In the spring of 1996, a unique musical journey began when composer Friedemann Eichhorn, a brilliant violinist, extended an invitation to a concert in Speyer, Germany. This invitation was for the composer and his then-girlfriend, soprano Hila Plitmann. All students at the Juilliard School that year, their shared passion for music had forged a close bond between them.
Inspired by the idea of performing as a traveling ensemble, Friedemann requested a set of troubadour songs specifically crafted for piano, violin, and soprano. The composer turned to Hila, a Jerusalem native, asking her to pen a few ‘postcards’ in her native Hebrew. Hila responded with a collection of exquisite and delicate poems in Hebrew. These poems became the lyrical foundation for the songs, composed during a vacation in a quaint skiing village nestled in the Swiss Alps. Just a week later, these Hebrew Love Songs In Lyrics were premiered in Speyer.
The beauty and emotional depth of these love songs led to further adaptations. In 2001, the University of Miami commissioned an adaptation for SATB chorus and string quartet. Simultaneously, the Efroni Choir in Israel commissioned another version for SA, violin, and piano. This creative journey resulted in an impressive five different arrangements of the same core work: SATB and string quartet; SATB, violin, and piano; SA and string quartet; SA violin, and piano; and the original soprano, violin, and piano version. Remarkably, the choral parts remain consistent across all arrangements, allowing choirs flexibility in performance with various instrumental ensembles.
Each of these songs encapsulates a personal moment shared between the composer and Hila. The title Kalá Kallá, translating to ‘light bride,’ originated from a playful pun during Hila’s initial Hebrew lessons with the composer. Similarly, the evocative bells at the beginning of Éyze Shéleg! are not merely imagined; they are the actual pitches of the cathedral bells that chimed each morning in Germany, becoming an integral part of their shared experience and finding their way into the very fabric of these heartfelt love songs in lyrics.
