Gilboa, Jacob

Gilboa, Jacob, Czech-born Israeli composer; b. Košice, May 2, 1920. He grew up in Vienna and went to Palestine in 1938. He studied composition with Tal in Jerusalem and Ben-Haim in Tel Aviv (1944-47), and then traveled to Germany and attended courses of new music with Stockhausen, Pousseur, Alois Kontarsky, and Caskel. His music represents a blend of oriental and Eastern Mediterranean idioms, basically lyrical, but technically ultramodern.

Works

CHAMBER 7 Little Insects, piano pieces for children (1955); Violin Sonata (1960); Crystals for Flute, Viola, Cello, Piano, and Percussion (1967); Horizons in Violet and Blue, ballet scene for 6 Players (1970); Pastels for 2 Prepared Pianos (1970); 3 Red Sea Impressions for Violin, Piano, Harp, Electric Guitar, Organ, and Tape (1976); Cello Sonata (1981); String Quartet (1984); Blossoms in the Desert for Flute and Piano (1991). VOCAL: Wild Flowers, 4 lyrical pieces for Woman’s Voice, Horn, Harp, and String Orch. (1957); Passing Clouds for Woman’s Voice, Clarinet, Cello, and Piano (1958); The 12 Jerusalem Chagall Windows for Voices and Instruments (1966); Thistles, theater piece for Singing and Speaking Voices, Horn, Cello, Piano, and Percussion (1970); From the Dead Sea Scrolls for Chorus, Children’s Chorus, 2 Organs, Tape, and Orch. (1971; Hamburg, Jan. 11, 1972); 14 Epigrams for Oscar Wilde for Woman’s Voice, Piano, and Tape (1973); Bedu, metamorphoses on a Bedouin call, for Man’s Voice, Cello, Flute, and Piano (1975); The Beth Alpha Mosaic for Woman’s Voice, Chamber Ensemble, and Tape (1975; Chicago, Jan. 24, 1976); 3 Vocalises for Peter Breughel for Mezzo-soprano, Tape, and 13 Instruments (1979); The Gray Colors of Kathe Kollwitz for Woman’s Voice, Synthesizer, Tape, and Chamber Ensemble (1990); Lyric Triptych for Alto, Girl’s Chorus, Synthesizer, and Chamber Ensemble (1993). ORCH.: Cedars for Orch. (1971); Gittit for Chamber Orch. (1980); 7 Ornaments on a Theme of Ben-Haim for Piano and Orch. (1981); 3 Lyric Pieces in the Mediterranean Style for Chamber Orch. (1984). OTHER: 3 Strange Visions of Hieronymus Bosch for Organ (1987).

—Nicolas Slonimsky/Laura Kuhn/Dennis McIntire