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From Jewish Life From Jewish Life

1 Bruch: Kol Nidrei, Op.47 [9:31] Max Bruch wrote his Kol Nidrei in 1881 after it later style shown powerfully in the other works 2 Bloch: Sonata for violoncello & piano [13:44] had been sung to him by his friend A.J. in this collection. 3 Stutschewsky: Kinah [5:18] Lichtenstein, the cantor at the Synagogue in Stettin, Germany. This Kol Nidrei is sub-titled ‘an Cellist of the Kolish Quart e t , J o a ch i m 4 Trad: Dona, Dona [1:49] adagio on Hebrew melodies’ and its opening Stutschewsky was born in the Ukraine in 1891, 5 Trad: Avreml, the pickpocket [3:26] theme is an adaptation of the prayer traditionally and settled in Palestine in 1938. His decision to sung on the eve of the Day of Atonement, the move was prompted by personally witnessing Bernstein: 2 Meditations, from ‘Mass’ most solemn day in the Jewish year. ‘the mob scene in Berlin the night that Hitler 6 Meditation I [4:08] came to power’ (Hirschenberg Documents, 7 Meditation II [3:34] Ernest Bloch’s early Cello Sonata (1897) has 1990). His style of composition incorporated n ever been published or re c o r ded. Th e popular Jewish songs and dances—’our own art Bloch: From Jewish Life celebrated English cellist Steven Isserlis music’, and he was well known as a energetic 8 Prayer [3:30] unearthed the music a few years ago and gave the champion and collector of Jewish folk music. 9 Supplication [2:11] world premier at the Wigmore Hall in London. I Kinah, translated as lament, is a fine example of subsequently called him to ask if I could borrow his heartfelt and compelling music. 10 Jewish Song [2:13] the music, and to ask if he had plans to record the work on disc. He explained that since he felt Of the three Klezmer songs, Dona Dona, Avreml 11 Bloch: Méditation Hebraïque [5:47] that it is an immature work, he preferred not to the Pickpocket and Chanukah Oy Chanukah, 12 Schedrin: Cardil [6:42] record it. I asked if he minded if I did so—he Dona Dona touches on an important element in 13 Trad: Chanukah Oy Chanukah [3:24] graciously and generously encouraged me to Jewish music; irony. Jewish musicians have for 14 Bloch: Nigun (improvisation) from Baal Shem (3 pictures of Chassidic Life) [7:23] make a recording. I agree with Steven that it is a generations been asked to provide cheerful music young work, but for me still a beautiful and for social occasions, when their lives we re interesting one, in that it shows Bloch’s early a n y t h i ng but ch e e r ful. The most ex t r e m e Total running time: [72.43] style. This style, similar to that of Faure perhaps, example perhaps occurring at Auschwitz Death pre-dates his later mature Jewish voice. As he Camp in which the camp band were forced, comments; ‘I am a Jew ... I aspire to write Jewish under threat of death, to play for their fellow Paul Marleyn, cello - John Lenehan, piano music because it is the only way in which I can prisoners as they were led into the gas chambers. p r oduce music of v i t a l i t y.’ It is especially Consequently a style of Jewish folk music has www.signumrecords.com interesting to compare this work with Bloch’s developed which describes the saddest events in SignumClassics, Signum Records Ltd., Suite 14, 21 Wadsworth Road, Perivale, Middx UB6 7JD, UK +44 (0) 20 8997 4000 E-mail: [email protected] - 3 - 505_booklet 12/8/08 12:02 Page 5

