Carolyn Enger Performs Chai Variations on Eliahu HaNavi

Pianist CAROLYN ENGER performs CHAI VARIATIONS ON ELIAHU HA-NAVI on Sunday, June 23 at 2:00 p.m. at the Huntington Library, Huntington, NY. Chai Variations on Eliahu HaNavi was inspired by the folk song Eliahu HaNavi (Elijah the Prophet), often sung during the closing service of the Jewish Sabbath. The letters of “Chai,” which means “life” or “living” in Hebrew, symbolically stand for the number 18; hence, 18 variations. I decided to give the performer a choice regarding the ordering of the variations as a reflection of my sense of performance as a collaboration between performer and composer (and, for that matter, listener). It also reflects a dynamic conception of musical form.