I, like all composers and playwrights, must spend many many hours of many many days of many weeks and many months in solitary work to complete a project. And even when the work is performed there is no real contact with the public even in the theater. Work in radio is even less connective.

I believe the internet might be a way to share some of my work and plans with a variety of people, and perhaps be a way to establish some contact with you out there.

I have organized the site into pages focusing on the various areas of my work and on my hobby. You are most welcome to share thoughts and criticism with me and other readers on the message board. If you are interesting in reading complete texts, or listening to complete works please feel free to email me.

My friend and father in law Asher Frensdorff passed away on 29 October 2006.

 

Remembering Asher, a lament
Solo Violin Yael Barolsky ( 4 mB, 83 KB)
 

Dr. Asher Frensdorff 1931- 2006

News

I have been awarded the 2007 Prime Minister's Prize for Composers.

"The writing of Richard Farber is always flowing and vital no matter what ensemble he chooses to compose for.
Apparent in his writing is a great imagination and the courage to break conventional molds and return to them.
The works of Richard Farber are multifaceted, sometimes dramatic, theatrical and extrovert and in the next moment intimate and lyrical. His control of the instrumental media is complete and the composer knows how to achieve the utmost from each orchestral instrument."

Prof. Yehudit Cohen
Alon Bohr
Roni Porrat

download the movie ( 15 mB) The film was produced by the Israel Film Service. The director is Nathan Lifshitz

A Concerto Grosso for Percussion and Orchestra has been commission by the WDR and the Duisburger Philharmoniker.
The premiere was on Sunday, 27 April, 2008, in the new Mercatorhalle Duisburg.
The concert began with another piece of mine: a Passacaglia for Orchestra from the Musicfestkonzert of the Duisburger Philharmoniker.
This piece, which opened the concert, was originally composed for the opera Dracula and the Ballerina in Chains, a neo-victorian musical for opera singers. This is a new orchestration made especially for the wdr music festival and the duisburger philharmoniker.
Karen Kamensek conducted       Listen

first beer after the concerto grosso in duisburg photo: jo cumming

New on the site

introduced August 2006:
Helsinki, a trio for clarinet, viola and harp [1996]
this piece vacillates between frustration and hope ending in a depressed resolution.
the entire piece, over eleven minutes, can be heard in mp3 format on the Symphony and Chamber Music page.
the notes of the second movement may be viewed as a pdf file

Introduced May 2006:
A collection of hats on the Textile Collector page.
Many thanks to Robert Eising for the photographs of the hat collection.
His web site is here.

Introduced May 2007:
Enula Yampel has recorded my Sonata Number III for Solo Flute, Her performance was recorded by Yossi Yampel.

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It appears as three mp3 files on the Symphony and Chamber Music page. The notes may be viewed as a pdf file.