Chamber Works 

יצירות קאמריות

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א שפליטער פון אין סוף

A Splinter of Infinity

for 3 male voices & 7 instruments, 2021 [ca. 10']

Alto flute (or bass recorder), oboe (or tenor shawm), tenor trombone, violin (or viola da gamba), cello (or double bass), box organ (or truhenorgel, continuo organ, electric organ), bass drum played by one of the singers.

Text: Avram Sutzkever (Yiddish) | Premier: Hortus Musicus Ensemble & conductor Andres Mustonen, MustonenFest, Tallinn, Estonia, Feb. 2022.

Video >>

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בגטלה

Bagatella Molto Viva

for 6 instruments, 2018 [ca. 2’]

Flute, clarinet, violin, cello, piano, percussion.

Commissioned by & dedicated to Boston Musica Viva ensemble and to their conductor Richard Pittman, in celebration of  the ensemble's 50th anniversary | Premiere: Boston Musica Viva, Boston, Oct. 2018.

Audio with score >>

 

שיר אֵם-הכלה

La madre de la novia

for voice & 10 instruments, 2018 [ca. 7’]

Voice, 2 recorders, 2 celli, double bass, guitar, lute, percussion

Text: Ladino folk song | Premier: Etty BenZaken & Modalius ensemble, Zucker Hall, Tel-Aviv, Dec. 2018

 

עכשיו

Now

for voice & 4 instruments, 2017 [ca. 16’]

Voice, cello, double bass, guitar, percussion

Text: Tanikawa Shuntaro (English) | Premiere: Etty BenZaken (voice) & Modalius ensemble. Conductor: Eitan Steinberg, Ha’teiva, Tel Aviv, March 2017.

CD audio, as part of 2021 album >>

 

טווייה

Spinning

for voice & 7 instruments, 2016 [ca. 8’]

Voice, recorder, violin, cello, double bass, guitar, accordion, percussion

Text: Ronit Matalon (Hebrew) | Premiere: Etty BenZaken (voice) & Modalius ensemble. Israel Music Fest, Beer Sheva Oct. 2016.

Video >>

CD audio, as part of 2021 album >>

 

גלים מעגליים

Circular Waves

Woodwind quintet, 2016 [ca. 8’]

Published by IMI, Israel Music Institute | Premiere: the Tel Aviv Quintet, Tel-Aviv, Sept. 2016.

Video, 2021 >>

Video, 2016 >>

 

התוועדות הנשמות

Assembly of the Souls

for voice & 7 instruments, 2014 [ca. 20’]

Voice, flute, clarinet, violin, cello, accordion, piano, percussion.

Text: from the Talmud, and by Abu al-Hassan al-Nuri (10th century) (Hebrew, Arabic) | Commission: Boston Musica Viva & conductor Richard Pittman Published by IMI, Israel Music Institute | Premier: Etty BenZaken (voice) & Boston Musica Viva ensemble. Conductor: Richard Pittman, Tzai Performance Center, Boston, USA, Sept. 2014.

Video >>

 

השתקפויות שקטות לכינור וויולה

Quiet Reflections for Violin & Viola, 2014 [ca. 20’]

Composed for a dance piece by Butoh dancer Maya Dunsky (“Table of Silence”) | Premiere: Yael Barolsky (violin) & Amit Landau (viola), Ha’teiva, Tel Aviv, Nov. 2014.

Audio >>

 

פרק לרביעיית כלי קשת, לבני נוער

Movimiento per Quarteto D'archi

for youth string quartet, 2014 [ca. 2’]

Commission: Israel Composers' League's project "Composing for young musicians" | Premier: The youth string quartet of Tivon Conservatory, Tel-Aviv, June 2014.

Video, starts at 5:34 >>

 

יונים יונים

Yonim Yonim

for two female voices, 2013 [ca. 10’]

Studio version: recorded by Etty BenZaken & Anat Pick

Concert version: 2 voices & sound track | Premiere: Etty BenZaken & Anat Pick, Tel Aviv, Nov. 2014.

Audio >>

CD audio, as part of 2021 album >>

 

דג זיכרון רוקד

Dancing Memory Fish

for voice and 10 instruments, 2012 [ca. 17’]

Voice, woodwind quartet, string quartet, double bass, percussion.

Text: Harold Schimell, 3 folk children songs (English, Arabic, German, Ladino) | Premiere: Etty BenZaken (voice) and the Israeli Contemporary Players. Conductor: Ilan Volkov, Tel Aviv Museum of Art, June 2012.

