Divertimento Ebraico

The Divertimento Ebraico is a truly festive piece for a festival! In it's original sense the term "festival" means – feast. In another sense, too: the piece was premiered at a festival – 2007. Estate Musicale a Portogruaro Festival „Il Violino Magico” (Italy)

Composer: Leonid Hoffman

Concertante for Violin solo, Cantor and Orchestra based on the text of the Bible and Jewish folksongs

"Divertimento Ebraico is linked to the Jewish tradition, and became popular through well-known melodies of the Jewish folklore and biblical texts – and is entirely different from other pieces of my oeuvre. Though this composition was ordered by an Italian festival and it is not my musical business  card – Divertimento Ebraico  is very important  to me. This is my contribution to the idea of the Psalm 137 – 'If I forget you, O Jerusalem'  – , a little stone to care for Jerusalem."  Leonid Hoffman (interview, 01. Apr. 2009. Szombat)

Divertimento Ebraico portrays important biblical dogmata, depicts pictures of every day Jewish life, and describes miraculous moments of Jewish history. In the composition we hear the voices of the Prophets, God and the singing of angels; and a poor violinist is playing in the street. There is a wedding presentation.  We hear King David singing his psalm in front of the Temple in Jerusalem and Prophet Ezekiel rises from the dead. At the end of the piece, listeners will share feelings of joy as the Queen Shabbat starts.