Paul Ben-Haim

Short bio Paul Ben-Haim

Birthday: 1897 in Munich, Germany

Died: 1984 in Tel Aviv, Israel

Active: 1930s - 1970s

Genre: Classical

Period: 20th Century, Modern

Full biography Paul Ben-Haim

Paul Ben-Haim was a prolific Israeli composer born on July 5, 1897, in Munich, Germany. Originally named Paul Frankenburger, he changed his name to Ben-Haim in the 1930s when he emigrated to Palestine. He began his musical studies in Munich at an early age and continued them in Frankfurt where he studied with composer and conductor Hermann Weißmann.

After moving to Palestine in 1933, Ben-Haim became an important figure in the development of Israeli classical music. His compositions synthesized European classical music with traditional Jewish and Middle Eastern elements, creating a unique and distinct musical style. Notable works include two symphonies, a violin concerto, a capriccio for piano and orchestra, and many other orchestral, vocal, and chamber works.

In addition to his original compositions, Ben-Haim also adapted many Israeli folk songs, and his arrangements remain popular to this day. One of his most famous adaptations is the song "Erev Shel Shoshanim" (Evening of Roses), which is often played at Jewish weddings.

Despite his many accomplishments, Ben-Haim's work was overshadowed by more avant-garde composers in the latter half of the 20th century. However, in recent years, there has been renewed interest in his music, and his legacy as a major figure in Israeli music history is now being recognized and celebrated.

Compositions featuring Paul Ben-Haim

#	Name	Duration	Genre	Year
1	Studies (3) for violin	6:58 min	Chamber Music	1981
2	Music for cello solo	9:20 min	Chamber Music	1974
3	Music for piano, Op. 67	11:41 min	Keyboard	1967
4	Calmo, for organ	5:03 min	Keyboard	1966
5	Kabbalat Shabbat, for voice & choir		Choral	1966
6	Cello Concerto	22:04 min	Concerto	1962
7	Violin Concerto	20:24 min	Concerto	1960
8	Poème, for harp	5:20 min	Chamber Music	1959
9	Music for piano, Op. 53	12:26 min	Keyboard	1957
10	Music for Strings	15:00 min	Orchestral	1955
11	Piano Sonata, Op. 49	13:38 min	Keyboard	1954
12	Songs (3) without Words, for voice or instrument & piano	9:32 min	Chamber Music	1952
13	Serenade	15:12 min	Miscellaneous (Classical)	1952
14	Sonata for violin solo in G major	14:30 min	Chamber Music	1951
15	From Israel, suite for orchestra	18:16 min		1951
16	Melody and Variations, for piano, Op. 42	11:16 min	Keyboard	1950
17	Chamsin (Desert Wind), for piano	4:57 min	Keyboard	1950
18	Concerto for strings, Op 40	19:41 min	Chamber Music	1947
