Among the works of Elena Sokolovski, compositions for solo instruments occupy a certain place. So, in 2022, was created a suite for viola solo. This composition is a widespread genre of program suite, known to many composers, consisting of individual pieces.
However, in this viola suite, despite the independence of the pieces, there is a certain semantic core that unites the entire composition. It can be represented as two figurative spheres, opposing each other and at the same time complementing each other. On the one hand, this is an image of small but versatile scenes where people are engaged in a variety of vigorous activities. On the other hand, there are paintings that reflect the departure from the worries of this vain world, up to the image of the complete silence of the sultry desert.
Both spheres make up a cycle of seven pieces based on changes in tempo, intonation, texture and rhythm. They are completely different, although in the last of them, according to the author's intention, some motifs from the previous parts are used.
Of great interest is the genre feature of the suite as a whole, reflected in its title: “Brief Journalistic Essays on Israel”. Calling miniature plays “essays”, the author, as it were, emphasizes in the title not only their small scale, but also the memorable brightness of those events that attracted the attention of the “journalist” (since this is the composer himself).
At the same time, the author selects not those well-known and repeatedly described subjects – ancient Jerusalem, the beauty of the Mediterranean Sea, the exotic of the Dead Sea, the richly flowering parks of Israeli cities or portraits of outstanding people of the country. The author focuses on the main feature inherent in Israel – colossal contrasts in all aspects of life.
The performance of this suite presupposes the participation of the reciter – this is the violist himself. Тext spoken by the reciter: “Tel Aviv. Morning. People rush to work in offices, banks, shops, cars, busses, traffic lights… morning business in the city”. In the dynamic scene of the 1st piece “Business Morning in Tel Aviv” – bustle, hubbub, urban hum, traffic noise are depicted – we seem to see people hurrying to offices, banks, shops. The rapid change of figures in the musical background, the intervals, the impetuous passages very vividly embody the atmosphere and energy of a large business city.
And immediately contrast: in the 2nd piece “Old Jew from Jerusalem” a very old man is depicted, who sits on the sidewalk of the ancient city and quietly prays. This picture is typical for the cities of the Eastern Mediterranean, it has been repeatedly described in the literature. Author's note: “An old, very old person. He sits on the sidewalk and prays. He prays for all people and for himself”.
The slow tempo, a specific melody with a lot of melismas, a peculiar rhythm with register shifts of viola sounds are perfectly complemented by a special effect: the instrumentalist must very quietly, without words, sing along to the viola melodies, or rather, draw out separate long sounds with his voice, as if creating an organ point. The image of a self-absorbed, lonely, decrepit old man stands out prominently against the background of the colorful dynamic picture depicted in the first piece.
Meanwhile, how the mood changes in 3rd piece, “Before the closed of the market”! This situation is a very responsible and important moment both for buyers scurrying back and forth, and for sellers. After all, you need to have time to sell the remaining goods, but you can't miss it and be able to buy cheaply even what you don't need at all! Screams of sellers, exclamations of buyers voiced by the instrumentalist, the clatter of people rushing to the next sale, general noise, hubbub, but everything quickly subsides. What a pity the market closed! Author's note: “Market before the close. Vanity, screams… Sellers rush to sell everything, and buyers buy everything. Even what is not needed…”. Such mass scenes are well known from literary descriptions, from the music of many operas, but Elena Sokolovski creates his own version – an oriental bazaar with its own specific character and fussy-assertive energy. At the end of this piece, the violist says: “The market is closing…”.
And again, the contrast is the famous monastery of Latrun. Slow beats of the bell sound – they are carried throughout the district, and from the temple, surrounded by flowering trees, the quiet singing of the monks is heard: they sing Gregorian chants. This impression of remoteness from the whole world, solitude and deep tranquility is beautifully created by the author in 4th piece “Catalytic monastery Latrun”.
The composer achieves the image of the bell ringing in this way. The violist takes the sound to the do-sharp of a small octave using pizzicato and at the same time sings along with the same sound of a small octave with the word “Bommm… bommm… bommm…”. This technique creates a feeling of a huge space, which is cut through by the beats of the bell. Author's note: “Catholic monastery of Latrun… Slow tones of the bell… Gregorian chants are heard from the cathedral”.
Even more impressive is the “choral singing” of Gregorian chants coming from the temple. The melody performed by the arco technique sounds, as it were, in a “male choir”, first in one voice, then in two voices. This melody was composed by the author in the style of medieval music, and its intonation structure is very close to the original chorales of those times.
