List of compositions by Josef Tal

This is a List of compositions by Josef Tal; Josef Tal website.

OPERAS[1]

| Year Composed | WORK | DETAILS | PARTICIPANTS | PREMIERE

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1955 | Saul at Ein Dor | Text: Books of Samuel | soloists and orchestra | Michael Taube 1955, Tel Aviv
1958 | Amnon and Tamar | libretto: Recha Freier, after Samuel II, 13 | soloists, men's choir and orchestra | Heinz Freudenthal 1961, Jerusalem
1969 | Ashmedai | libretto: Israel Eliraz | soloists, choir, orchestra & electronic music | Gary Bertini / Leopold Lindtberg 1971, Hamburg
1972 | Masada 967 | libretto: Israel Eliraz | soloists, choir, & electronic music | Gary Bertini / Leonard Schach 1973, Jerusalem
1974 | The Temptation | libretto: Israel Eliraz | soloists, choir, orchestra & electronic music | Gary Bertini / Götz Friedrich 1976, München
1983 | The Tower | libretto: Hans Keller | soloists, choir, orchestra & electronic music | Ádám Fischer / Siegfried Schoenbohm 1987, Berlin
1987 | The Garden | libretto: Israel Eliraz | soloists & ensemble | Peter Löscher / Irmgard Schleier 1988, Hamburg
1993 | Josef | libretto: Israel Eliraz | soloists, choir, orchestra | David Alden / Gary Bertini 1995, Tel Aviv
KEYBOARD

| Year Composed | WORK | DETAILS | PREMIERE

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1931 | Pieces | for piano 4-hands | [2]
1936 | Chaconne | for piano | [2]
1937 | Three Pieces | for piano | Grünthal 1939, Jerusalem
1945 | Cum Mortuis In Lingua Mortua | 7 Variations for piano on a theme by Moussorgsky | Grünthal 1945, Jerusalem
1946 | Six Sonnets | for piano | Grünthal 1948, Tel Aviv
1949 | Sonata | for piano [3][4][5][6][7][8] | Grünthal 1950 Tel Aviv
1951 | A Little Walk | for piano 4-hands | [2]
1956 | Five Inventions | for Piano | Lengyel(?) 1961
1962 | Dodecaphonic Episodes | for piano | Tal 1963, Tel Aviv
1962 | Concerto No. 4 | for piano & magnetic tape [9] | Tal 1962, Jerusalem
1964 | Concerto No. 5 | for piano & electronic music | Gerty Blacher-Herzog 1964, Berlin
1964 (Rev. 1977) | Concerto | for harpsichord & electronic music | Frank Pelleg 1964, Tel Aviv
1970 | Concerto No. 6 | for piano & electronic music | Tal 1970, Jerusalem
1975 | Five Densities | for piano | Arnan Wiesel 1990, Tel Aviv
1983 | Salva venia | for organ | Oscar Gottlieb Blarr 1984, Düsseldorf
1986 | Essay I | for piano [3] | Alan Sternfeld 1987, Israel
1988 | A Tale in Four Parts | for piano 4-hands | [2]
1988 | Essay II | for piano | ?
1989 | Essay III | for piano | Alan Sternfeld 1990, Jerusalem
1997 | Essay IV | for piano | Jeffrey Burns 1998, Düsseldorf
2000 | Essay V | for piano | ?
ORCHESTRAL / ENSEMBLE / INSTRUMENTAL SOLO

