AVIDOM Menachem
Biography
Menachem Avidom was born in 1908 in Stanislau, Galicia, then Austro-Hungarian Empire. He came to Eretz Israel in 1925 and graduated at the American University in Beirut, Lebanon, and at the Conservatory of Music in Paris, France. From 1935 until 1946 he taught at the Tel Aviv Music Conservatory and at the Music Teachers Training College, Tel Aviv. His other appointments include, among others, Secretary General of the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra (1945-1952); Artistic Consultant to the National Tourism Centre (1952-1955); Vice-President of ACUM's (Society of Authors, Composers and Music Publishers) Board of Directors and its General Director (1955-1980); Chairman of the Israel Composers' League (1958-1971); member of the National Council of Culture and Art. Avidom's works range from orchestral music and opera to chamber music, piano music and vocal music. Many awards, prizes and honours were bestowed upon him, among them Tel Aviv Municipality Prize (1947, 1956); the IPO Prize (1953); the Israel Prize (1961); ACUM Prize (1962, 1982). Avidom died on August 5, 1995.
Works
WOODWIND QUINTET (1937; IMI 6554) SUITE POLYPHONIQUE for StrO (1938; IMI 6470) ALEXANDRA, Opera in 3 acts for S, Mez, A, 3 Ts, 3 Bars, mixed choir & SO (1953; IMI 001) Libretto: Aharon Ashman TWO ARIAS from the opera ALEXANDRA for S & pno (1953; IMI 001BM) Text: Aharon Ashman SYMPHONY No.4 for SO (1955; IMI 337) SONGS OF END for v & pno. Text Jonathan Ratosh (1957; IMI 7231} SYMPHONY No.7 (THE PHILHARMONIC) (1961; IMI 272) ENIGMA for woodwind qnt, perc & pno (1962; IMI 048) ADAGIO for hp (1962; IMI 077) SYMPHONY No.8 (A FESTIVAL SINFONIETTA) for SO (1966; IMI 184) SYMPHONY No.9 (SYMPHONIE VARIÊE) for ChO (1968; IMI 153) SPRING Overture for SO (1973; IMI 308) PASSACAGLIA "D-A-E-B" for pno (1973; IMI 466) HOMMAGE A SCHOENBERG for pno (1974; IMI 307) TWELVE HILLS Cantata for Mez, fl, ob, cl, bn, hn, perc, pno & str qrt (1976; IMI 6080) FIVE PSALMS for Mez or A & 2 cls (1976; IMI 6081) Text: Psalms 48; 149; 87; 1; 148 WHEN ONE'S LIFE IS A THING OF THE PAST for Mez or T, fl, pno & vcl (1976; IMI 6094) Text: Shlomo Tanny THE CAVE OF JOTAPATA Dramatic scene for S & ChO (1977; IMI 6058) Text: Sh.Shalom ONCE UPON A TIME... five tales for pno (1977; IMI 6195) SYMPHONY No.10 (SYNPHONIA BREVIS) for SO (1981; IMI 6284) DUO SONATINA for pno 4-hands (1981; IMI 6338) SONATINA for str qrt (1981; IMI 6364) RICERCAR A TRE for fl, cl & bn (1982; IMI 6415) TRILOGUE for fl, cl & bn (1984; IMI 6553) SONATA for vla (1984; IMI 6714) TRIPTYQUE for pno (1984; IMI 6716) BALLET SUITE FOR YOUTH for ChO (1985; IMI 6555) SIX EPIGRAMS for pno (1985-87; IMI 6715) JERUSALEM SONGS for 3-parts children's choir a cappella (1987; IMI 6738) Text: Ya'acov david Kamzon TRIPTYQUE for fl, hn & pno (1988; IMI 6713) ELEGIES Sonatina for vcl (1988; IMI 6843)