Curator’s Pick: A Bird Over Jerusalem
Written for flute, prepared piano, and pre-recorded tape, Schonthal’s A Bird Over Jerusalem is among the most hauntingly moving pieces in the Milken Archive’s collection—and particularly jarring in the present moment. Samples of Arabic music are juxtaposed with fragments of Hava nagila, Hatikva, Kol nidre, and a Christian chorale, reflecting the imaginary journey of a bird flying over Jerusalem in awe of the violence and hatred exchanged between different peoples who have much in common.
