Yizkor (In Memoriam)

Yizkor for viola and string orchestra, was composed in 1946 under the tragic influence of the Holocaust and it is, indeed, dedicated to the memory of its martyrs. The work is in one movement, with the solo viola part serving as a sort of precentor's prayer echoed by the introverted orchestral accompaniment.

The principal theme with which the viola starts out is dominated by the interval of the fourth; it draws its inspiration from Eastern European Jewish liturgical music. This theme, and quotations from it, dominate the whole work; as his proceeds, five secondary themes are derived from it, whose resemblance to and dependence upon the principal theme are clear and obvious.

Yizkor was first performed in Israel in 1957 by the Hashomer Hatzait Kibbutz Orchestra conducted by Frank Pelleg with the composer himself as soloist.

Published on the occasion of the 80th anniversary of the composer's birth.

In 1948 the work was awarded the Engel Prize by the Tel Aviv Municipality.