Tracks

Track

Time

Play

Adarim 04:42
 

Liner Notes

Adarim and Old Jerusalem are two of Chajes’s most beloved songs. Both reflect typical, admittedly romanticized perceptions of the aura and spirit of Jewish Palestine from early aliya (immigration) periods until statehood, and even afterward. Both songs were standard repertoire at Jewish concerts throughout America during that time frame, and were among the most conspicuous representations of modern “Jewish music”—especially in relation to Israel—on general concert programs. Both reflect the kind of aural exoticism that used to be attached to images of the region. Both songs exploit elements and clichés of the Arabic hijaz mode, with its characteristic lowered seventh degree and augmented second interval; and both expressions alternate stately, lyrical, and contemplative sentiments with sparkling dance figures.

Adarim is an artistic setting of a Palestinian shepherd song whose lyrics are by Assaf Halevi to a melody by Shlomo Weissfish. Chajes originally set it in 1939 with an accompaniment of oboe and piano, and then he created the orchestral version in 1950; but the oboe is still used to represent the quintessential shepherd’s pipe, and the pastoral quality is maintained by orchestral economy.

By: Neil W. Levin

 

Lyrics

Sung in Hebrew

On the mountains
Herds and flocks are
Roaming and wandering.
Playing and pasturing,
Me, me, ma, ma!

On the mountains
The shepherds live;
There they blow their pipes,
And an echo of their tone is heard there:
Hu, hu, ha, ha!

On the mountains
They dance; they sing there.
With the evening sun
They clap their hands:
Lu, lu la, la!

On the mountains
The shepherd lifts his voice:
To me, my flock; to me, my riches;
To me, my mountains; to me, my joy.
Li, li, li, li!


 

Credits

Composer: Julius Chajes

Length: 04:42
Genre: Art Song

Performers: Barcelona Symphony-National Orchestra of CataloniaJorge Mester, Conductor;  Benzion Miller, Tenor

Date Recorded: 01/01/1999
Venue: Sala Sinfonica del Auditori (D), Barcelona, Spain
Engineer: Kornacher, Bertram
Assistant Engineer: Weir, Simon
Project Manager: Schwendener, Paul

Additional Credits:

Publisher: Transcontinental
Translation: Eliyahu Mishulovin

Subscribe

Don't miss our latest releases, podcasts, announcements and giveaways throughout the year! Stay up to date with our newsletter.

{{msToTime(currentPosition)}} / {{msToTime(duration)}}
{{currentTrack.title}}
{{currentTrack.album}}