Slow tempo, stepwise movement of sounds, even rhythm with stops at the end of each stanza, inherent in chorales, are interspersed with bell ringing, which somewhat intensifies in the middle of the work, and gradually falls silent – the church service is over.
5th piece is called “Situations on the highway”. Here the author reflects scenes of what he himself has repeatedly witnessed. So, Saturday, a day off in Israel, the July heat is +35 degrees Celsius in the shade. From time to time, cars or motorcycles rush along the highway at prohibitive speed. Police officers in their cars rush after the offenders. Author's note: “Saturday. July. +35 C in the shade… Sometimes cars or motorcycles pass along the road at maximum speed. Such drivers are pursued by the police. But not everyone has new cars. It happens that in such heat, the engine of an old car simply does not work…” (This part of the suite presupposes, when performed, not quite an absolute intonation. This implies enhancing the compositional effect).
By what means does the author achieve these scenes? Various musical techniques are used here: for example, the sounds of an approaching and receding car are represented by an ascending alto tremolo and a rapidly rising glissando to a very high note fff, and then a descending glissando. And after that – the signals of the police car. Will the police catch up with the offender or not?
And here's another scene. After all, not all motorists have new cars or powerful motorcycles. Over there, on the side of the road, stands a confused driver: the engine of his old car has stalled from the heat, and the man is trying in vain to start it. But all these attempts are unsuccessful. How is it depicted? The violist makes grating and raspy sounds on the instrument while and playing with the bow behind a stand, and uses some specific effects to achieve a “real” scene.
And again, different cars rush by at great speed, and the police squad again goes to intercept. This play is written by the author with such humor and ingenuity that it cannot but evoke merry laughter!
And again, a completely different picture emerges before us. In the center of Israel is an amazing, deserted place. Around you can see huge layers of earth, raised by monstrous forces and standing almost vertically, bottomless abysses between sheer cliffs, craters from fallen meteorites… This place is called the Negev Desert. A person who has visited these places cannot even admit the thought of living here – the desert landscapes are so alien to the world of people. The deepest antiquity of the desert, which has not changed for many millions of years, gives rise to thoughts about eternity and infinity. Such a picture received a very interesting embodiment in 6th piece – “Negev Desert”. Author's note: “This desert has not changed for millions of years…There is something in it that is very far from human… But it is beautiful in its own way!”
The slow melody of the viola is built on such intonations that are very characteristic of the ancient melodies of people who lived near the desert for centuries. The organ point in the lower register of the instrument leaves a particularly deep impression – it stretches endlessly through the entire piece. And indeed, this unchanging sound “do” on the lower string of the viola, as it were, concentrates in itself the frozen immutability, the greatness and silence of the desert, its timeless nature… This nature is so infinitely far from the world of people, from the dynamic and diverse human activity.
And again contrasts – we are returning to earthly life with its energy and diversity. 7th piece “Evening in Tel Aviv” invites us to hear and “see” a whole series of short scenes that replace and interrupt each other. This is a free evening after a hard day's work. Author's Note: “And here again earthly life returns, and it is alive, this life, and this evening, evening in Tel Aviv, and you hear rock – and- roll, and you hear romantic music, and a prayer, and some melody from some operetta. In a word, an ordinary human life!”.
The hum of the big city penetrates everywhere, but against this background, echoes of cheerful rock'n'roll are suddenly heard, but someone is carried away by a romantic aria. Through the dance rhythms, the singing of prayers is heard for a second, and then they are interrupted by motives from some kind of operetta. Here and there, here, near and far, the sounds of car horns and the noise of all types of urban transport do not stop. Everyone in these hours of rest is in a hurry to take everything that is possible from life. In a word, ordinary human life!
The composer did an excellent job with this mass scene – after all, all the many different colorful events and situations that arise in it are created not by a powerful team of a symphony orchestra or a polyphonic piano, but only by a solo viola!
And here, in the seventh piece, and indeed in the entire viola suite, the rich imagination and true skill of the composer Elena Sokolovski, who managed to capture in her work the brightest and most characteristic aspects of Israeli life, were manifested. The violist soloist will need not only a virtuoso mastery of the instrument, but also a certain acting skill to achieve additional effects in order to present to the audience all scenes and paintings in a modern, talented and original composition.