19	Viento, viento, for voice & piano	1:51 min	Vocal Music	1946
20	Symphony No. 2, Op. 36	43:33 min	Symphony	1945
21	Pastorale Variée, for clarinet & piano, Op. 31b	14:59 min	Chamber Music	1945
22	Pieces (5) for piano, Op. 34	12:30 min	Keyboard	1943
23	Evocation (Yizkor), poem for violin & orchestra	19:26 min	Concerto	1942
24	Quintet for clarinet & string quartet, Op. 31a	27:08 min	Chamber Music	1941
25	Symphony No. 1	29:29 min	Symphony	1940
26	Improvisation and Dance, for violin & piano, Op. 30	8:20 min	Chamber Music	1939
27	Landscapes (2), for viola & piano, Op. 27	8:49 min	Chamber Music	1939
28	String Quartet, Op. 21	30:49 min	Chamber Music	1937
29	Suite for piano No. 2, Op. 20b	16:42 min	Keyboard	1936
30	Suite for piano No. 1, Op. 20a	11:19 min	Keyboard	1933
31	Pan, symphonic poem for soprano & orchestra, Op. 17	15:22 min	Vocal Music	1931
32	Concerto Grosso for orchestra	28:37 min	Concerto	1931
33	Piano Quartet in C minor, Op. 4	29:27 min	Chamber Music	1920
34	Quintet for 2 violins, 2 violas & cello in E minor	33:13 min	Chamber Music	1919
35	Spehardic Folksongs (6), for chorus		Choral	-
36	Variations on a Hebrew Melody	19:31 min	Miscellaneous (Classical)	-
37	Work(s) for cello & piano		Chamber Music	-
38	The Lovely Rose, for chorus	2:38 min	Choral	-
39	Piano Concerto	36:48 min	Concerto	-
40	Symphonic Metamorphoses on Bach Chorale "Wer nun den lieben Gott läßt walten", for orchestra	18:25 min	Orchestral	-
41	Sweet Psalmist of Israel, for harpsichord, harp & orchestra, Nos 1-4, complete		Concerto	-
42	Sonatina for piano, Op 38	12:01 min	Keyboard	-
43	Sonata for solo violin in G minor, Op. 44	14:17 min	Chamber Music	-
44	Sonata a tre, for mandolin, guitar & harpsichord	11:27 min	Keyboard	-
45	Sephardic Melody, for voice or instrument & piano (Songs without Words No. 3)	3:25 min	Vocal Music	-
46	Prelude, for organ	4:21 min	Keyboard	-
47	A Star Fell Down	6:37 min	Miscellaneous (Classical)	-
48	Pastorale Variée, for clarinet, harp & string orchestra, Op. 31b	16:24 min	Orchestral	-
49	Joram, oratorio	113:28 min	Choral	-
50	I am the lily of the valley, for voice & piano	2:33 min	Vocal Music	-
51	Fanfare to Israel, for orchestra	6:46 min	Orchestral	-
52	El reloj consado	2:33 min	Vocal Music	-
53	Chamber Music, for flute, viola & harp	8:06 min	Chamber Music	-
54	Capriccio, for piano & orchestra	11:50 min	Concerto	-
55	Berceuse Sfaradite for violin & piano	3:41 min	Chamber Music	-
56	Ballad, for voice or instrument & piano (Songs without Words No. 2)	3:34 min	Vocal Music	-
57	Arabic Song, for violin & piano	2:21 min	Chamber Music	-

