Photo: National Library of Israel · CC BY-SA 3.0 · credits
Tier 3 · vertical & regional
Paul Ben-Haim
Person · male · Israel · Munich · born 1897 · died 1984 · recording since 2011
Israeli composer (1897–1984)
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Also known as 保罗·本-海姆
Timeline
15 events▣ Album 9✦ Award 3◦ Birth 1† Death 1★ Debut release 1
1890s
1950s
1970s
· Award
Won: Officer's Cross of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany
source: wikidata
1980s
2010s
· Debut release
Debut release: Symphony No. 1 / Fanfare to Israel / Symphonic Metamorphosis
First documented Album in the MusicBrainz discography.
source: musicbrainz
2020s
Biography
English biography433 words · 4 sectionssource: wikipedia-en · licence CC BY-SA 4.0 · revision 1356036570
Biography
Paul Ben-Haim (or Paul Ben-Chaim, Hebrew: פאול בן חיים; 5 July 1897 – 14 January 1984) was an Israeli composer.
Biography
Paul Frankenburger (later Ben-Haim) was born in Munich, Germany. He studied composition with Friedrich Klose and he was assistant conductor to Bruno Walter and Hans Knappertsbusch from 1920 to 1924. He served as conductor at Augsburg from 1924 to 1931, and afterwards devoted himself to teaching and composition, including teaching at the Shulamit Conservatory in Tel Aviv, Israel.
Ben-Haim immigrated to British Mandate of Palestine in 1933 and lived in Tel Aviv, near Zina Dizengoff Square. He Hebraized his name, becoming an Israeli citizen upon that nation's independence in 1948.
Music career
Ben-Haim composed chamber music, works for choir, orchestra and solo instruments, and songs. He championed a specifically Jewish national music: his own compositions are in a late Romantic vein with Middle Eastern overtones, somewhat similar to Ernest Bloch.
Ben-Haim's Symphony No. 1 premiered in 1941. It is considered the first symphony written in Israel.
His students include Eliahu Inbal, Henri Lazarof, Ben-Zion Orgad, Ami Maayani, Shulamit Ran, Miriam Shatal, Rami Bar-Niv and Noam Sheriff. [See: List of music students by teacher: A to B#Paul Ben-Haim.] Ben-Haim won the Israel Prize for music in 1957.
The archive of Ben-Haim is preserved in the National Library of Israel.
Works, editions and recordings
Selected recordings:
Cello Concerto (composer's revised version 1972, with Uzi Wiesel) and the complete cello repertoire: Music for violoncello · Three songs without words (for cello and orchestra) · Two Landscapes, Ofer Canetti (cello), Andrei Gologan (piano), Württemberg Philharmonic of Reutlingen/Friederike Kienle. CAPRICCIO.
Three songs without words (for cello and piano), Ofer Canetti (cello) Daniel Gerzenberg (piano). CPO.
Cello Concerto (1962), Raphael Wallfisch(cello), BBC National Orchestra of Wales/Łukasz Borowicz. CPO.
Clarinet Quintet, Two Landscapes, Canzonetta, Improvisation and Dance, Piano Quartet. ARC Ensemble. Chandos
Concerto for Strings, Pastoral Variée for clarinet, harp and string orchestra Op 31b (1945 arr. 1962), Three Songs without Words (1952), Music for Strings (1955/56). Talia Or (soprano), Bettins Aust (clarinet), Christine Steinbrecher (harp), Bayerische Kammerphilharmonie, conductor Gabriel Adorján. AVI-MUSIC 8553497 (2022)
Kabbalat Shabbat (Welcoming the Sabbath, evening service) Soloists, Orchester Jakobsplatz München, Grossmann NEOS.