an almost agonizingly cheerful vein. If anything within himself through meditation’ (L.B.). The described it to me, the work is set in the Pale piano part, which he quietly ignored, choosing this adds to the poignancy of the music. Dona Meditations are dedicated to Bernstein’s close region of Russia just after the devastating 2nd instead to create a fabulously different version D o n a, a famous Jewish folk song, d r aws a friend, the Russian cellist, Msislav Rostropovitch. World War. This village can boast young boys, each time we played the work, much to the parallel between the life of a calf, and the fate of Perhaps it is not by chance that this work’s old men, and many women, including some very chagrin of our wonderful producer, Andrew the Jewish race over the centuries; ‘On a wagon opening four notes are an exact inversion of the l o n e ly yo u ng women. When two handsome Keener! lies a calf bound with a rope. High above flies a opening of Dvorak’s Cello Concerto. Cossack soldiers ride into town on holiday, a swallow happily darting to and fro. The calf cries dance breaks out in the village square and the The American cellist Joseph Schuster arranged out. The farmer says ‘who told you to be a calf, Ernest Bloch was born in 1880 of Swiss-Jewish party begins! this ve rsion of N i g u n ( I m p rovisation) from you could have been a bird—a swallow.’ Poor parents in Geneva where his father ran a clock Baal Shem—Three Pictures of Chassidic Life, a c a l ves are tied up, d r ag ged to marke t , a n d m a k i ng bu s i n e s s. From 1887 to 1889 he The traditional song Chanukah Oy Chanukah p o we r ful work for violin and piano. Mr. slaughtered. But those who have wings are slaves attended the Brussels Conservatoire, studying celebrates the family festival of Chanukah, an Schuster’s transcription loses none of the passion to no-one.’ violin with the world-famous virtuoso, Eugene eight day festival of candles, dancing, presents, and fervor of this moving work, a work which Y s aye. After two fu rther ye a rs of s t u dy in joy and love. I would like to thank my friend and Bloch dedicated to the memory of his mother. In our second traditional song, Avreml describes composition in Germany, he returned to work in colleague John Lenehan for the piano parts in the his world; ‘I became an orphan when I was his father’s business, using his spare time for three songs. I did initially provide John with a Paul Marleyn, September 2003 young. The dark gutter raised me in dirt, and I composing. In 1916, he was invited to conduct became a thief. I am Avreml, a great artist, I work the Maude Allen Dance Troupe on an extended lightly and confidently. But soon the game will be tour of America. On arr iva l , h oweve r, h e Paul Marleyn (cello) has appeared as soloist and wo r l dwide by United done. Sick from beatings, weak from prison, I discovered that the troupe had gone bankrupt! recitalist throughout Europe, Asia and North Records, and he has since have but one request; that my gravestone will The stranded Bloch decided to settle in the US. He America, most notably in London’s Wigmore recorded for RCA Victor state in letters of gold. Here lies Avreml, the soon made his mark in New York, as professor at Hall, Boston’s Jordan Hall, Chicago’s Cultural and CBC Records. greatest of all pickpockets. He would have been a the Mannes School of M u s i c. A year later, Centre, and Geneva’s Victoria Saal. In 1984 Paul great man, a fine man with true heart, a pious, describing his composition, he wrote ‘It is the was chosen for a BBC TV feature entitled Debut, An active ch a m b e r righteous man, had he had a mother’s care, had J ewi sh soul that interests me, the complex . and has subsequently performed regularly as m u s i c i a n , Paul has the gutter not been his home’. glowing, agitated soul which I feel vibrating soloist on WGBH radio in the US, CBC Radio in appeared in the Chamber throughout the Bible ... this is in me, and is the Canada, Classic FM and BBC Radio 3 in the UK. Music East, Prussia Cove, Famous both as a conductor, and as composer of better part of me. It is this which I endeavour to He recorded Haydn’s D major Concerto for DRS Cape Cod, L e i c e s t e r West Side Story, Leonard Bernstein was strongly transcribe in my music; the venerable soul of the TV in Switzerland in 1992, and subsequently I n t e r n a t i o n a l , O t t awa influenced by jazz and by his Jewish roots (see race that slumbers way down in our soul.’ In the embarked on a ten city Swiss Tour. He has I n t e r national and Norfolk chamber music his Kaddish Symphony). The Two Meditations ye a rs 1923-4, as Director of the Cleve l a n d appeared as soloist with the Royal Liverpool festivals. Since 2000 he has been Artistic Director a re taken from his 1971 stage pro d u c t i o n , Institute of M u s i c, B l o ch wrote H e b r e w P h i l h a r m o n i c, B e lgrade Ra d i o, Wi n n i p eg of the Agassiz Summer Music Festival and the ‘Mass’. They appear as two interludes in the Mass Meditation, From Jewish Life and Nigun. S y m p h o ny, S y m p h o ny Nova Scotia, N ew Agassiz Chamber Players series in Winnipeg, in which the solo cello and orchestra invite ‘each Orchestra of Toronto, Manitoba Chamber and Canada. Paul also has a special interest in new individual on the stage ... and ultimately in Rodion Schedrin transcribed C a d r i l f r om his European Chamber orchestras. In 1993, his first music, having been a frequent guest of the the audience ... to find a new seed of faith 1976 opera ‘Dead Souls’. As the composer disc Russian Cello Sonatas was re l e a s e d prestigious German group Ensemble Modern,

