Classical Voice North Carolina
| In 2004, Israeli composer Lior Navok, created his String Quartet No.2, subtitled “Hope Cycles,” for the Borromeo, who premiered it last month at the Cape Cod Chamber Music Festival. This 22-minute work is an attempt to mirror the emotions of the nameless individuals trapped in the endless conflict between Israel and the Palestinians or, in the composer’s words, “The fear, hate, anger, love, remorse, the claustrophobic and uncertain feeling of being under daily attack (no matter on what side one is).” The Quartet surveys the seesawing drama of open conflict, punctuated by peace talks and road maps, all from the point of view of the bewildered, beleaguered viola, who opens the work and periodically reacts to events it can neither control nor fathom. On first hearing, it was nearly impossible to discern the musical building blocks and scope of the work, since Navok, a student of John Harrison, shares his teacher’s penchant for complex harmonies and structures. But what is more striking is Navok’s ability to project emotional intensity, engaging our ability to identify existentially with the suffering that brought it forth; the hope, pain, fear, and finally resignation were palpable, as many members of the audience felt compelled to comment to Navok after the performance. One of us, an Israeli with children in harm’s way during the latest crises, wondered why Navok didn’t title the Quartet, “Vicious Cycles of Hope.” |
Related work: HOPE CYCLES