Video >>

 

מדרגות הנסתר

Stairs of the Unknown

for voice & 5 instruments, 2009 [ca. 13’]

Voice, flute, clarinet, violin, cello piano.

Text: Raquel Chalfi (Hebrew) | Commission: Meitar ensemble, with the support of Tel Aviv Foundation for the Arts | Premier: Etty BenZaken (voice) & Meitar ensemble. Conductor: Eitan Steinberg, Contempo New Music Festival, Tel Aviv, Jan. 2009 | Recorded and broadcasted live by the Israeli Radio | Featured in Etty BenZaken’s CD “Voice Drawings", 2013.

Audio >>

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תהליכים קוסמיים בלב II

Cosmic Progressions in the Heart II

for 10 instruments, 2011 [ca. 13’]

Flute, oboe, clarinet, violin, viola, cello, double bass, piano, accordion, percussion.

Commission & premiere: ensemble El Perro Andaluz, Dresden, Feb. 2012.

Video >>

 

Travvvveling

for 2 female voices, 2006 [ca. 5’]

Text: E. E. Cummings (English) | Premiere: Etty BenZaken & Anat Pick (vocalists), Festival "Kola shel Ha-mila," Jerusalem, March 2006.

Video >>

CD audio, as part of 2021 album >>

 

מילמולין

Milmulin

for a Shaman & 2 percussionists, 2005 [ca. 14’]

Text: Etty BenZaken (Imaginary language) | Premiere: Etty BenZaken (voice), Karen Phenpimon-Zehavi, Abe Doron (percussion players), Department of Theater, Tel-Aviv University, May 2004.

Audio >>

 

רעוא דרעוין (גרסה אינסטרומנטלית)

Rava Deravin (instrumental version)

for viola & string quartet,  2003 [ca. 16’]

Premiere: Kim Kashkashian (viola) & Kuss Quartet, Kronberg Viola Festival, Kronberg, Germany, May 2003 | Featured in "Neharot" CD, ECM Records, 2009.

Audio >>

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את חילווה

At Chilwe

for voice & 6 instruments, 2003 [ca. 16’]

Voice, flute, Arabic violin, Viola, double- bass, percussion.

Text: Koby Viner (Hebrew, Arabic) | Commission: "Aley Shir" in memory of Dany Cohen | Premiere: Etty BenZaken (voice) & "Shesh Besh – the Arab-Jewish Ensemble", "Aley Shir" concert in memory of Dany Cohen, Kibbutz Mizra, Feb. 2003 | Featured in BenZaken’s CD “Voice Drawings", 2013.

Audio >>

 

נהר השלום

Peace River

for voice & 7 instruments, 2002  [ca. 15’]

Voice, flute, clarinet, violin, 2 violas, cello, piano (Chamber version of parts of the orchestral piece “Where The Peace River Flows”)   Text: Walt Whitman (Serbo-croatian, Turkish, Arabic, Hebrew, Portuguese, Polish, Vietnamese, English, Indonesian, Korean) | Premiere: Etty BenZaken (voice) & soloists from the Israel Philharmonic, “New Music Biennale” Tel Aviv Museum of Art, Tel-Aviv, Israel, Oct. 2002.

  

רעוא דרעוין

Rava Deravin

for voice & 6 instruments, 2001 [ca. 14’]

Voice, flute, clarinet, violin, viola, cello, piano.

Text: Ha’ari (Aramaic) | Premiere: Etty BenZaken (voice) &  Boston Musica Viva ensemble. Conductor: Richard Pittman, Boston, USA, Nov. 2002 | Featured in Eitan Steinberg’s CD "Rava Deravin – Boston Musica Viva in Eitan Steinberg's Chamber Works", 2002 | Featured in the CD "BenZaken sings Steinberg and Bardanashvili", 2010.

Audio >>

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גשם שקוף

Transparent Rain

for voice & piano, 2001 [ca. 4’]

Text: Israel Pinkas (Hebrew) | Premiere: Etty BenZaken (voice) & Irena Friedland (piano), Haifa University, Feb. 2005 | Featured in Etty BenZaken’s CD “Voice Drawings", 2013.

Audio >>

 

שביר

Fragile

for 6 instruments, 2000 [ca. 8’]

Flute, clarinet, violin, cello, piano, percussion.

Commission: Berkeley Contemporary Chamber Players | Premiere: by BCCP, University of California, Berkeley, April 2000 | Featured in Eitan Steinberg’s CD "Rava Deravin – Boston Musica Viva in Eitan Steinberg's Chamber Works", 2002.

Audio >>

 

Guitardion

for guitar quartet, 2000 [ca. 10’]

Commission: San Francisco Guitar Quartet | Published by IMI, Israel Music Institute.

