JAVS Spring 2013

Jewish traditions and his Israeli origins and make connections to the Old Testament, he seeks to craft his works so that they are more universal. In previ ous interviews, Hochman evokes the universality of Beethoven’s work by noting, “Beethoven was German and so is his music, but his works express his concept of the human spirit—the individual blending with all humankind, and this concept also guides my own work.” 12 His 2006 work for viola solo titled Akeda was com missioned as an obligatory piece for the 2007 Aviv Competitions. 13 yet, when examining this piece, there is little that is obligatory about it, as it stands as a heartfelt, passionate piece that screams to be played. Written shortly after he composed the piece Lior , 14 a 2006 work for soprano and ensemble, Akeda borrows from the Old Testament parable depicting God’s call for Abraham to sacrifice his son, Isaac. This painful episode is one that has been interpreted by the reli gious faithful of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam alike. In the case of Akeda , the work offers a pained plea for peace, calling into question why the world’s youth are sacrificed for wars, just or unjust. 15 Hochman notes that this piece revolves around the notion of having an ideal—being willing to sacrifice yourself or loved ones for a cause. Although Abraham is stopped by an angel, Isaac is still psychologically damaged by the ordeal, and his spirit is sacrificed. Akeda starts out with an espressivo tempo; a melan choly call is evoked from the strings of the viola. Largely modal while summoning chromatic and tonal ideas, this work imitates the melodic phrasing of a cantor, repeating lines, and expanding upon them. The first common motifs, an ascending minor second and a half modal scale concluded by an irruptive major seventh interval, appears in the beginning and is recalled again in measure 18 and in measure 34 (ex. 3). Throughout this passage the parable is being expressed, ideally through the ges tures of the viola. As our narrator continues, the intensity of the piece builds, with the tempo acceler ating at measure 43 and with the rhythm increasing in intensity in the subsequent measures. By measure 46, Hochman inserts agitato , balanced by a poco

One of his most recent works for viola is a beautiful tribute titled Two Pages for Kara , completed in 2011 while in Leiden, a town in the Netherlands. This short work of about five to six minutes laments the passing of a young girl at the age of seventeen and grapples with the questions of how and why tragedies strike. 9 Another name to consider when thinking of com posers who actively seek to change the world through music is Gilad Hochman. Born in Israel in 1982, Hochman is a rising star who splits his time between Berlin and Israel. As one who has achieved high acclaim in his native country, Gilad was award ed the Israeli Prime Minister award at the age of Gilad Hochman

Gilad Hochman

twenty-four. 10 His life experiences, notably his move to Berlin five years ago, have been shining examples of a way to bridge and augment Israeli-German rela tions. As he acknowledged in a 2009 Deutschland Magazine article, “I can discern good and sincere attempts to bridge the gap between the two coun tries. Germany and Israel will always have a strong relationship precisely because of their history.” 11 While many of Hochman’s works are inspired by

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