A Limited Waltz (2020)
by Benny Kedem (b. 1970)

* World Premiere Recording *

| The Israeli Contemporary Music Project

Benny Kedem: A Limited Waltz | Hagai Yodan, piano

Movements:
I.   Abandoned Dreams
II.   Introspection
III.  Self Doubts
IV.  Never Look Back

I composed the first version of this Piano Sonata – In Search of Lost Meaning - in 1977, when he was still in Romania. In 2021 I found the manuscript, improved it and added the last movement. The work is a reflection on the relentless search for meaning, as perspectives change over long periods of time.
Hagai Yodan is an Israeli multidisciplinary artist: pianist, conductor, composer and writer. He recorded this Piano Sonata in February 2022 in Tel-Aviv, Israel.

Piano Sonata #1 - In Search of Lost Meaning

In Search of Lost Meaning | piano - Hagai Yodan

Echoes from Hambach is a miniature piece related to her older sister A Day at Hambacher Forst. The original piece recounts the journey of composer Omer Eilam into the Hambach Forest which in the last 50 years has been obliterated for the sake of coal mining. The piece is a musical-storytelling journey capturing the spirit of the place and of the activists who dwell there in a desperate attempt to save it from destruction. In Echoes fragments of the original – namely the metamorphosed sounds of bells – are overlayed with a piano part which is similarly electronically transformed.

Piano – Hagai Yodan

Echoes From Hambach

Carmina Burana

Carmina Burana/Orff: Dulcisime - Hila Plitmann/Mexico City Philharmonic/George Mester

Mexico City Philharmonic

Richard Strauss: Amor (Brentano Lieder)- Hila Plitmann/Mexico City Philharmonic/George Mester

Gilad Cohen - Late Shadow (2017) for violin and piano

Music: Stella Lerner
Lyrics: Leah Goldberg
Reut Ventorero, mezzo soprano 
Hagai Yodan, piano
Recorded at Israel Conservatory of Music , 2020

הלכתי משם"- לחן: סטלה לרנר; מילים" לאה גולדברג"

Music: Stella Lerner
Lyrics: Leah Goldberg
 Reut Ventorero, mezzo soprano
Hagai Yodan, piano
Recorded at Israel Conservatory of Music , 2020
ה.
כַּיּוֹם אֵינִי יוֹדַעַת שׁוּם תְּפִלָּה,
אַךְ בְּאוֹתוֹ הַלַּיְלָה
דִּמִּיתִי כִּי אֶפְשָׁר אוּלַי לִכְרֹעַ
עַל הָרִצְפָּה בַּחֶדֶר (מַה קָּרָה,
רִצְפַּת הָאֶבֶן תַּחַת הַבִּרְכַּיִם!)
וְכָךְ לוֹמַר:
יִתְגַּדַּל וְיִתְקַדַּשׁ שֵׁם הַשָּׁנִים
שֶׁנְּשָׂאוּנִי וְהִגִּיעוּנִי
עַד הַזְּמַן הַזֶּה.
סְלַח לִי, רִבּוֹנוֹ שֶׁל עוֹלָם,
כִּי לֹא הָרִיתִי אֶלָּא שִׁירִים
מְחַל לִי, רִבּוֹנוֹ שֶׁל עוֹלָם,
כִּי לֹא הָיָה לִי כֶּלֶב נֶאֱמָן
וְשׁוּם אָדָם וְשׁוּם בְּהֵמָה
לֹא אָכְלוּ לֶחֶם רַעֲנָן מִיָּדַי.
כַּפֵּר לִי, כִּי לֹא דָּפַק עַל דַּלְתוֹתַי
הַהוּא הַיָּחִיד שֶׁשָּׁלַחְתָּ.
וְכִי צָדַקְתִּי בְּכָל יִסּוּרַי.
וַאֲנִי אֶסְלַח, אֶמְחַל וַאֲכַפֵּר
לְךָ, רִבּוֹנוֹ שֶׁל עוֹלָם,
כִּי יָדַעְתִּי אֱהֹב בְּנַפְשִׁי
וּבִבְשָׂרִי וּבְכָל רְמַ"ח אֲבָרַי,
וְכִי אָהַבְתִּי בָּשָׂר כֶּאֱהֹב נֶפֶשׁ,
וְכִי נָשַׁכְתִּי אֶת מְזוּזַת דַּלְתִּי הַסְּגוּרָה,
כִּנְשֹׁךְ כָּתֵף עֵירֻמָּה שֶׁל גֶּבֶר.
הַכֹּל אֶסְלַח לְךָ.
וְאוּלַי יֵשׁ לְךָ, רִבּוֹן עוֹלָמִים,
בְּגִנְזֵי אֲבִיבְךָ כִּי רַבּוּ 
אָבִיב אֶחָד לְמַעֲנִי,
אָבִיב קָטָן וְחַמְסִינִי .
תְּנֵהוּ לִי לְמַזְכֶּרֶת,
הֲרֵי אֲנִי מְזֻמֶּרֶת לוֹ
אוּלַי יֵשׁ לְךָ - 
רַק אֶחָד.(מתוך "לאה גולדברג- שירים, כרך ג'",

Just One Spring. Stella Lerner & Leah Goldberg.

Music: Stella Lerner
Lyrics: Zelda
 Reut Ventorero, mezzo soprano
Hagai Yodan, piano
Recorded at Israel Conservatory of Music , 2020

The flame says to the cypress:
“When I see how calm,
how full of pride you are,
something inside me goes wild – 
How can one live this awesome life
without a touch of madness,
of spirit,
of imagination,
of freedom,
with only a grim, ancient pride?
If I could, I would burn down
the establishment
that we call the seasons,
along with your cursed dependence
on earth and air and sun,
on rain and dew.”
The cypress does not answer.
He knows there is madness in him,
and freedom,
and imagination,
and spirit.
But the flame will not understand,
the flame will not believe.

Two Elements.  Stella Lerner & Zelda.   Reut Ventorero. Hagai Yodan

Music: Stella Lerner
Lyrics: Leah Goldberg
 Reut Ventorero, mezzo soprano
Hagai Yodan, piano
Recorded at Israel Conservatory of Music , 2020

The Summer. Stella Lerner & Leah Goldberg.  Reut Ventorero.

Musician, Photographer & Writer
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Benny Kedem: A Limited Waltz | Hagai Yodan, piano

Hagai Yodan

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