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Moving/Stills

for 8 voices & 15 instruments and 8 voices, 1999 [ca. 17’]

2 sopranos, 2 altos, 2 tenors, 2 basses, 2 flutes, clarinet, bass clarinet, 2 horns, 2 violins, 2 violas, double bass, mandolin, guitar, accordion, percussion.

 

Talk Talk Talk

for strings trio, 1997 [ca. 5’]

Commission: Jerusalem Academy of Music and Dance | Published by IMI, Israel Music Institute | Premiere: at the Jerusalem Academy of Music and Dance, March 1998, Jerusalem, Israel | Featured in Eitan Steinberg’s CD "Rava Deravin – Boston Musica Viva in Eitan Steinberg's Chamber Works", 2002.

Video >>

CD audio >>

 

שני סבים שרים

Two Grandfathers Sing

for flute and string quartet, 1996 [ca. 11’]

Premiere: Rami Tal (flute) & Musica Nova ensemble, Tel-Aviv, Israel, May 1996 | Featured in Eitan Steinberg’s CD "Rava Deravin – Boston Musica Viva in Eitan Steinberg's Chamber Works", 2002.

Audio >>

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בנקיק נסתר בצוקים איילה שותה מים

In a Hidden Cleft Among Cliffs a Gazelle Drinks Water  

for voice & viola, 1985/1996 [ca. 10’]

Text: various poets (multi lingual) | Premiere: Etty BenZaken (voice) & Michelle Dulak (viola), Hertz Hall, Berkeley, Oct. 1996 | Featured in Eitan Steinberg’s CD "Rava Deravin – Boston Musica Viva in Eitan Steinberg's Chamber Works", 2002.

Audio >>

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בהשראת שיר-חתונה בלאדינו

After a Ladino Wedding Song

for voice and 3 violas, 1994 [ca. 6’]

Text: Judeo-Spanish folk song from Morocco | Premiere: Etty BenZaken & UC Berkeley musicians, Hertz Hall, Berkeley, Nov. 1994.

 

La Vita di Sempre

for mezzo-soprano, 2 narrators & 11 instruments, 1987/93 [ca. 15’]

Voice, 2 narrators, woodwind quartet, trumpet, horn, string quartet, percussion.

Text: Inge Steinberg (Italian & French) | Premiere: Etty BenZaken (voice) & Musica Nova ensemble, Tel-Aviv, Israel, April 1994.

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עיניים שקטות

Silent Eyes

for voice & 6 instruments, 1991 [ca. 10’]

Voice, recorder, string trio, ud, tabla.

Text: Yehuda Halevy, E.E. Cummings (Hebrew, English) | Premiere: Etty BenZaken (voice), Tel-Aviv, Israel, April 1991 | Recorded by the Israeli Radio.

Video excerpt >>

 

סמטה, ציפור ושלושה מלאכים

An Alley, A Bird And Three Angels

Mezzo-soprano, clarinet, 2 violins, viola, piano, 1991 [ca. 10]

Text: Lea Goldberg | Premiere: Etty BenZaken & ensemble, as part of the “Music Now” series, Tel Aviv Museum of Arts, April 1992.

 

האיש הזקן שאמר 'למה'

The Old Man Who Said ‘Why’

for mezzo-soprano & 9 instruments, 1990 [ca. 15’]

Voice, woodwind quartet, string quartet, percussion.

Text: E.E. Cummings, Traditional Sephardic poem, Dante Alighieri, Else Lasker Schuler, Galit Florenz, Antonio Machado (English, Ladino, Italian, German, Hebrew, Spanish) | Premiere: Etty BenZaken (voice) & Musica Nova ensemble. Conductor: Itay Talgam, Tel-Aviv Museum of Art, Tel-Aviv, Israel, Nov. 1990 | Recorded by the Israeli Radio.

Audio >>

 

פשטות

Simplicity

for voice & 3 instruments, 1989 [ca. 10’]

Voice, soprano saxophone, accordion, guitar.

Text: 3 folksongs, alongside text by E. E. Cummings (Arabic, Bulgarian, English, Ladino) | Published by IMI, Israel Music Institute | Premiere: Etty BenZaken (voice), Rachel Yatskan (saxophone), Daniel Akiva (guitar), Naftaly Aharoni (accordion), Tel-Aviv, Israel, March 1990 | Recorded by the Israeli Radio.

Audio >>

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זכרונות עתיד

Future Memories

for trombone, 2 pianos, 2 percussion players, 1985 [ca. 12’]  

Premiere: Jerusalem Rubin Academy, June 1985.