Cute Boy, Charming Girl: Children’s Songs of the Modern Hebrew Nation(1882-1948) presents Hebrew songs written for and sung by Jewish children in pre-state Israel. The selection represents highlights in the development of this genre in the first half of the twentieth century. It includes poems by canonical poets that were set to music by professional composers, songs by amateur poets and composers, translated songs, and borrowed melodies.
"Alone I set out on the road," wrote Lermontov, the great Russian poet, in 1841. This line has been sung many times, as it came from the very popular Russian romance, "Vyhozhu odin ja na dorogu" (Alone I set out on the road). The song travelled all the way from Russia to Israel during the second Aliya, which consisted of many Russian immigrants. These immigrants, who left their homes in Europe and arrived in a desolate country in the Middle East, could feel themselves as the lonely traveler of this romantic song.
Hebrew title: שירים לילדים Children's songs composed by Joel Walbe, and written by Hebrew poets: N. Alterman, H.N. Bialik, S. Tchernichovsky, L. Kipnis, S. Bas, L. Goldberg, D. Shim'onovitch, M. Dafna, A. Shlonski and Y. Orland. Songs for holidays, dance songs and nature songs.
For one voice, with chordal accompaniment. Songs of various poets, Hebrew lyrics under the notes and separately.
This collection consists of musical settings by Amiran of poems by various poets.
Emanuel Zamir was a unique figure in the field of Hebrew Folksong (Zemer Ivri). He was born in Petakh Tikva, to parents who were among the founders of the colony. At an early age, he was influenced by the songs of composer Matitiyahu Shelem of Kibbutz Ramat-Yochanan.