Sergei Prokofjew

Overture on Jewish Themes op. 34bis

Sergei Prokofiev (1891-1953) composed Overture on Jewish Themes (or Overture on Hebrew Themes), Op. 34, in 1919 for the uncommon combination of clarinet, string quartet, and piano, and this original version premiered on January 1, 1920, in New York by the Zimro Ensemble with the composer at the piano. He was inspired by a collection of melodies that he heard played often at Jewish weddings and dances, turning out an expressive new piece of music. Prokofiev then orchestrated the work himself in 1934, and this version was published as Op. 34bis. Instrumentation: 2.2.2.2: 2.2.0.0: Perc(1): Pno: Str (9.8.7.6.5 in set).