DISCOGRAPHY
JUEGO DE SIEMPRE, 12 folk songs in Ladino, 1991, for female voice and seven players: flufte, clarinet, percussion, harp, violin, viola, 'cello
Commissioned by the Beit Hatefoutsot Museum, Israel, 1991
Publisher: Israel Music Institute, 1991, IMI 6920 | Duration: 28 min.
CD: Beit Hatefutsoth BTR 9201, ACUM, 1992
Mezzo-sopran: Esti Keinan-Ofri
Members of the Israel Chamber Orchestra
Conductor: Israel Idelson
In Juego de Siempre (The Never-ending Game) for mezzo-soprano and seven players, Betty Olivero has set twelve Ladino (Spanish-Jewish) melodies and texts drawn from the rich heritage of music and poetry produced during the great millennium of Jewish residence in Spain, which came to an abrupt end with the expulsion of 1492. These songs were not notated, but were passed from mother to daughter over the centuries and carried abroad during the migration of the Spanish-Jewish community. It is sometimes difficult to tell which songs were actually of Spanish-Jewish origin and which were well-known Spanish songs that the Jews sang – as did their Christian and/or Moorish neighbors – and took with them after 1492. The repertory can be divided into three classes – songs with no particular Jewish content (often with a flavor of late-medieval Spanish chivalry), those with distinctively Jewish content (often referring to the Old Testament), and those with no particular national characteristics (lullabies, love songs, etc.). Olivero selected a group of songs that represent a wide range of this tradition; each poem is a drama in itself. It is a tapestry of scenes from home and community throughout the seasons of the years and the course of the day, from morning to night, from birth to death, from marriage in one generation to the next.
JUEGO DE SIEMPRE
1. Juego de siempre
A weeding song telling of the ring, the first embrace and the dowry with the message: so it was and so it will be the never ending game.
Se lava esta novio
Con rosa y 0azumb
Parabien parecer.
Y uno, dos, tres, cuatro,
Cinco, seis, siete,
Juego de siempre.
Jugaba la novia
Con su marido
Y al primer juego
Le dio un anillo.
Y uno...
Jugaba la novia
Con su regalo
Y al primer juego
Le dio un abrazo.
Y uno...
Jugaba la novia
Con su velado
Y al primer juego
Contaba el dote.
Y uno...
2. Ir me kero madre
Two sons want to leave the parental home and go to seek their fortunes in the wide world.
Ir me kero madre
por estos mundos me ire
Las yervas d’akeyos kampos
por pan me las komere. Aman!
Ir me vo you, la mi madre,
por los mudos kuantos son,
Ahi, por los mundos kuantos son. Aman...
3. Ay ke Buena
A wedding song: a love dialogue between the bride and groom.
Ay, ke buena ke fue la hora
Ke vos alkansi;
Kon dos miniamim de djente
Kidushin vos di.
Ansi, ansi, mi alma ansi,
O, ke buena ke fue la hora
Ke vos alkansi.
Yo pasi la vuestra puertaI
Oras de arvitI
Pasi I torni, non vos vide
L’alma tengo ayi.
Ansi...
4. Nani, nani
A lullaby telling of a betraye wife whose husband comes home from his other love.
Nani, Nani
Nani kere el ijo
El ijo de la madre
De chiko se aga grande.
I durmete milama, i durmete mi vista
I, ke tu padre viene, kon muncha alegria.
Ah, avrimesh, mi doma, avrimesh la puerta
Ke vengo kansado de avar las minetas
Ah, avrir no vos avro, no venish kansado
Sino ke venish de ande nueva amor!
5. Galeas las mis galeas
A song of yearning by an imprisoned sailor waiting for freedom. The last verse is taken from the well known romance La Serena, about a mermaid who tempts sailors.
Galeas las mis galeas no las puedo sonportar
Aman, aman de mil no los puedo sonportar.
Polo par, muncho trawajo kon palos i non durmir.
Palas yevi sietesiento ke los lados no me siento.
[Aman, aman de mil de los lados no me siento].
Ke me vendan et asiento i ke me rezgaten d’aki
[Aman, aman de mil i ke me rezgaten d’aki].
