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MIZRA’CH, 1997, for solo clarinet and string orchestra with metal wind chimes

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Commissioned by the Israel Camerata, 1997
Publisher: Ricordi, 1997 | Duration: 13'46 min.

“Mizra’ch” is a designation of the direction faced during the Jewish prayer, a designation of the wall of the Synagogue and of the ornamental wall plaque used to indicate the location of the east. It is customary in the traditional Jewish home of the Diaspora to mark the Eastern Wall, to indicate the direction of the Holy Land to a person who is praying. Artistic wall plaques inscriptions with the word “Mizra’ch”, and scriptural passages, kabalistic inscriptions or pictures of holy places, are used for this purpose. Olivero’s piece portrays five metaphoric descriptions of the colorful images and voices of Jerusalem:

  1. Sheari’m – gates

  2. Ketari’m – crowns (antique musical intonation symbols in biblical texts)

  3. Migdali’m – towers

  4. Inbali’m – bell clappers

  5. Romanza – romance

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