Pianist Tali Morgulis Performs Chai Variations on Eliahu HaNavi

Pianist Tali Morgulis performs Chai Variations on Eliahu HaNavi at Houston University’s Dudley ’s Recital Hall. Composed at Brahms Haus in Baden-Baden, this set of 18 variations iwas inspired by the folk song Eliahu Ha Navi (Elijah the Prophet). The letters of 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. This means that there are 18! Or 6,402,373,705,728,000 possible orderings. For an advnance taste of the results, check out Nathan Cartwerette’s wonderful video, or Mary Kathleen Ernst’s terrific interpretation on her album Keeping Time. Colin Clarke wrote “ This is a magnificent piece of piano music that should be in many, many pianists’ reperotire (Fanfare Issue 44:2).