Dancing with the Torah at Mount Meron

Composer note:

I have always deeply admired the works of Israeli painter Reuven Rubin. When ZOFO duo asked me to write a piece inspired by a painter's work, I naturally looked through some of Rubin's paintings and was particularly struck by Dancing with the Torah at Mount Meron. It captures an undeniable essence of Jewish culture and tradition; the dancers' faces are quite melancholic and even painful in their expressions, and yet they exhibit so much devotion and love for the Torah. The painting also embodies the ecstatic nature of Jewish dancing, while presenting a beautiful sketch of the landscape of the area around Mount Meron. My piece is a reaction to this painting — an interpretation of the image in sound. I did not try to portray any specific visual elements in the music, but rather to capture the mood, the energy, the joy, the tears, and the love I see in this picture. The form takes some of its inspiration from traditional Jewish song and dance, starting slowly and mournfully, gaining momentum over time, until ultimately reaching an ecstatic state.

— Avner Dorman

Dancing with the Torah at Mount Meron on artnet.com