Eitan Steinberg & Etty BenZaken
Eitan & Etty Interdisciplinary Collaborations, Chamber operas and Music-Theater
Search Expedition 220
2019
Chamber Opera for 6 vocalists and ensemble
Music: Eitan Steinberg
Stage directing, stage design, fabric artworks: Etty BenZaken
Text: multi-lingual fragments edited by Etty BenZaken
Premier: Israel Music Fest, Tel Aviv Museum of Art, 2019 | Conductor: Eitan Steinberg | Singers-Actresses: Etty BenZaken and Alma Vocal Ensemble | Instrumentalists: Modalius Ensemble | Lighting Design: Uri Rubinstein | Amplification: Amit Pais | Assistant-director: Ehud Vardi
Amulet for the Widening of the Heart
2015
Installation
Original music and sound design: Eitan Steinberg
Visual design and quilts: Etty BenZaken
Commission and support: The Van Leer Jerusalem Institute and the Polonskyfamily | Premier: as part of the exhibition "What is Memory? 70 Years Later" at the Polonsky Academy, The Van Leer Jerusalem Institute, 2015 | Lighting design: Uri Rubinstein | Recording engineer: Rafi Eshel
Naturale
2007
Visual theater scene for one actress, to accompany the music performance of Luciano Berio's "Naturale" for viola and percussion.
No text, 20 min.
Stage design, stage directing, mask: Etty BenZaken
Music by Luciano Berio
Premier: Musiktriennale in Koln, Germany | Performers: Etty BenZaken, Kim Kashkashian (viola) and Robyn Schulkovsky (percussion) | Costumes: Barak Aviam
The Fool
2007
Music-Theater for a singer-actress, viola and percussion (chamber version of The Fool who Loved Singing).
English, 30 min.
Music: Eitan Steinberg
Text, stage design, stage directing: Etty BenZaken
Premiere: Musiktriennale, Koln, Germany, 2007 | Performers: Etty BenZaken (singer-actress), Kim Kashkashian (viola), Robyn Schulkovsky (percussion) | Recording: WDR | Costumes: Barak Aviam
The Fool who Loved Singing
2006
Music-Theater for a singer-actress, a dancer, narrator and 7 instruments.
Hebrew & English, 30 min.
Music: Eitan Steinberg
Text, stage design, stage directing: Etty BenZaken
Commission and premiere: the Voice of Music Festival in Upper Galilee, 2006 | Performers: Etty BenZaken (singer-actress) Anat Shamgar (dancer), Josef Sprinzak (sound-text artist), Michael Melzer, Yael Melzer (recorder players), Galia Hai (viola), Chagit Glazer (cello), Oded Shoub (guitar), Alon Sariel (mandolin), Amnon Yoel (percussion) | Costumes: Barak Aviam | Lighting design: Judy Kupferman
Stabat Mater - a Human Prayer
2004
Music-Theater for singer-actress, string quartet and a sound track.
English, Arabic, Hebrew, Ladino, Latin, 30 min.
Music: Eitan Steinberg
Text: Etty BenZaken, alongside folk and traditional texts
Stage design, stage directing and fabric collage: Etty BenZaken
Commission and premier: the Voice of Music Festival in Upper Galilee, Israel, 2004 | Additional support: the Jehoshua Rabinowitz Tel Aviv Foundation for the Arts | Performers: Etty BenZaken and the Israeli Contemporary Quartet, Aug. 2004 | Costumes: Margalit BenZaken | Arabic translation: Gasan Jammal | Lighting design: Hanni Vardi
US premier performers: Durham, , North Carolina, March 2006 | Performers: Etty BenZaken and ensemble Mallarme
European premier: Lisbon, Portugal, October 2007 | Performers: Etty BenZaken and Ensemble Orchestrautopica
The Sultan is Pregnant
2002
Music-Theater for a singer-actress and 7 instruments.
English, Hebrew, Arabic, 30 min.
Music: Eitan Steinberg
Text, stage design, stage directing: Etty BenZaken
Commission and premier: the Voice of Music Festival in Upper Galilee,2002 | Performers: Etty BenZaken and the festival's ensemble, conductor: Eitan Steinberg | Costumes: Margalit BenZaken | Arabic translation: Gasan Jammal | Lighting design: Uri Rubinstein
American premiere: Boston, USA, 2004 | Performers: Etty BenZaken and ensemble Boston Musica Viva, conductor: Richard Pittman
Princess of Five Faces
1995
Music-Theater for a singer-actress and 7 instruments.
Hebrew, English, 30 min.
Music: Eitan Steinberg
Text: Etty BenZaken, inspired by "Dictionary of the Khazars" by Milorad Pavic
Stage design, stage directing and masks: Etty BenZaken
Premier: the Voice of Music Festival in Upper Galilee, 1995 | Performers: Etty BenZaken (singer-actress), Eyal Lerner (recorders), Shmuel Katz (violin), Avri Levitan (viola), Yagi Malka (cello), Danny Akiva (guitar), Chen Cimbalista, Yuval Micenmacher (percussion) | Costumes: Margalit BenZaken | Assistant director: Sigal Fishtein | Lighting design: Felice Ross
Works created for Jewish and Arab theater students:
The Merry Fishermen's Island
2012
Bilingual Children Play.
Hebrew and Arabic, 55 min.
Text: Etty BenZaken
Stage directing: Etty BenZaken
Stage design, costume design, fabric collages: Etty BenZaken
Music: Eitan Steinberg
Production of the Theater Department at the University of Haifa, Israel | Premier: University of Haifa, May 2012 | Additional performances: Neve Yosef Festival of Community Theater, Haifa, Israel, 2012 | Performers: University of Haifa's students Alon Cohen; Ehud Vardi; Fidaa Zidan; Yael Yasur; Rachel Grinwald; Hadassa Libeskind; Amir Nakhfawi; Orna Stein | Dramaturgy: Dorit Yerushalmi | Lighting design: Uri Rubinstein
Fabrics' Stories
2011
Music-Theater for 16 actors.
Hebrew and Arabic, 60 min.
Text: Etty BenZaken, based on folk tales
Stage directing, stage design: Etty BenZaken
Musical guidance: Eitan Steinberg
Production of the Theater Department at the University of Haifa, Israel | Premier: University of Haifa, May 2011 | Additional performances: The Hebrew-Arabic Theater, Jaffa, Israel, 2011; Neve Yosef Festival of Community Theater, Haifa, Israel, 2011; Multi-Cultural Fest at Haifa City Theater, Israel, 2011 | Performers: University of Haifa's students Assil Abu-Warda; Khaula Ibrahim; Henry Andreus; Gili Batat; Alon Golan; Gal Doron; Samaa Wakeem; Ehud Vardi; Morad Hasan; Khulud Tannus; Lama Naamne; LibiSokolova; Reut Tzoref; Shaden Kanbura; Efrat Karni; Reshit Teena-Amar | Dramaturgy: Dorit Yerushalmi | Costume design: Etty BenZaken & Dana Palmon | Lighting design: Uri Rubinstein