About the creation

The word 'hyperbolae' has a double meaning: it refers to a geometric design' and is also the derivation of a Greek word meaning extravagant or fanciful exaggeration. My work of the same name takes after both definitions. Its first few bars supply the material for the entire composition, with each event thus being an aspect of an integrated whole, relating to all other points in a specifically circumscribed manner. At the same time, the work is not meant to be merely a logical realization of an abstract concept, but is also expressive of a fancifully extravagant sentiment. This sentiment, being itself a by-product of musical necessities, becomes yet another dimension of the whole rather than an externally imposed embellishment. The performance indications I have inserted in the score such as "like church bells – spaciously", "like a hushed prayer", "wild" etc., have been chosen with the aim of setting the player's imagination in motion. These, I hope, will alleviate the need for any other performance guide-line. Shulamit Ran