental mood« and he adds that »whoever's imagination needs additional prompting may think that the long-breathed melodies of the Arioso were inspired by the mood of a summer day's pitiless heat in the bare Judean Hills, while the Ballad pictures the monotonous babbling of an oriental story-teller; the last song is based on a traditional folk tune of Sephardic-Jewish origin – a veritable pearl which I have only given a setting«.

Regarding the instrumental performances, the composer has said that »an instrumentalist playing the Three Songs should renounce all tendencies of virtuoso brilliance in favour of a purely melodic expression«. The Three Songs Without Words (which were written in 1952) take about 9 minutes in performance.

Komponist: Paul Ben-Haim.
Titel: 3 Lieder ohne Worte.
Verlag: Israel Music Institute IMI7365.

Inhalt:

• Arioso
• Ballad
• Sephardic Melody