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ISRAELI ART SONGS AND VOCAL REPERTOIRE

Contemporary Israeli Art Songs for Alto and Piano

Hebrew and Israeli art songs for alto voice form a small but expressive corner of the vocal repertoire.
This page highlights Lior Navok’s setting of Hebrew poetry for alto and piano, alongside a curated selection of modern Israeli vocal works suitable for low voice.
The combination of Hebrew text and contemporary classical writing offers performers a unique blend of lyricism, narrative clarity, and emotional depth, making these songs ideal for recitals, competitions, and thematic programs exploring Hebrew literature and Israeli musical culture.

THE TAILORESS SONG

for alto and piano

Duration:

3.5 minutes
 

Instrumentation:   

alto and piano

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Year Composed:  

2009

 

Poems By:

Leah Goldberg

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Language:

Hebrew

Hebrew Alto piano Songs

THEMES:

LOVE
SOLITUDE

Program Notes:

This short song is a musical adaptation of a poem by Leah Goldberg, originally written for a production of a play by Goldoni. It narrates the tale of a tailoress who waits for her lover while reflecting on him as she sews.

Abstract

The Tailoress Song is a lyrical and intimate setting of a poem by Leah Goldberg, originally written for a theatrical production of Goldoni. The song portrays a seamstress waiting for her lover, stitching her thoughts into the fabric she sews. The music reflects her quiet longing, gentle motion, and inner monologue, creating a brief but expressive portrait of solitude and hope.

VIEW SCORE

Score Sample

Score of The Tailoress Song for alto and piano

About Israeli Art Songs for Alto Voice

Israeli art songs for alto and piano offer a distinctive blend of Hebrew poetry, lyrical expression, and contemporary musical language. Composers writing in Hebrew often shape vocal lines around the natural rhythm of the text, creating music that is intimate, direct, and rich in color. Though the repertoire for alto voice is smaller than for soprano, it includes expressive works that highlight the warmth and depth of the low voice within modern Hebrew vocal music.

Hebrew and Israeli Art Songs for Alto Voice

This curated list highlights notable Hebrew art songs for alto and piano

  • Mordecai Seter – Hebrew Art Songs
    These cycles utilize traditional and liturgical Hebrew texts. Several volumes are specifically arranged for medium or low voice and piano through the Israel Music Institute.

  • Tzvi Avni – Vocal Works on Hebrew Poetry
    Avni has composed extensively for solo voice. Cycles such as Beyond the Curtains or his settings of Lea Goldberg are frequently performed by altos in the original Hebrew.

  • Yehezkel Braun – Hebrew Songs
    Braun’s catalogue is vast; his Sephardic Romances and settings of biblical texts are standard Hebrew repertoire for voice and piano, with many suitable for the alto range.

  • Andre Hajdu – Songs on Hebrew Texts
    Hajdu often set Mishnaic and liturgical Hebrew texts to music. His art songs for solo voice and piano are noted for their suitability for lower, more resonant voice types.

  • Menachem Zur – Art Songs for Low Voice
    Zur has specifically designated several of his Hebrew-language works for low voice, making them ideal for the alto range.

  • Lior Navok – The Tailoress Song
    Written in Hebrew (text by Lea Goldberg), this work is specifically suited for the alto range and piano. 

  • Paul Ben‑Haim – Songs Without Words
    While this work is written by an Israeli composer and is available in a version for alto, it is a vocalise. 

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