Five Ancient Dances for viola and piano

Five Ancient Dances is a suite of five character pieces for viola and piano. The piece is one of my earliest compositions, from my student days at the Detmold Music Academy in Germany. It was originally written for clarinet and piano in 1983, but was later revised twice (1996, 2005) and a viola version was added. The music is influenced by Jewish and Israeli folk music, though other east- Mediterranean styles also make an appearance. The second movement, for instance, is based on the Bedouin "Debka" dance, in which a melody is repeated several times at increasing speed and energy, then returns to its original state. The last movement shows Balkan and even Klezmer influence. This work was among my early attempts to combine folk elements within art and concert music.

Ofer Ben-Amots