Melodies, Arion ARN 68643. Varda Kotler, Jeff Cohen, Philippe Bary and Alexis Galpérine
Sacred services from Israel. Marc Lavry, Yehezkel Braun, Paul Ben-Haim Kabbalat Shabbat. Naxos. Milken Archive
Symphony No. 1 (1940), Fanfare to Israel (1950), Symphonic Metamorphoses on a Bach Chorale (1968). NDR Radiophilharmonie Hannover Israel Yinon. CPO
Symphony No. 2 (1945), Concerto Grosso (1931). NDR Radiophilharmonie Hannover Israel Yinon. CPO
Symphony No. 2 (1945), Concerto for Strings (1947). Royal Philharmonic Orchestra (Kenneth Alwyn) Stradivari/Jerusalem Records SCD 8003
Discography & profile
Normalised profile
Percentiles are computed over every artist in the database, so a tier-3 artist can still sit in the 95th percentile on a single axis.
| Metric | Value | Percentile |
|---|---|---|
| Wikipedia language versions | 23 | 84.8th |
| Spotify monthly listeners | — | no data |
| Release groups in DB | 9 | 81.7th |
| Studio albums | 9 | 90th |
| Awards recorded | 3 | 95.4th |
| Timeline events | 15 | 91.2th |
| Recording span (years) | -27 | 7.7th |
| Genres | 4 | 84.7th |
Percentiles are computed at render time; missing values mean the artist has no data on that axis.
Discography (9 release groups · 9 studio albums)
Albums · 9
Symphony No. 1 / Fanfare to Israel / Symphonic Metamorphosis
2011 · studio album
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Tracklist · 5 tracks · 57:36
1Symphony No. 1: I. Allegro energico11:262Symphony No. 1: II. Molto calmo e cantabile11:583Symphony No. 1: III. Presto con fuoco8:594Fanfare to Israel6:475Symphonic Metamorphosis on a Bach Chorale18:26Chamber Works by Paul Ben-Haim
2013 · studio album
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Tracklist · 11 tracks · 1:16:15
1Piano Quartet in C minor, op. 4: I. Allegro moderato, ma energico11:142Piano Quartet in C minor, op. 4: II. Adagio molto espressivo -8:463Piano Quartet in C minor, op. 4: III. Un poco grave9:144Two Landscapes, op. 27: I. The Hills of Judea5:315Two Landscapes, op. 27: II. The Spring3:086Five Pieces for Piano, op. 34: No. 4. Canzonetta2:507Improvisation and Dance, op. 30: Molto rubato -4:028Improvisation and Dance, op. 30: Allegro grazioso4:179Quintet, op. 31a: I. Molto moderato8:2810Quintet, op. 31a: II. Capriccio6:5111Quintet, op. 31a: III. Tema con variazioni11:542014 · studio album
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Tracklist · 7 tracks · 1:02:12
1String Quartet No. 1, Op. 21: I. Con moto sereno7:362String Quartet No. 1, Op. 21: II. Molto vivace5:303String Quartet No. 1, Op. 21: III. Largo e molto sostenuto5:554String Quartet No. 1, Op. 21: IV. Rondo - Finale9:565String Quintet in E Minor: I. Leidenschaftlich bewegt12:166String Quintet in E Minor: II. Sehr langsam, mit tiefster Empfindung10:247String Quintet in E Minor: III. Finale. Rondo10:35Symphony No. 2 / Concerto Grosso
2017 · studio album
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Tracklist · 7 tracks · 1:12:14
1Symphony No. 2: I. Molto moderato12:502Symphony No. 2: II. Allegretto vivace10:023Symphony No. 2: III. Andante affettuoso e languendo9:314Symphony No. 2: IV. Finale. Allegro deciso11:135Concerto grosso: I. Overture. Sostenuto molto e grave8:206Concerto grosso: II. Aria. Andante languendo9:517Concerto grosso: III. Chaconne (Variationen). Allegro feroce10:272019 · studio album
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Tracklist · 12 tracks · 1:04:59
1Evocation, Op. 3219:2723 Songs Without Words (Version for Violin & Piano): No. 1, Arioso4:1333 Songs Without Words (Version for Violin & Piano): No. 2, Ballad2:2543 Songs Without Words (Version for Violin & Piano): No. 3, Sephardic Melody3:095Violin Concerto: I. Allegro7:166Violin Concerto: II. Andante affettuoso5:347Violin Concerto: III. Vivo8:1783 Studies: No. 1, Vivo2:1893 Studies: No. 2, Fuga3:35103 Studies: No. 3, Presto e molto leggiero1:0611Berceuse sfaradite3:47125 Pieces, Op. 34: No. 5, Toccata (Arr. M. Zorman for Violin & Orchestra)3:522020 · studio album
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Tracklist · 13 tracks · 1:00:45
1Pan, Op. 17: I. Sehr ruhige Bewegung7:132Pan, Op. 17: II. Zwischenspiel3:303Pan, Op. 17: III. Sehr langsam und ruhig beginnen4:404Pastorale variée, Op. 31b: Thema. Sostenuto e dolce1:535Pastorale variée, Op. 31b: Variation I. Lo stesso movimento1:506Pastorale variée, Op. 31b: Variation II. Un poco più mosso - Calmo1:367Pastorale variée, Op. 31b: Variation III. Calmo.2:178Pastorale variée, Op. 31b: Variation IV. Ancora più calmo2:249Pastorale variée, Op. 31b: Variation V. Allegretto, poco a poco accelerando - Allegro1:4510Pastorale variée, Op. 31b: Variation VI (Epilogue). Molto calmo e misterioso - Allegretto molto grazioso5:1511Symphony No. 1: I. Allegro energico - Più moderato - Ancora più calmo - Più mosso10:3212Symphony No. 1: II. Molto calmo e cantabile - Poco a poco movendo - Largamente9:2213Symphony No. 1: III. Presto con fuoco8:282022 · studio album
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Tracklist · 19 tracks · 1:00:36
1Concerto for Strings, Op. 40: I. Preambolo4:032Concerto for Strings, Op. 40: II. Capriccio5:203Concerto for Strings, Op. 40: III. Intermezzo Lirico4:214Concerto for Strings, Op. 40: IV. Finale5:595Pastorale Variée, for Clarinet, Harp and String Orchestra, Op. 31B: Theme1:386Pastorale Variée, for Clarinet, Harp and String Orchestra, Op. 31B: Var. I1:407Pastorale Variée, for Clarinet, Harp and String Orchestra, Op. 31B: Var. II1:418Pastorale Variée, for Clarinet, Harp and String Orchestra, Op. 31B: Var. III1:549Pastorale Variée, for Clarinet, Harp and String Orchestra, Op. 31B: Var. IV2:2110Pastorale Variée, for Clarinet, Harp and String Orchestra, Op. 31B: Var. V1:4911Pastorale Variée, for Clarinet, Harp and String Orchestra, Op. 31B: Var. VI (Epilogue)4:57123 Songs without Words, for Voice or Instrument and 12 Strings: No. 1, Arioso3:27133 Songs without Words, for Voice or Instrument and 12 Strings: No. 2, Ballad2:45143 Songs without Words, for Voice or Instrument and 12 Strings: No. 3, Sephardic Melody3:4015Music for Strings: I. Melody2:5916Music for Strings: II. Canon2:1617Music for Strings: III. Serenade2:4118Music for Strings: IV. Aria3:1019Music for Strings: V. Finale3:552025 · studio album
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Tracklist · 32 tracks · 2:21:50
Disc 11Yizkor24:1023 Songs Without Words (Version for Violin & 12 Strings): No. 1, Arioso3:5533 Songs Without Words (Version for Violin & 12 Strings): No. 2, Ballad2:5643 Songs Without Words (Version for Violin & 12 Strings): No. 3, Sephardic Melody3:395Arabic Song3:126Berceuse sfaradite4:117Dance & Invocation10:1983 Songs Without Words (Version for Bassoon & 12 Strings): No. 1, Arioso3:4993 Songs Without Words (Version for Bassoon & 12 Strings): No. 2, Ballad2:46103 Songs Without Words (Version for Bassoon & 12 Strings): No. 