This CD includes arrangements for violin and chamber orchestra recorded here for the first time, was inspired by a concert Anne Battegay performed in Basel in 2020 for the European Day of Jewish Culture. She was overwhelmed by the audience's extremely positive response to this music at the time. The pieces show that Jewish music can by no means be reduced to Klezmer alone.

Anne Battegay:

"The majority of the works on this album were written by Jewish composers who were, as in the case of Joseph Achron, masterful violinists in their youth. It is also notable that all had family connections to music and to religion. Non-Jewish composers similarly embraced the concept of arranging Jewish prayers and melodies in instrumental formvery much in the tradition of Ernest Bloch, the composer of the Baal Shem Suite for violin and piano and Schelomo for violoncello and orchestra.

I was fortunate to be able to collaborate with the arrangers Albena Petrovic Vratchanska and Lukas Medlam, as well as with the musical director of the Chamber Orchestra Mannheim, Marc-Olivier Oetterli, for this recording.

In March 2022 we were able to record their arrangements with the generous support of ARS Produktion in a familial and inspiring cooperation. In particular, I would like to highlight the piano trio arrangement of Prokofiev's Overture on Hebrew Themes by the pianist Alessandro Tardino.

My husband, the successful cellist Franois Robin, has contributed two solo pieces on this recording. Francois supported me in the realization of this project from the very beginning, and with his wonderful playing and attentive ears, he contributed significantly to the beauty of this album.

Thank you for joining me on my journey to The Essential Hebrew Violin."