Paul Ben-Haim

[Droosbury]

I'm new here, so forgive me if he's not quite suitable for discussion, but I was pretty impressed by the late Israel Yinon's recording of Ben-Haim's first symphony for cpo a few years back (the second has just been released by cpo too, but I don't have it yet). But I see there's recording of his 1933 oratorio Joram on Helicon, with the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra. Just wondering if anyone knows this and can recommend it. The blurb says it's written in the tradition from Bach>Mendelssohn>Brahms, but can if anyone can flesh that out a bit?

Many thanks

[semloh]

I have no musical training and can only tell you what I hear. I have the CPO disc. My initial impression of the 1st symphony was of film music, and the first movement reminded me of the music of William Walton. Although it is tonal and conventionally structured, and there may be technical justifications of which I am unaware, I think it gives a false impression to suggest that his music is in the tradition of Bach etc..

Personally, I don't think Ben-Haim's music fits our remit at UC, and my fellow UC administrators may want to give that consideration.

[Alan Howe]

Ben-Haim's beyond our remit, I'm afraid. I've been following the (excellent) cpo releases, but his music's not an appropriate topic for discussion here.