There is something about the history of the Jewish people, their struggle for survival, their innate ability to buoy themselves from the depths of tragedy through the use of humor, that has always fascinated me. The Hebraique Elegie was born of the desire to find a home for the emotions I experienced at the passing of my father. The hypnotic dance at its core is a sweet reminiscence of dancing with my father at Bar Mitzvahs, while a very little girl, first with my feet atop his polished black shoes; then on my own. From the lonely, chant-like cadenza at its opening, to reflection and reluctant acceptance at its close, the Hebraique Elegie is a lament expressing the irony and juxtaposition of joy and suffering; the struggle with the inevitable.

Originally written for two violins, the Hebraique Elegie has been received with warmth and great sentiment by all for whom my husband and I have played it. Notably, it has also been performed at the Wolf Trap, Caramoor and Crested Butte Festivals, among others, by Paul Huang and Danbi Um. After another incarnation for two violas (which was performed at a Lincoln Center Spring Gala by Paul Neubauer and Matthew Lipman) a gifted former student, Kaylee Bontrager, who needed a solo piece for her college auditions, inspired me to weave together the two voices that speak to each throughout this piece, and the Hebraique Elegie for Violin Alone was born.

-Amy Barlowe

Click below to listen to a performance Amy Barlowe's Hebraique Elegie for Violin Alone: