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Negev, Symphonic Poem

Opus: 251 Year: 1954 
Ensemble
Symphonic Orchestra: pic,2,2/eh,2,-4,3,3,1-timp+3-str
DURATION
15:00 min
Category
Orchestral Music, Symphonic Orchestra
Tags
Historic Event, Landscape of Israel, Recording, Symphonic Poem
Theme
Historic Event, Landscape of Israel

Live recording, Jerusalem, January 25, 1962:
Marc Lavry, Conductor
The Kol Israel Symphony Orchestra (The Broadcasting Service Orchestra)

Manuscripts: Located at the National Library of Israel Music Department, the Marc Lavry Archive, System Number(s) 990036491990205171, 990036491970205171

Synopsis:
In 1953, Prime-Minister David Ben-Gurion resigned from his government position and settled in the Negev desert.
Lavry, in his usual manner, reacted to the event by composing the symphonic poem “Negev” in which he describes the desert, the Beduin nomads and the landscape.

The composition consists of two themes based on the songs Shir Hanegev (Negev Song) and At Moledet (My Homeland):

  • Shir Hanegev (Negev Song): A Beduin folk melody to which Arieh Yechieli wrote lyrics. Lavry heard the song and transcribed the music.
  • At Moledet (My Homeland): Poet Leah Goldberg’s poem composed by Lavry, and which depicts the landscapes of Israel.

Lavry invited Ben-Gurion to the premier but the former Prime Minister declined, explaining that now that he was a Kibbutz member he had to work long hours in the fields and could nor spare the time…