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the Winnipeg Du Maurier New Music Festival, John Lenehan (piano) and the Almeida, L v iv Contrasts and Recorded at St.George’s Bristol, 11 - 13 March 1996 Donaueshinger festivals. Paul has commissioned John Lenehan is one of B r i t a i n ’s most Production, engineering and editing by Floating Earth new works by Bramwell Tovey, Kevin Volans, ex p e r i e n c e d , ve rsatile and sought after Producer: Andrew Keener Michael Matthews, David Scott, Glenn Buhr, Jim musicians. He made his Proms debut in 1996 Engineer: Mike Clements Hiscott and Rodion Schedrin. playing Falla’s Harpsichord Concerto and the Editors: Limo Hearn & Raphael Mouterde fo l l ow i ng year appeared with the London Booklet notes: Paul Marleyn Paul is currently Associate Professor of Cello and P h i l h a r monic Orchestra in Ra ch m a n i n o f f ’s Text and translation editor: Christine Darby Chamber Music at the University of Manitoba in second piano concerto at the Barbican Centre. He Booklet design and typesetting: Jan Hart Winnipeg, where he now makes his home. Paul has perfo rmed with the Royal Philharm o n i c Design and Artwork: ATX Design values teaching very highly, and frequently gives O r chestra in their Festival Hall Gers h w i n m a s t e rclasses at the Royal Academy, R oya l Centenary concert (1999), played Mozart with N o r t h e r n College, L ive rpool and Belgr a d e the English Chamber Orchestra and appeared as U n ive r sities in Euro p e, the unive rsities of soloist with the Ulster Orchestra, Manchester Western Ontario, Alberta and Lawrence in North Camerata, BBC National Orchestra of Wales, America, and the Shen Yang, Jinan, and Xian London Concert Orchestra and the London P 2004 The copyright in this sound recording is owned by Signum Records Ltd. Conservatories in Asia. In 1994 he was elected Sinfonietta conducted by Sir Simon Rattle. John Any unauthorised broadcasting, public performance, copying or re-recording of an Associate of the Royal Academy of Music, and Lenehan also travels extensively performing and Signum Compact Discs constitutes an infringement of copyright and will render the infringer liable to in 2003 re c e ived a pre s t igious Care e r re c o r d i ng with many of t o d ay’s leading an action by law. Licences for public performances or broadcasting may be obtained from Development Grant from the Canada Council. instrumentalists including Nigel Kennedy, Julian Phonographic Performance Ltd, 1 Upper James Street, London W1R 3HG, UK Lloyd Webber, James Galway, Emma Johnson, In 1985, after 3 years of study with David Tasmin Little and Sarah Chang. During the past © 2004 The copyright of this CD booklet, notes, translations and visual design S t r a nge at the Royal Academy of Music in few years he has appeared in major concert halls is owned by Signum Records Ltd. L o n d o n , Paul was awa rded a Fulbrig h t in Amsterd a m , Vi e n n a , S a l z bu r g, N ew Yo r k , Scholarship to continue his studies privately with Washington, Toronto, Seoul and Tokyo. All rights reserved. No part of this booklet may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or Yo Yo Ma in Boston, and with Lawrence Lesser at transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or the New England Conservatory. He gained a otherwise, without prior permission from Signum Records Ltd. M a s t e r s Degree and Artist Diploma befo re completing his training at Yale University with Booklet part number: SIGCD505.1 CD part number: SIGCD505 Aldo Parisot.

Paul Marleyn is represented by Colwell Arts Management. www.signumrecords.com SignumClassics, Signum Records Ltd., Suite 14, 21 Wadsworth Road, Perivale, Middx UB6 7JD, UK +44 (0) 20 8997 4000 E-mail: [email protected]

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