Albums featuring Paul Ben-Haim

#	Name album	Year	Music label
1	Lahav Shani, Israel Philharmonic Orchestra, Paul Ben-Haim – Symphony No. 1(3×File, AAC, EP)	2022	Deutsche Grammophon
2	Paul Ben-Haim, Claudia Barainsky, John Bradbury (4), BBC Philharmonic, Omer Meir Wellber – Music Of Israel(CD, Album)	2020	Chandos
3	Paul Ben-Haim, Itamar Zorman, BBC National Orchestra Of Wales, Philippe Bach – Evocation(SACD, Hybrid, Multichannel, Stereo)	2019	BIS
4	Ben-Haim ∙ Bloch ∙ Korngold, Raphael Wallfisch, BBC National Orchestra Of Wales, Łukasz Borowicz – Cello Concertos(CD, Stereo)	2019	cpo
5	Paul Ben-Haim, NDR Radiophilharmonie, Israel Yinon – Symphony No. 2; Concerto Grosso(CD, Album)	2017	cpo
6	Paul Ben-Haim - Carmel Quartet, Shuli Waterman – Chamber Music For Strings(CD, Album)	2014	Toccata Classics
7	Paul Ben-Haim - ARC Ensemble – Chamber Works: Clarinet Quintet \| Two Landscapes \| Canzonetta \| Improvasation and Dance \| Piano Quartet(CD, Album)	2013	Chandos
8	Bloch, Ben-Haïm - Hagai Shaham, Arnon Erez – Baal Shem Suite • Suite Hébraïque • Sonata In G For Solo Violin(CD, Album)	2007	Hyperion
9	Florence Mustric, Mussorgsky, Ben-Haim, Sokola, Süda – Florence Mustric Plays Volume 1 \| East Of Berlin(CD, )	2007	MSR Classics
10	Paul Ben-Haim, Gila Goldstein (2), Yehonatan Berick, Inbal Segev, Alexander Fiterstein – Paul Ben-Haim: Piano & Chamber Works, Vol. 2(CD, )	2005	Centaur Records
11	Paul Ben-Haim, Varda Kotler, Jeff Cohen (2) – Lieder	2004	Arion
12	Yuval Rabin, Bloch / Ben-Haim / Salomon / Dubnov / Alexander / Rabin – Organ Music From Israel(CD, Album)	2001	MDG
13	Paul Ben-Haim, Noam Sheriff, Oded Zehavi, Michael Guttman, London Philharmonic Orchestra – Israeli Violin Concertos(CD, Album, Stereo)	1998	ASV Digital
14	David Holzman - Ernest Bloch, Paul Ben-Haim, Tzvi Avni, Arnold Schoenberg, Stefan Wolpe – David Holzman Plays Piano Music By Jewish Composers(CD, )	1998	Albany Records
15	Olivier Messiaen, David Diamond (2), Paul Ben-Haim, Józef Koffler, Szymon Laks, Mario Castelnuovo-Tedesco – Darkness & Light, Volume 2(CD, Album)	1997	Albany Records
16	Paul Ben-Haim, Robert Starer, Herman Berlinski, George Perle, Mieczysław Weinberg – Darkness & Light(CD, Compilation)	1995	Albany Records
17	Itzhak Perlman, Mario Castelnuovo Tedesco, Paul Ben-Haim, Israel Philharmonic Orchestra, Zubin Mehta – Violin Concertos(CD, Stereo)	1992	EMI Classics
18	Leonard Bernstein, Bloch, Foss, Ben-Haim – Sacred Service/ The Song Of Songs/ Sweet Psalmist Of Israel	1992	Sony Classical
19	Ben Chaim, Beethoven, Ravel - Israel Philharmonic Orchestra, Berliner Philharmoniker, Zubin Mehta – Israel Philharmonic Orchestra Welcomes Berliner Philharmoniker(Cassette, Album)	1991	Sony Classical
20	Ofra Harnoy, Franck, Tchaikovsky, Sarasate, Gershwin, Chopin, Ben-Haim, Popper – The Art Of Ofra Harnoy Vol. 1(CD, )	1990	Mastersound (6)
21	Joaquín Turina, Bo Linde, Paul Ben-Haim, Dmitri Shostakovich, García Trio – Piano Trio No 2 / Sonata A Tre / Variations On A Hebrew Melody / Piano Trio No 2(CD, Album)	1988	Caprice Records
22	Georg Gossen, Arro, Gigout, Ben-Haim, Kuusisto, Mendelssohn-Bartholdy, Messiaen, Niedermeyer, Schumann – An Der Verschueren-Orgel Der Katholischen Pfarrkirche St. Audomar In Frechen Bei Köln(LP)	1984	Sound-Star-Ton
