Yiddishkeit

Description

Cello, Piano — Timofeyeva’s Yiddishkeit, a transliteration of the Yiddish word ייִדישקייט (literally: “Jewishness”), was composed in 2008. Theearlier version of Yiddishkeit (for cello and 7-string guitar) was recorded by the Timofeyev Ensemble on their 2009 CDShloyme. Timofeyeva arranged Yiddishkeit for cello and piano in 2022.Here are a few recommendations to the performers. The opening Adagio section (mm. 1–4) calls for somewhat heroic, yetimprovisatory character. The theme in triple meter (mm. 5–18) should be played cantabile, with a defined rhythmic feel.The new theme that follows (starting from m. 23) is to be to played like a series of questions. The playful theme (startingin m. 31) should be somewhat unsettling and anxious. The upbeat dance episode (mm. 55–70) should be the most life–affirming section of the piece. Timofeyeva’s Yiddishkeit, a transliteration of the Yiddish word for “Jewishness”, was composed in 2008. Theearlier version of Yiddishkeit (for cello and 7-string guitar) was recorded by the Timofeyev Ensemble on their 2009 CDShloyme. Timofeyeva arranged Yiddishkeit for cello and piano in 2022.Natalia Timofeyeva was born to Ukrainian-Jewish parents who moved to Moscow from Odessa in the mid- 1930s. Young Natalia joined the Moscow Conservatory where she studied violoncello with Prof. Sergey Shirinsky and the young Mstislav Rostropovich. As a child, Natalia Timofeyeva was heavily traumatized by the Holocaust. Between 1941 and 1943 she lost many family members including her grandparents and her father. Timofeyeva began composing in the early 2000s, soon after her relocation to the United States. Her music combines a somber, tragic character with tenderness and life affirming playfulness.