In the Eye of the Storm (2008)
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In the Eye of the Storm (2008)

In the Eye of the Storm (2008)

for (any) two instruments or one instrument and voice

Duration: approx. 15′

In the Eye Of the Storm is a duet piece, for any kind of combination between strings or wind instruments, or a combination of one instrument together with a singer (the dynamic balance between the two instruments should be carefully considered). In this graphic score, several melodic segments are placed on the page, structured in a circle. Several possible utilizations of these melodies are introduced during the performance, each possibility employs certain factors of indeterminacy: a free order the melodic segments could be played in; several possibilities to combine between them, etc. This version is for voice and contrabass, and the sung “text” is also subject to improvisation. The title suggests an imaginary landscape of a very turbulent weather, summoning into the scene some fantastic and surreal events, perhaps even paranormal in their nature. The middle part (the ‘eye of the storm’) is calm and dreamy in its nature.

Program Notes:  ‘…stories of survivors who have stayed alive through this deadly hurricane (the hurricane “Edna”, Louisiana, 1923), express the terror it had spread across their peaceful community.  The storm has taken everything that was laid down along its deadly path, not distinguishing between houses, trees or farms, not stopping for a moment to show the least pity or mercy towards its victims, may they be cows, horses, or humanly-inhabited residences.  The storm accumulated everything laying in its path, creating a vortex of unrelated objects, tossing them one against another, or violently dropping them to the ground, only to pick them up again in its self-generating chaos. Nevertheless, the few survivors to have lived through the horrors of this twister have repeated that while passing through the middle of the hurricane, that part known as the ‘eye of the storm’, a sudden, inexplicable tranquility filled the air, an out-of-this-world silence.  A few testimonies claim that in such moments one might even encounter fantastic beings, creatures of the imagination to be brought into reality, fairies and muted, hasty dwarves rushing silently into the random ruins which the storm had left in its wake.  Of course, once the violent tempest continued in its path and the calmness of the eye had passed, the brutal mayhem returned once again, deadly and chaotic…’ (from the North Louisiana Tribune, 12 September, 1923)



  • 1 December 2008, Korzo Theater, the Hague

    Elisenda, Pujals voice / Ilya ZIblat, double bass

Further performances: summer 2009

  • Levontin 7 (Tel Aviv)
  • Felicia Blumental Center (Tel Aviv)
  • Library hall, Beit Struck (Haifa)

Ziblat Shay- in the eye of the storm (sample)