(La Serena)
En la mar ay una torre
En la torre ay una ventana
En la ventana ay una ija
Ke a los marineros ama.
6. Pregoneros
A king offers a prize to whomever brings his lost son alive. The fishermen fish him out of the seas.
Pregoneros por las plasas: ijo
delrey ken veria?
Si se lo trayian bivo ambres
grandes los aria.
Sis se lo trayian muerto sus
prezentes les daria.
Vieron vinir tres en kavayo
aziendo gran polveria.t
Vinieron serka del rio a la mar
lo echarian.
7. Ir me kero madre
Ir me kero madre a Yerushalayim
I komer las yeruus i artance d’eyas
En el Kotel Maaravi ay uim ziara
Todas mis demandas ayi me s’afirmanan
En el me arrino yo
En el me enfiguzio yo
En el patron del mundo
En el sinior del mundo.
8. Morenica Sos
A love song
Morenica sos
Comola pimieta
Vuestra sangre dulce
En mi koracon entrabe
Dizi me ansi que yo me cansi
De vez que vos veo
La cara en el espejo
Me s’arranca l’al
Por dar vas un bezo
Morenica sos.
9. Chichi Bunichi
An old Sarajevo finger counting nursery rhyme.
Chichi bunichi
I redi lainichi
Esti dimanda panth
I esti dimanda kezuth
I esti si nues bueno Djidyo
Vanus a yamar al Suryor Rubi.
Chichi bunichi
I redi lainichi
Esti dizi dami un pakerito
La gaylinika echo un goviziko
Aki, aki, aki para aki
Alabokita di mi ijiko.
10. Achot Ketana
A New Year song written in the 13th century by Avraham Gerondi of the Catalonian town of Herona. The little sister is a symbol of the soul of the world, the people of Israel.
Achot ketana tefiloteia
Orcha v’ona tehiloteia
Elna refana lemachaloteia
Tichle shanave kileloteiha
Elna refana lemachaloteia
Tichle shanave kileloteiha
11. Kondja mia
A love song in which the man sings to his sweetheart, “for my dark one I’m tormented, I have been burned in the flame”.
Kondja mia, kondja mia
Chichek de mi kavesa,
La luna s’eskoresio
La mar ya se izo preta.
Avlame ninya kon amor
Mira k’esto en el fuego
Se va murir in manservo
Ke no vido nada de bueno.
Yo djurava i dezia
Ke non i mas al amor
Fue kavzante una morena
Ke a mi izo enflamar.
12. Ay ke buena! (reprise)
Ay, ke buena ke fue la hora
Ke vos alkansi;
Kon dos miniamim de djente
Kidushin vos di.
Ansi, ansi, mi alma ansi,
O, ke buena ke fue la hora
Ke vos alkansi.
Yo pasi la vuestra puerta
Oras de arvit
Pasi I torni, non vos vide
L’alma tengo ayi.
Ansi...
JUEGO DE SIEMPRE (7 players)
1. Juego de siempre (The Never-Ending Game)
2. Ir me kero madre (I want to go to Jerusalem, Mother)
3. Ay, ke buena (Oh Happy Moment)
4. Nany Nany (The Betrayed Woman)
5. Galeas (Galleon)
6. Pregoneros (The Town Crier)
7. Ir me kero madre (I want to go to Jerusalem, Mother)
8. Morenica sos (You are Dark)
9. Chichi Bunichi (Chichi Bunichi)
10. Acho’t Ketana’ (Little Sister)
11. Kodja mia (Oh My Rose)
12. Ay, ke buena! (reprise) (O Happy Moment – reprise)
THE NEVER ENDING GAME
1. The Never Ending Game
A weeding song telling of the ring, the first embrace and the dowry with the message: so it was and so it will be the never ending game.
The groom bathes
in rose water
to enhance his beauty.
And one, two, three, four
five, six, seven,
and the game goes on.
The bride and her husband
dance circles together
and in the first turn
he gives her a ring.
And one…
The bride dances circles
with his gift to her
and in the first turn
they embrace.
