The Essential Hebrew Violin Anne Battegay

• Maurice Ravel (1875 - 1937): 2 Mélodies hébraïques, M.A 22 (Arr. for Violin & Chamber Orchestra):
• 1 Ravel: 2 Mélodies hébraïques, M.A 22 (Arr. for Violin & Chamber Orchestra): No. 1, Kaddisch. Lent 04:44
• 2 Ravel: 2 Mélodies hébraïques, M.A 22 (Arr. for Violin & Chamber Orchestra): No. 2, L'énigme éternelle. Tranquillo 01:12
• John Williams (b. 1932), Jerry Bock (1928 - 2010): Fiddler on the Roof (From "Fiddler on the Roof") [Arr. for Violin & Chamber Orchestra]:
• 3 Williams, Bock: Fiddler on the Roof (From "Fiddler on the Roof") [Arr. for Violin & Chamber Orchestra] 04:22
• Joseph Achron (1886 - 1943): Hebrew Melody, Op. 33 (Arr. for Violin & Chamber Orchestra):
• 4 Achron: Hebrew Melody, Op. 33 (Arr. for Violin & Chamber Orchestra) 05:34
• 2 Hebrew Pieces, Op. 35:
• 5 Achron: 2 Hebrew Pieces, Op. 35: No. 2, Hebräisches Wiegenlied (Arr. for Violin & Chamber Orchestra) 02:36
• Joel Engel (1868 - 1927): 2 Violin Pieces, Op. 20:
• 6 Engel: 2 Violin Pieces, Op. 20: No. 2, Freilach 03:36
• Max Bruch (1838 - 1920): Kol Nidrei, Op. 47 (Arr. for Cello, Violin & Chamber Orchestra):
• 7 Bruch: Kol Nidrei, Op. 47 (Arr. for Cello, Violin & Chamber Orchestra) 09:38
• Sergei Prokofiev (1891 - 1953): Overture on Hebrew Themes, Op. 34 (Arr. for Violin, Cello & Piano):
• 8 Prokofiev: Overture on Hebrew Themes, Op. 34 (Arr. for Violin, Cello & Piano) 08:35
• Alexander Krein (1883 - 1951): Caprice hébraïque, Op. 24 (Arr. for Violin & Chamber Orchestra):
• 9 Krein: Caprice hébraïque, Op. 24 (Arr. for Violin & Chamber Orchestra) 05:56
• Fritz Kreisler (1875 - 1962): Marche miniature viennoise (Arr. for Violin, Cello & Piano):
• 10 Kreisler: Marche miniature viennoise (Arr. for Violin, Cello & Piano) 03:10
• Total Runtime 49:23

Info for The Essential Hebrew Violin

This album includes arrangements for violin and chamber orchestra, recorded here for the first time. The programme was inspired by a concert Anne Battegay performed in Basel in 2020 for the European Day of Jewish Culture. She was overwhelmed by the audience's extremely positive response to this music at the time. The pieces show that Jewish music can by no means be reduced to Klezmer alone. Anne Battegay:

"The majority of the works on this album were written by Jewish composers who were, as in the case of Joseph Achron, masterful violinists in their youth. It is also notable that all had family connections to music and to religion. Non-Jewish composers similarly embraced the concept of arranging Jewish prayers and melodies in instrumental formvery much in the tradition of Ernest Bloch, the composer of the Baal Shem Suite for violin and piano and Schelomo for violoncello and orchestra.

I was fortunate to be able to collaborate with the arrangers Albena Petrovic Vratchanska and Lukas Medlam, as well as with the musical director of the Chamber Orchestra Mannheim, Marc-Olivier Oetterli, for this recording.

In March 2022 we were able to record their arrangements with the generous support of ARS Produktion in a familial and inspiring cooperation. In particular, I would like to highlight the piano trio arrangement of Prokofiev's Overture on Hebrew Themes by the pianist Alessandro Tardino.

My husband, the successful cellist François Robin, has contributed two solo pieces on this recording. Francois supported me in the realization of this project from the very beginning, and with his wonderful playing and attentive ears, he contributed significantly to the beauty of this album.

Thank you for joining me on my journey to The Essential Hebrew Violin."

Anne Battegay, violin
Francois Robin, cello
Alessandro Tardino, piano
Kurpfälzisches Kammerorchester
Marc-Olivier Oetterli, conductor

Anne Battegay
Born in Zurich 1988, into a traditionally jewish family, Anne grew up in Zurich, Washington D.C. and Basel. She started to play the violin at the age of six and was immediately drawn to the beautiful sound of this instrument.

After graduating from Music-Gymnasium in Basel, Anne pursued her studies at the Zürcher Hochschule der Künste (ZHdK) with the reknown teacher Nora Chastain. Another important influence she gained from an Erasmus year in Munich, studying with Ingolf Turban, famous for his virtuoso violin playing.

Coming back from Munich, Anne joined the Swiss Belenus Quartet and has won several national and international prizes at competitions with the ensemble, such as the first prize and audience prize at the “Franz Schubert und die Musik der Moderne 2015” competition and a special prize at the “1. International competition for String Quartet Sandor Vegh” in 2012. Chamber music partners as Valentin Erben, Claudius Herrmann and Anna Malikova, with whom the quartet recorded a CD, are regularly on stage with the ensemble.

In 2013 and 2015 Anne finished her Masters of Performance and Masters of Pedagogy with distinction.

Since 2015 she has two teaching positions at the Kantonsschule Zürcher Unterland and the Gymnasium Liestal , where she prepares young violinists for their final exams. Furthermore she is a regular supplementary player in the orchestra of the Opera Zurich.

As a chamber musician, teacher and freelance orchestra player Anne takes many different leads in music. With her new project “Hebrew melodies – a personal journey” she performes mostly unknown repertoire of jewish composers and tells her own personal story.

This album contains no booklet.