Album Notes

As a musician, I am inspired by the depth and originality of Jewish folk and liturgical music. It is nurturing and healing. Many of these melodies originated in Europe, and many others came from the Middle East. These melodies were played and sung by the wandering People of the Book and perhaps were carried by those ancient exiles who were forced to leave the land of Israel. The creators of a rich mystical, philosophical, legal, literary, and musical civilization were treated cruelly. It is beyond my comprehension how it was possible to create this vast sea of knowledge and wisdom while enduring severe oppression and persecution. My piano compositions draw upon Jewish folk and liturgical music. The resulting suites are part of my attempt to understand the Shoah.
The photograph on the front cover of this release was taken by Alter Kacyzne in 1929 in Warsaw, Poland. The photograph was entitled “Little boys with big ideas. Yeshiva boys studying Talmud on their own.” It was published in the West Coast Yiddish Daily Forverts in a photo essay named “The Eternal Students.” Alter Kacyzne was a well-known editor, publisher, writer, poet, playwright, and photographer in pre-World War II Warsaw. After the start of the war, Nazi barbarism did not skip Alter Kacyzne. He was murdered in Tarnopol, Galicia, by Nazi collaborators during his attempt to escape from the invading German army. All his manuscripts, photo negatives, and prints in Warsaw were destroyed. The photograph in the front cover survived only because it was sent, along with other photographs of his, to the Forverts before World War II. The three boys in this photograph were thirteen years old and would have been young adults at the start of World War II. Their fate is unknown.
I dedicate the music in this release to all people who are persecuted because of who they are.

Lilia Valitova, USA, 2009


AUDIENCE REVIEWS

"The concert was a lovely gift that at times transported me to another world, peaceful and vibrant. Thank you, Lilia."
Kori Kody, Berkeley, CA.

“A hidden treasure of our community was revealed to us in all her glory. Her musical gifts, technical skill, and mastery of complex and rich material were glorious. Her personal story sounded like a fairy tale! Bravo Lilia.”
Dr. Orna Ariel Lenchner (PhD), Oakland, CA

“I was so happy to be at this concert. I was amazed to learn that Lilia is a composer and that all of the music is her own compositions. I was impressed that she had the entire performance in her head and hands and did not refer to any sheet music. The music itself was beautiful, taking me to another dimension while listening. I have a copy of her CD and when I got home I read her statement about the origin of the photograph on the cover, her philosophy, and her dedication, "to all people who are persecuted because of who they are." Everything about the performance, the CD, the ideas expressed on the inside of the cover, was so special and thoughtfully done. I think Lilia herself is a treasure. I hope in the future more people will come to hear her play the piano and experience her magic quality.”
Gayle Jacobson, Registered Nurse, El Cerrito, CA

“During Lilia's concert at her CD release party, I was transported by her rendition of her remarkable piano compositions. The first half of the program, soulful pieces based on Jewish folk melodies, took me deep into the Jewish villages of earlier times. In the second half, listening to her most recent compositions, I felt as though I were transported to a lovely sunny flower-filled garden, or floating on a skiff in one of Monet's water lily paintings. I often enjoy listening to the Yearning CD, and am eagerly awaiting the release of her next album.”
Shoshana Dembitz, Berkeley, CA