Aria
(for violin and orchestra)

Aria for Violin and Chamber Orchestra (1973)
(Edited by Rostislav Krimer)

Composed in 1973, the Aria belongs to the mature period of Lev Abeliovich’s creative life – a time of introspection and artistic summation. It is one of his most intimate and deeply human works, a kind of musical testament.

At its core, this Aria is a prayer – a prayer for all those who perished in the Holocaust, for a lost generation, for millions of innocent lives. At the same time, it is a quiet plea for life itself – a life in which sorrow is not devoid of hope, and grief is suffused with light.

The violin speaks here as the voice of the soul – mourning, remembering, praying. Its part is a confession without theatricality, where every phrase carries profound emotional depth. The chamber orchestra weaves a transparent, almost otherworldly texture into which this solo voice is delicately interlaced – like a thread of memory and hope.

The Aria holds a unique place in Abeliovich’s legacy. This enlightened and philosophically refined composition has become a symbol of his worldview, where personal suffering is inseparably linked to the tragedies of history – and compassion and human dignity emerge as vital sources of inner strength. The music is both consolation and testimony.