Braun, Yehezkel, 1922-2014
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Yehezkel Braun born 18 January,1922, in Breslau, Germany (now Wroclaw, Poland), died 26 August 2014, Israel. Israeli composer.
In 1924 his parents immigrated to Palestine. He studied at the Israel Academy of Music in Tel-Aviv with Alexander Uria Boskovich, where he later taught (1953-1990) and directed (1979-1981). Braun taught music also at the Tel-Aviv University and music education for kindergardens and elementary schools at the Kibutz Teachers' College in Tel-Aviv. After completing his MA in classical studies at the Tel-Aviv University Braun studied Gregorian chant with Dom Jean Claire at the Benedictine monastery of Solesmes in France (1975). Braun was interested in medieval chant, Jewish and East-Mediterranean traditional music and in Israeli folk music. All these, as well as his interest in old and new Hebrew poetry and prose, influenced his compositions and vocal writing. During the late 1950's and 1960's he composed several compositions using the 12 tones technique. In addition to his choral, orchestral, chamber and solo works, Braun composed music for film, television, theatre and ballet and arrangements of traditional Jewish melodies.
Among his works:
· Piano Sonata (1957)
· Ahavatah shel Therese du Meun (The Love of Therese du Meun),
sonnets for alto and piano, text by Lea Goldberg (1960)
· Prelude and Passacaglia for harp (1967)
· Hallel(Praise Ye) for choir, tenor and chamber orchestra (1984)
· Piano Trio no. 1(1988)
· Kinnoro shel David (King David's Lyre), a large-scale cantata,
verses from the book of Psalms and the Mishnah (1990)
In 2001 Braun has been awarded the Israel Prize for Music.
References:
· Alice Tischler, A Descriptive Bibliography of Art Music by Israeli Composers,
Harmonie Park Press, Michigan, 1988
· Grove Music Online, Oxford University Press, 2007-2008
· Yehezkel Braun Archive, MUS 235, Music Center, National Library of Israel,
Jerusalem
