PROGRAM NOTE

The Dell'arte Miniatures were born from my love to the theater and the world of Comedia Dell'arte. The basic concept of this genre, having the same group of one dimensional characters appear in many different storie, makes it a natural match for miniatures, which can capture such one dimensional characters very effectively.

The piece is made of seven miniatures: opening, closing, and in the middle, five characters: Pantalone the greedy householder who tyrannizes his servants; Gay Pedrolino the good-hearted prankster servant; Pierrot the sad clown, who is in love with Columbina; beautiful Columbina, bouncing between lovers and breaking their hearts; and Arlekino, the cunning nimble servant who juggles his boss and friends with tricks and pranks.

In the piece, each character is represented by a musical instrument: five characters - five instruments. The piano stands for Pantalone, because just like the householder his traditional role is to unify the instruments around him; the violin stands for Pedrolino, because of his ability to be bouncy, happy and light, and on the other hand to move with lyrical playing; the harp represents Pierrot because of his association with love serenades - often unrequited love; the cello, whose warm round sound has always associated him with feminine characteristics, represents Columbina; and the Clarinet, known for its agility and nimbleness, stands for Arlekino. In the closing movement, "Bow", each character bows, and the rest cheer for them.

The piece was commissioned by the Adele and John Gray foundation, and was written for the Israeli Chamber Project, who were a joy and honor to work with.