Polyphonic Settings of Songs of the Land of Israel

The lecture offers a comprehensive examination of polyphonic arrangements (two parts or more) of Songs of the Land of Israel, for choruses, instrumental or vocal ensembles, or piano in polyphonic textures. The repertoire examined includes all the arrangements by Emanuel Amiran, Avraham Omer, Gil Aldema, Yehezkel Braun, Yosef Hadar, Arieh Levanon and Sarah Shoham, along with selected arrangements by many more arrangers. The study focuses on arrangements with independent contrapuntal parts (using imitations or countermelodies) rather than homophonic harmonious arrangements. Selected non-Israeli arrangements of the same repertoire serve as a control group.

The arrangements range from folk (often methodical) settings to advanced professional settings. Be-Zion Orgad’s Methodic Guide for Israeli chorus songs serves as a partial point of departure.

The paper examines the cultural history of these arrangements’ contrasts, but its focus is analytical, illuminating aspects that must serve as input for (but are usually overlooked by) cultural history. The main analytical issue under concern are imitative potentials of song melodies and their realization; tonal and modal potential of melodies of non-Western source; comparison of multiple arrangements for a single melody. The Yemenite tune “Qirya Yefehfiya” serves as a study case.