And one…
The bride dances circles
with her veil
and in the first turn
she gives him her dowry.
And one…
2. I Want to Wander Mother
Two sons want to leave the parental home and go to seek their fortunes in the wide world.
Mother I want to wander
the world over
the grass of the fields
my bread.
I wish to wander mother
the world over
Ah, to the four corners of the earth.
3. O Happy Moment
A wedding song: a love dialogue between the bride and groom.
Oh, happy moment
to give you the ring
before the dozen people
to give you the blessing.
And so, my soul-mate
O happy moment!
To give you the ring!
I passed your door at dusk
I passed again and I gain
You were not there
There I left my soul.
And so…
4. The Betrayed Woman
A lullaby telling of a betray wife whose husband comes home from his other love.
Sleep, sleep
sleep dear child
mama’s love
little child soon to grow.
- Ah, sleep my soul, sleep my eyes.
- Ah, your father comes so joyous.
- Ah, open my lady, open the door
that I may rest from my long journey.
- Ah, I shell not open for you, don’t come to rest
for you return from the other lady-love.
5. Galleon
A song of yearning by an imprisoned sailor waiting for freedom. The last verse is taken from the well known romance La Serena, about a mermaid who tempts sailors.
My ship, galleon, cannot endure the pain
Ahi, ahi, what will become of me?
I cannot endure the pain!
Little bread, hard labor, lashes of the whip,
and little sleep.
Ahi, ahi, lashings, no sleep.
I bear seven hundred lashes till I can bear no more.
[Ahi, ahi, I can bear the lashes no more.]
Let them sell all my possessions and ransom me from here.
[Ahi, ahi, let them ransom me from here.]
(The Mermaid)
In the sea there is a tower
In the tower there is a window
In the window there is a maiden
Who loves sailor men.
6. The Town Crier
A king offers a prize to whomever brings his lost son alive. The fishermen fish him out of the seas.
The town crier calls through the square:
The prince is coming!
If they bring him alive,
he will rise to greatness,
If they bring him dead,
he will still be honored.
Three cavaliers rose through the dust
towards the shore,
And threw him
in the river.
7. I Want to Go to Jerusalem, Mother
I want to go to Jerusalem, mother
To eat its fruits, to eat until I am satiated.
At the Wailing Wall I shall be heard,
All my whishes will be fulfilled.
In Him I trust
In Him I am secure
In the lord of the Universe
In the king of the Universe.
8. You are dark
A love song
You are dark
dark as a pepper
sweet is your blood
witched is my soul.
Seeing your face in the mirror
my heart burns
with the desire to kiss you.
9. Chichi Bunichi
An old Sarajevo finger counting nursery rhyme.
Chichi bunichi
I redi lainichi
this one asks for bread
this one asks for cheese
and if this one is not a good Jewish boy
We’ll go and call the Rabbi.
Chichi bunichi
I redi lainichi
this one gives me a little package
the hen lays an egg
here, here, here
to the mouth of my little child.
10. Little Sister
A New Year song written in the 13th century by Avraham Gerondi of the Catalonian town of Herona. The little sister is a symbol of the soul of the world, the people of Israel.
The little sister prepares her prayers
and intones her praises.
Oh God we beseech Thee, heal now
her infirmities.
May the year and its misfortunes
now cease altogether.
11. Oh My Rose
A love song in which the man sings to his sweetheart, “for my dark one I’m tormented, I have been burned in the flame”.
Rose my rose
Flower of my head
The mood became dark to me
The seas became black to me.
Speak words of love to me
See how my soul burns
Have mercy on this young man
Who shall die with dreams unfulfilled.
I swore I would never love again
My heart is broken
I am weary from suffering from the dark-haired one.
I am burnt by the flame of love.
12. O Happy Moment (reprise)
Oh, happy moment
to give you the ring
before the dozen people
to give you the blessing.
And so, my soul-mate
O happy moment!
To give you the ring!
I passed your door at dusk
I passed again and I gain
You were not there
There I left my soul.
And so…
Betty Olivero: Juego De Siempre, The New York Times, By Bernard Holland >>