| Year Composed | WORK | DETAILS | PREMIERE

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1934 | By the Rivers of Babylon | for cello & harp [10][11] | Weissgerber / Szarvas 19?? (?)
1937 | Suite | for cello | Hillel Zori 2010, Tel Aviv
1937 | Sonata | for cello | Hillel Zori 2010, Tel Aviv
1939 | Prelude | for chamber orchestra, flute & fagott | Grünthal 1939, Jerusalem
(before 1940[12]) | Trois Novelettes | for symphony orchestra | Gottfried / IPO 2014, Tel Aviv
1940 | Suite | for viola | Gideon Roehr 1946 Jerusalem
1940 | Theme and Variations | for 2 pianos & percussion | Grünthal / Kaplan/ Liebenthal 1940, Jerusalem
1945 | Concerto No. 1 | for piano & orchestra | Grünthal / Schlesinger 1945 Jerusalem
1946 | Exodus | symphonic poem for baritone & orchestra. Text: Exodus, Psalms[9] | Bernardino Molinari 1947, Tel Aviv
1947 | Lament | for cello & harp [11] | Josef Weissgerber / Klari Szarvas 19?? (?)
1949 | Hora | for cello & harp [11] | Josef Weissgerber / Klari Szarvas 19?? (?)
1950 | Reflections | for string orchestra [13] | Michael Taube 1950, Tel Aviv
1951 (Rev. 1952) | Sonata | for violin & piano [3] | Goren / Stanfield 1951, Jerusalem
1952 | Sonata | for oboe & piano | Haas / Tal 1954 (?)
1952 | Symphony No. 1 | [3] | Artur Gelbrun 1955, Bruxelles
1953 | Concerto No. 2 | for piano & orchestra | Tal / Singer 1953, Jerusalem
1953 | Duo | for 2 flutes | Hanoch Tel-Oren / Sharona Tel-Oren 1953, Israel
1953 | Concerto | for viola & orchestra | Gideon Röhr / Heinz Freudenthal 1954, Haifa
1954 | String Quartet No. 1 |  | Alexander Tal / Yuval / Binyamini / Mense 1959, Tel Aviv
1956 | Concerto No. 3 | for tenor, piano & orchestra. Text: Eleazar Kalir | Taube / Tal 1956, Jerusalem
1957 | Festive Vision | for symphony orchestra | Izler Solomon 1958, Jerusalem
1959 | Intrada | for harp | Contestants of First Int. Harp Contest 1959, Jerusalem
1960 | Symphony No. 2 | [3] | Ronli-Riklis 1961, Jerusalem
1960 | Sonata | for viola & piano | Ödön Pártos / Tal 1960, Tel Aviv
1960 | Concerto | for cello & string orchestra [3][4] | Uzi Wiesel / Ronli-Riklis 1961, Jerusalem
1961 | Structure | for harp | Szarvas 1962, Israel
1963 | String Quartet No. 2 |  | New Israeli Quartet 1965, Tel Aviv
1965 | Duo | for viola & piano | (?) 1965, Hamburg
1966 | Wind Quintet |  | Danzi Quintet 1968, Amsterdam
1966 | Three Compositions | for recorder & harpsichord | [2]
1968 | Fanfare | for 3 trumpets & 3 trombones | ?
1969 | Double Concerto | for violin, cello & chamber orchestra | Gary Bertini / Pinchas Zukerman / Uzi Wiesel 1970, Ein Gev
1971 (Rev. 1980) | Concerto | for harp & electronic music | Nicanor Zabaleta 1971, Johannesburg
1973 | Treatise | for cello | Uzi Wiesel 1974, Tel Aviv
1973 | Trio | for violin, cello & piano | Shulman / Toister / Silver 1985, Tel Aviv
1975 | Shape | for chamber ensemble | Ralph Shapey 1976, Chicago
1976 | Concerto | for flute & chamber orchestra | Aurèle Nicolet / Mendi Rodan 1977, Jerusalem
1976 (Rev 1987) | String Quartet No. 3 | [3][4] | ?
1977 | Backyard | for chamber ensemble & tape (for choreography) | [2]
1978 | Symphony No. 3 | [3][4] | Zubin Mehta 1979, Jerusalem
1979 | Double Concerto | for 2 pianos & orchestra | Gary Bertini / Eden / Tamir 1981, Jerusalem
1980 | Concerto | for clarinet & orchestra | Bertini / Walter Boeykens 1984, Jerusalem
1980 | Movement | for tuba & piano | Margulies / Garten 1982, USA
1981 (Rev. 1986) | Dance of the Events | for orchestra | Gary Bertini 1982, Jerusalem
1982 | Piano Quartet | for violin, viola, cello & piano | Cantilena Chamber Players 1982, New York
1982 | Imago | for chamber orchestra | Arthur Weisberg 1983, Washington
1982 | Chamber Music | for s-recorder, marimba & harpsichord | Manuela Christen / Hans-Peter Achberger / Urte Lucht 1987, Hamburg
1985 | Symphony No. 4 |  | Zubin Mehta 1987, Tel Aviv
1985 | In Memoriam of a Dear Friend | for cello | Kaganovski 1986, Jerusalem
1986 | Symphonic Fanfare |  | Houston Symphony Orchestra 1987, Houston
1989 | Duo | for trombone & harp | Nitzan Har-Oz / Adina Har-Oz 1991, Israel
1989 | Dispute | for harp | Contestants in the 11th International Harp Contest 1991, Jerusalem
1991 | Symphony No. 5 |  | Daniel Barenboim 1992, Berlin
1991 | Symphony No. 6 |  | Wolf-Dieter Hauschild 1992, Eschede (Germany)
1992 | Duo | for oboe & English horn | [2]
1994 | Quartet | for t-saxophone, violin, viola & cello | Ein Habar / Braunstein / Kam / Plesser 1994, Hasselburg
1996 | Perspective | for viola | Tabea Zimmermann 1996, Berlin
2005 | Good Night | for 2 recorders | Manuela Christen / Eveline Lorandi 2010, Amriswil (Switzerland)
UNACCOMPANIED SOLO

