Israeli Country Dances, Suite

A rare recording from 1952:
(The first 5 seconds of the recording are missing; we weren’t able to recover them from the original tape.)
Marc Lavry, Conductor (Lavry can be heard announcing the movements in Hebrew)
Kol Israel Symphony Orchestra (The Broadcasting Service Orchestra)

Note: Marc Lavry wrote two variations for the suite Israeli Country Dances, for Symphonic Orchestra and for Piano:

Israeli Country Dances, Suite for Orchestra, duration of 14:00 minutes:

• Opening
• Procession
• Mountain Folk
• The Amorous Shepherd
• The Shepherdess
• Polka
• Peasant’s Dance
• In the Valley
• Debka
• Hora Finale

Israeli Country Dances, Suite for Piano – which includes only 5 parts, and duration of 7:00 minutes:

• Procession
• Mountain Folk
• The Amorous Shepherd
• The Shepherdess
• Polka

Pianist Alan Sternfeld for Psanterin: Anthology of Israeli Music for Piano

Publisher: The Marc Lavry Heritage Society

Synopsis:
The suite Israeli Country Dances presents 10 images of the atmosphere of the new state of Israel in the mid 20th century. Composer Marc Lavry makes an original indirect use of dance to describe the way of life and landscapes.

• Opening: An exposition depicting Israeli landscapes through Lavry’s typical orchestration.
• Part I – Procession: A majestic march at a 2/2 rhythm.
• Part II – Mountain Folk: A breezy, rhythmic and quick dance.
• Part III – The Amorous Shepherd: A macho and clunky movement with a touch of grace.
• Part IV – The Shepherdess: A song of the gentle and shy timid mountain girl.
• Part V – Polka: An Israeli and humorous interpretation of the European dance.
• Part VI – Peasant’s Dance: a primitive, authentic and happy sway.
• Part VII – In the Valley: A description of the pastoral sloping landscapes of the Jezreel Valley at dusk. Lavry incorporated in the melody echoes that generate a sensation as if the orchestra is physically in the valley.
• Part VIII – Debka: A Bedouin dance of an increasing and exhilarating pace. Unison octaves and pizzicati exude a Middle-Eastern atmosphere.
• Part IX – Hora Finale: The typical Israeli dance opens with a clarinet solo, joined by the rest of the orchestra, to a grandiose ending. Lavry was the first to introduce the Israeli Hora dance into concert music.

It is interesting to note that the composer also wrote a version for piano, by the same name, and which includes only the 5 parts.

Performances:

Monday, June 27, 2016 – Midsummer Night’s Dances, at the YMCA Auditorium, Jerusalem
The Hovevei Hamusica Orchestra

August 25, 2013 – Cultural Collaborations at the Ford Theatre, Hollywood, CA, USA
The Los Angeles Jewish Symphony
Accompanied by BodyTraffic, a contemporary dance group.