23	Paul Ben-Haim, Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Kenneth Alwyn – Symphony No. 2, Op. 36 / Concerto For Strings, Op. 40	1983	Jerusalem Records
24	Michael Davis (5), Badings, Ben-Haim, Berkeley, Prokofiev – Solo Violin Sonatas(LP, Album)	1978	Orion
25	Paul Ben-Haim, Israel Kibbutz Choir – Paul Ben-Haim With Israel Kibbutz Choir & Kibbutzim Chamber Orchestra(LP, Stereo)	1975	Kibbutz Records
26	Franz Schubert, Fritz Kreisler, Paul Ben-Haim - Sidney Harth, Arthur Loesser – Duo In A Major, Op. 162 / Recitativo And Scherzo-Caprice / Sonate In G Major For Solo Violin(LP)	1972	Musical Heritage Society
27	Kalomiri / Ben-Haim / Mimaroglu / Hossein / Fuleihan / Rigai - Amiram Rigai – Piano Music Of The Near East	1963	Vox (6)
28	Foss / Ben Haim - Leonard Bernstein, New York Philharmonic – Song Of Songs / Sweet Psalmist Of Israel	1962	Columbia Masterworks
29	Paul Ben-Haim, Wallingford Riegger, The Louisville Orchestra, Robert Whitney – Ben-Haim: To The Chief Musician Metamorphoses For Orchestra, Riegger: Variations For Violin And Orchestra, Op. 71(LP, Album, Mono)	1960	First Edition Records
30	Carlos Chavez / Paul Ben-Haim - Izler Solomon, The M-G-M String Orchestra – Sinfonia No. 5 For String Orchestra / Concerto Grosso For String Orchestra	1957	MGM Records
31	Marga Richter / Paul Ben-Haim - Menahem Pressler – Sonata For Piano / Sonata For Piano(LP, Mono)	1956	MGM Records
32	Liszt, Chopin, Debussy, Ben Hayim - David Bar-Illan – Hungarian Rhapsody No. 2(LP, Mono)	1952	Kingsway (5)
33	Paul Ben-Haim, Kenneth Alwyn, The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra – First Symphony, Concerto For Strings(LP, Album, Stereo)	-	CBS Records Ltd. (2)
34	Sidney Harth ; Brahms, Paul Ben-Haim – Sonate G-Dur Opus 78 / Solo-Sonate G-Dur(LP, Stereo)	-	Iramac
35	Han de Vries • Rudolf Jansen • Saint-Saëns • Hindemith • Nielsen • Andriessen • Yvon • Schumann • Bartok • Ben-Haim • Poulenc • Shinohara – Han de Vries-Hobo/Oboe-Rudolf Jansen / Saint Saëns-Hindemith-Nielsen-Andriessen-Yvon(2×CD, Album)	-	Astoria
36	Paul Ben-Haim, Jacob Gilboa, Mario Castelnuovo Tedesco, Lukas Foss – Music From Jerusalem - Musik Aus Jerusalem(LP, Album)	-	Israeli Music Publications
37	Paul Ben-Haim, Israel Yinon, NDR Radiophilharmonie – Symphony No. 1 ∙ Fanfare To Israel ∙ Symphonic Metamorphosis(CD, Repress, Stereo)	-	cpo
38	Paul Ben-Haim, Jerusalem Symphony Orchestra Conducted By Mordecai Seter – Symphony No. 1 and Fanfare for Israel(LP, Album, Stereo)	-	Aries Records (7)
39	Paul Ben-Haim, Avraham Daus, Yoram Paporisz, Habib Hassan Touma, Yehudi Menuhin, Siegfried Palm, Ursala Mayer-Reinach, Aurèle Nicolet, Aloys Kontarsky – Great Artists Perform Music from Israel(CD, Album)	-	Gallo
40	Paul Ben-Haim, Breslav Symphony Orchestra, Artur Rosenthal – Symphony No. 2 / Dance and Invocation(LP, Stereo)	-	Aries Records (7)
41	Ben Haim, Achron, Sasha Parnes, J. Páleníček – Berceuse / Berceuse Hebraique(Shellac, 10", 78 RPM)	-	Supraphon
42	Ben-Haim, Daus, Paporisz, Touma - Aloys Kontarsky - Yehudi Menuhin - Aurèle Nicolet - Siegfried Palm - Ursula Mayer-Reinach – Great Artists Perform Music From Israel(LP, Stereo)	-	Musical Heritage Society
43	Oedoen Partos / Paul Ben-Haim / Josef Tal - Aurele Nicolet And New Israel String Quartet – 'Maqamat' For Flute And String-quartet / Serenade For Flute-quartet / String-quartet Nº 1(LP, Stereo)	-	RCA