| Year Composed | WORK | DETAILS | PREMIERE

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1978 (Rev. 1982) | Scene | monodrama for soprano or tenor (to be acted). Text from Franz Kafka's diaries | Christine Anderson 1981, Cincinnati
1997 | Schlichtheit | for baritone. Text: Jorge Luis Borges | Matteo de Monti 1997, Vienna
2000 | Sonett an Orfeus | for baritone. Text: Rainer Maria Rilke (Sonett XXIX) | Matteo de Monti 2000, Jerusalem
SOLO VOICE WITH ONE INSTRUMENT, ENSEMBLE OR ORCHESTRA

| Year Composed | WORK | DETAILS | PREMIERE

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1936 | Drei Lieder der Ruhe (Three Songs of Serenity) | for soprano & piano. Texts: Paul Verlaine, Georg Heym, Christian Morgenstern | Hede Türk / Grünthal 1938, Jerusalem
1950 | Festive Prologue | for narrator & 2 pianos. Text: Rachel Bluwstein | [2]
1955 | Three Songs | for soprano & piano. Texts: Rachel Bluwstein | Hilde Zadek / Tal 1955, Tel Aviv
1971 | Song | for baritone or alto & ensemble. Texts: Heinrich Heine | Heljä Angervo 1972, Berlin
1975 | My Child | for soprano & clarinet. Text: Natan Yonatan | Adi Etzion / Richard Lesser 1975, Tel Aviv
1975 | Else – Hommage to Else Lasker-Schüler | chamber scene for mezzo-soprano, narrator & ensemble. Text: Israel Eliraz | Adi Etzion 1975, Tel Aviv
1978 | Fürchte dich nicht | for baritone and double bass | [2]
1987 | Die Hand | dramatic Scene for soprano & cello. Text: Israel Eliraz | Catherine Gayer / Uzi Wiesel 1989, Jerusalem
1991 | Wars Swept Through Here | for baritone & ensemble. Text: Israel Eliraz | Matteo de Monti / Helmut Keller 1992, Kassel
1991 | Bitter Line | for baritone & ensemble. Text: Israel Eliraz | Friedrich Goldmann / Georg Christoph Biller 1991, Berlin
1993 | Mein blaues Klavier (My Blue Piano) | for mezzo-soprano & piano. Text: Else Lasker-Schüler | Andión Fernández / Axel Bauni 1994 Berlin
CHORAL MUSIC A CAPPELLA / WITH ORCHESTRA