3, Sephardic Melody3:2911Kochav nofal: No. 1, My Mind Wasn't Set on the Matter3:4712Kochav nofal: No. 2, A Star Fell2:0913Kochav nofal: No. 3, At Sundown2:19Disc 21To the Chief Musician15:0723 Songs Without Words (Version for Cello & Piano): No. 1, Arioso4:4833 Songs Without Words (Version for Cello & Piano): No. 2, Ballad2:4843 Songs Without Words (Version for Cello & Piano): No. 3, Sephardic Melody4:025Bat yonim4:0865 Melodies from the East: No. 1, Ani tzame2:3975 Melodies from the East: No. 2, Kumi tz'i3:1285 Melodies from the East: No. 3, Im nin'alu dalte'i nedivim2:4495 Melodies from the East: No. 4, Tiyelu kichwassim2:06105 Melodies from the East: No. 5, Elohe'i tsidki3:3711Interpretation of Bach's Choral Prelude3:50122 Easy Pieces for Violin & Piano: No. 1, Tale2:09132 Easy Pieces for Violin & Piano: No. 2, Small Parade1:16143 Songs Without Words (Version for Clarinet & Piano): No. 1, Arioso3:59153 Songs Without Words (Version for Clarinet & Piano): No. 2, Ballad2:43163 Songs Without Words (Version for Clarinet & Piano): No. 3, Sephardic Melody4:02173 Studies for Solo Violin: No. 1, Vivo3:10183 Studies for Solo Violin: No. 2, Fuga3:48193 Studies for Solo Violin: No. 3, Presto e molto leggiero1:012025 · studio album
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Tracklist · 4 tracks · 42:13
1Symphony no. 2: I. Molto moderato11:262Symphony no. 2: II. Allegretto vivace10:463Symphony no. 2: III. Andante affettuoso e languendo8:434Symphony no. 2: IV. Allegro deciso11:18
Stats & PK
Percentile within all 23,672 published artists.Put Paul Ben-Haim head-to-head →
| Metric | Value | Percentile |
|---|---|---|
| Wikipedia language versions | 23 | 84.8th |
| Spotify monthly listeners | — | no data |
| Release groups in DB | 9 | 81.7th |
| Studio albums | 9 | 90th |
| Awards recorded | 3 | 95.4th |
| Timeline events | 15 | 91.2th |
| Recording span (years) | -27 | 7.7th |
| Genres | 4 | 84.7th |
Awards & honours
| Year | Award | Category | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1953 | Israel Prize | won | |
| 1957 | Israel Prize | won | |
| 1972 | Officer's Cross of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany | won |
Where this record comes from
portrait—Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 3.0 · retrieved 11 October 2026
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Paul-Ben-Haim_0001.jpgaliases/urls—musicbrainz · CC0 · retrieved 10 October 2026
https://musicbrainz.org/artist/67b1b0f2-3198-4cd3-8659-7f1c77e44d08discography—musicbrainz · CC0 · retrieved 10 October 2026
https://musicbrainz.org/artist/67b1b0f2-3198-4cd3-8659-7f1c77e44d08core—wikidata · CC0 · retrieved 10 October 2026
https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q215982genre—wikidata · CC0 · retrieved 11 October 2026
https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q215982seed-list—wikipedia · CC BY-SA 4.0 · retrieved 10 October 2026
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paul_Ben-Haimbiography—wikipedia-en · CC BY-SA 4.0 · retrieved 10 October 2026
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paul_Ben-Haim
Why this artist is in the database
- List of composers by name
Tier rule: curated genre/region list
Image: National Library of Israel · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons
Wikidata: Q215982 · MusicBrainz: 67b1b0f2-3198-4cd3-8659-7f1c77e44d08
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