Paul Ben-Haim
Encyclopedia
Paul Ben-Haim (July 5, 1897 – January 14, 1984) was an Israel
i composer. Born Paul Frankenburger in Munich
, Germany
, he studied composition with Friedrich Klose and he was assistant conductor to Bruno Walter
and Hans Knappertsbusch
from 1920 to 1924. He served as conductor at Augsburg
from 1924 to 1931, and afterwards devoted himself to teaching and composition, including teaching at the Shulamit Conservatory.
Ben-Haim emigrated to the then British Mandate of Palestine in 1933 and lived in Judea
, in an area to the east of Jerusalem. He Hebraized his name, becoming an Israeli citizen upon that nation's independence in 1948. He composed chamber music, works for choir, orchestra and solo instruments, and songs. He championed a specifically Jewish national music: his own compositions are in a late Romantic vein with Middle Eastern overtones, somewhat similar to Ernest Bloch
.
His notable students include Eliahu Inbal
, Henri Lazarof
, Ben-Zion Orgad
, Ami Maayani,
Shulamit Ran
, Rami Bar-Niv, Avraham Sternklar and Noam Sheriff
.
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
i composer. Born Paul Frankenburger in Munich
Munich
Munich The city's motto is "" . Before 2006, it was "Weltstadt mit Herz" . Its native name, , is derived from the Old High German Munichen, meaning "by the monks' place". The city's name derives from the monks of the Benedictine order who founded the city; hence the monk depicted on the city's coat...
, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, he studied composition with Friedrich Klose and he was assistant conductor to Bruno Walter
Bruno Walter
Bruno Walter was a German-born conductor. He is considered one of the best known conductors of the 20th century. Walter was born in Berlin, but is known to have lived in several countries between 1933 and 1939, before finally settling in the United States in 1939...
and Hans Knappertsbusch
Hans Knappertsbusch
Hans Knappertsbusch was a German conductor, best known for his performances of the music of Richard Wagner, Anton Bruckner and Richard Strauss....
from 1920 to 1924. He served as conductor at Augsburg
Augsburg
Augsburg is a city in the south-west of Bavaria, Germany. It is a university town and home of the Regierungsbezirk Schwaben and the Bezirk Schwaben. Augsburg is an urban district and home to the institutions of the Landkreis Augsburg. It is, as of 2008, the third-largest city in Bavaria with a...
from 1924 to 1931, and afterwards devoted himself to teaching and composition, including teaching at the Shulamit Conservatory.
Ben-Haim emigrated to the then British Mandate of Palestine in 1933 and lived in Judea
Judea
Judea or Judæa was the name of the mountainous southern part of the historic Land of Israel from the 8th century BCE to the 2nd century CE, when Roman Judea was renamed Syria Palaestina following the Jewish Bar Kokhba revolt.-Etymology:The...
, in an area to the east of Jerusalem. He Hebraized his name, becoming an Israeli citizen upon that nation's independence in 1948. He composed chamber music, works for choir, orchestra and solo instruments, and songs. He championed a specifically Jewish national music: his own compositions are in a late Romantic vein with Middle Eastern overtones, somewhat similar to Ernest Bloch
Ernest Bloch
Ernest Bloch was a Swiss-born American composer.-Life:Bloch was born in Geneva and began playing the violin at age 9. He began composing soon afterwards. He studied music at the conservatory in Brussels, where his teachers included the celebrated Belgian violinist Eugène Ysaÿe...
.
His notable students include Eliahu Inbal
Eliahu Inbal
Eliahu Inbal is an Israeli conductor.Inbal studied violin at the Israeli Academy of Music and took composition lessons with Paul Ben-Haim...
, Henri Lazarof
Henri Lazarof
Henri Lazarof is a Bulgarian composer.Born in Sofia, Bulgaria his formal musical training began in Israel under Paul Ben-Haim. After a short stint in Rome, Lazarof settled in the United States, studying with Harold Shapero and Arthur Berger at Brandeis University...
, Ben-Zion Orgad
Ben-Zion Orgad
Ben-Zion Orgad was an Israeli composer....
, Ami Maayani,
Shulamit Ran
Shulamit Ran
Shulamit Ran is an Israeli-American composer. She moved from Israel to New York at 14, as a scholarship student at the Mannes College of Music. Her Symphony won her the Pulitzer Prize...
, Rami Bar-Niv, Avraham Sternklar and Noam Sheriff
Noam Sheriff
Noam Sheriff is an Israeli composer, conductor and arranger. Sheriff is one of Israel’s most versatile and world renowned musicians. Currently, he is the music director of the Haifa Symphony Orchestra.- Early life :...
.
See also
- Varda KotlerVarda KotlerVarda Kotler is an Israeli soprano singer, who in recent years has been performing and recording mainly in France.-Career:...
, "Melodies", Arion ARN68643, February 2004 - List of Israel Prize recipients
Further reading
- Hadassah Guttmann, The Music of Paul Ben-Haim: A Performance Guide London: Scarecrow Press, 1992
- Jehoash Hirshberg, Ben-Haim's Biography, IMI, 1990, Tel Aviv
- Paul Ben-Haim's discography
- The American Symphony Orchestra led by Leon Botstein performed the US Premiere of Ben-Haim's Symphony No. 2 (1948) on May 31, 2009 at Avery Fisher Hall, NYC http://www.americansymphony.org