| Year Composed | WORK | DETAILS | PREMIERE

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1936 | On the Way | for 4 women voices. Texts: Rachel Bluwstein | [2]
1949 Rev. 1954 | Aleinu Leshabe'ach | for 3 voices women choir, tenor & piano (organ). Text: Siddur, Shalom Shabazi | Helfman / Putterman 1949, New York
1949 | The Mother Rejoices | symphonic cantata. Text: Book of Maccabees [9] | Freudenthal 1953, Jerusalem
1952 | 3 Songs for Choir | for choir. Texts: Song of Songs, Shalom Shabazi[3] | Tal 1953, Jerusalem
1955 | Succot Cantata | for soloists, mixed choir & orchestra. Text: Shacharit, Eleazar Kalir | Tal 1955, Jerusalem
? (After 1962) | God Full of Mercy | for mixed choir. Text: Yehuda Amichai | [2]
1967 | The Death of Moses | requiem for soloists, mixed choir, orchestra & electronic music. Text: Yehuda Ya'ari[3][4] | Bertini 1967, Jerusalem
1968 | Parade of the Fallen (Misdar Ha'Noflim) | cantata for soloists, choir & orchestra. Text: Haim Hefer | Mendi Rodan 1969, Jerusalem
1975 | Death Came to the Wooden Horse Michael | for soloists, mixed choir & electronic music. Text: Nathan Zach | Avner Itai 1979, Jerusalem
1978 | With All Thy Soul | cantata for soloists, equal voices boys' choir, mixed choir & ensemble. Text: 1 Maccabees (Apocrypha), Sefer Ha'Agada | Bertini 1978, Jerusalem
1985 | Dream of the Circles | for baritone, choir & ensemble. Text: Nachman of Breslov | Avner Itai 1985, Tel Aviv
1987 | Touch a Place | for solo voice & choir. Text: Israel Eliraz | Arnon Meroz 1987, Jerusalem
ELECTRONIC MUSIC (unaccompanied)

| Year Composed | WORK | DETAILS

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1958 | Exodus (II) | for choreography
1959 | The Tale of the Shadow | for a radio play
1963 | Ranges of Energy (Ver. I) | for choreography [14]
1964 Rev. 1971, 1978 | I Called Upon The Lord in Distress | for choreography
1968 | Ashmedai - electronic overture of the opera | for choreography
1970 | Variations | for choreography
1972 | Frequencies 440–462 |
1976 | The Emigrants | for the theater play
1979 | Shikaron Sinai | for a TV documentary
1981 | L'Atelier | for the theater play [5]
1990 | Ranges of Energy (Ver. II) a.k.a. Rays of Energy | Talmark Notation Project[15]
1992 | Coincidentia Oppositorum (Etude No. 1) | Talmark Notation Project[15]

## Notes[edit]

1. ^ Historical Text and Pretext in the Works of an Israeli Composer, in Fontes Artis Musicae, Vol XXII, 1975/1-2 pp 43-47 (with Israel Eliraz)
2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k not yet performed
3. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Ron, Yohanan: (2000) The Music of Josef Tal – Selected Writings, The Israeli Music Archive, Tel Aviv University, Department of Musicology
4. ^ a b c d e Ron, Yohanan: The Instrumental Music of Josef Tal: Style and Artistic Concepts – Ph.D. Thesis, Bar-Ilan University (1990) (Hebrew)
5. ^ The Sonata for Piano is included in the repertoire of the 13th Arthur Rubinstein International Piano Master Competition (2011) [1] Archived 2010-02-27 at the Wayback Machine
6. ^ Espiedra, aviva: Josef Tal, Sonata for Piano, in: A critical study of four piano sonatas by Israeli composers, 1950-1979, Doctor of Musical Arts dissertation in Peabody Institute of the Johns Hopkins University, 1992 pp 15-78
7. ^ [2] Kotaro Fukuma performs the Sonata for piano at the Arthur Rubinstein Piano Master Competition, May 2011 in Tel Aviv
8. ^ [3] Dmitri Levkovich performs the Sonata for piano (partial) at the Arthur Rubinstein Piano Master Competition, May 2011 in Tel Aviv
9. ^ a b c publication revoked according to composer's wish
10. ^ Score lost
11. ^ a b c "Lamerntation", "Hora" and "By the Rivers of Babylon" performed by Klara Szarvas (harp) and Joseph Weissgerber (Cello)] on Archive.org
12. ^ according to additional documents
13. ^ Leichtling, Avrohom: Josef Tal, Reflections. in: Musikproduktion Höflich Repertuar and Opera Explorer (2005) [4]
14. ^ Electronic source lost
15. ^ a b Markel, Shlomo,: On Notation for Electro Acoustic Music and Interactive Environment for Composition, PhD. Thesis submitted to the "Technion", Haifa, January 1993