PROGRAM NOTE
“Hatzvi Israel” Eulogy for female voice, flute, string quartet and harp was written in 1968 on commission by New York Philharmonic violinist Stanley Hoffman. I wrote it at a pivotal time in my life when I was departing for the first time from the safe and familiar world of tonality, having found myself fascinated and captivated by music of the Second Viennese School, Berg in particular.
The text is one which several Israeli composers had set to music. It speaks of great sorrow and loss, its sense of sadness transcending time, place, or gender. (The Eulogy is delivered by David who was to become King of Israel, yet I did not hesitate to use female voice for my setting.) I might note that even the finest translations fail to capture the imagery conveyed by the poetic language of the Hebrew Bible. The reader of the following English version might have a hard time appreciating why this Eulogy has appealed to so many in its original version. Hopefully the music can evoke some of the beauty and mystery of the Hebrew language even to those for whom it is an utterly foreign tongue.
—Shulamit Ran
“HATZVI ISRAEL” EULOGY, Second Book of Samuel, Chapter 1, verses 17–27 (excerpted English translation).
[…And David lamented with this lamentation over Saul and over Jonathan his son…]
Thy glory, O Israel, is slain upon thy high places; how are the mighty fallen!
Tell it not in Gath, publish it not in the streets of Ashkelon; lest the daughters of the Philistines
rejoice…
Ye mountains of Gilboa, let there be no dew, neither let there be rain upon you, nor fields of offering; for there the shield of the mighty is vilely cast away, the shield of Saul, as though he had not been anointed with oil.
…Saul and Jonathan were lovely and pleasant in their lives and in their death they were not divided; they were swifter than eagles, they were stronger than lions.
Ye daughters of Israel, weep over Saul, who clothed you in scarlet with other delights, who put on ornaments of gold upon your apparel.
How are the mighty fallen in the midst of the battle! O Jonathan, thou wast slain in thy high places.
I am distressed for thee, my brother Jonathan; very pleasant hast thou been onto me; thy love to me was wonderful, passing the love of women.
How are the mighty fallen, and the weapons of war perished!
INFORMATION
Commissioned by
Stanley Hoffman
Premiere: October 10, 1968
Town Hall, New York City
Susan Reid-Parsons,
mezzo soprano
Ensemble Dal Segno
Duration: c. 7′
RECORDINGS
Lucy Shelton, voice, instrumental ensemble conducted by Cliff Colnot on: Shulamit Ran MIRAGE, Chamber Music with Flute, ERATO 0630-12787-2
Susan Reid-Parsons, mezzo soprano, Dal Segno Ensemble, Stanley Hoffman, violinist and director on: Vocal Chamber Music, Vinyl, LP, Critics Choice Records—CC 1703
sheet music
Available from your favorite sheet music seller, or directly from Theodore Presser.