Elam Rotem / The Lamentation of David (full performance) 

composer, conductor, harpsichord player, bass singer. All in one person: Elam Rotem.

It's one thing to sound like an early baroque composer. It's entirely another thing to sound like a good early baroque composer. Brilliant music, with a lot of scholarship and a lot of sentiment and passion. It feels like channeling a parallel universe where the european jews quickly adopted the seconda practica for the synagogue... with far less shyness to touch worldly operatic style then the christians 😄

Elam please continue to compose as long as possible, this is masterful, mankind needs more of this.

Why can't you like this twice when you listened to it many more than once?

I’ve long been a fan and supporter of Elam’s fantastic series “Early Music Sources.” I discovered this piece while teaching Salamone Rossi specifically (and the early Venetian baroque generally) to my college Music History classes-it’s astounding; breathtaking; transcendent, an enormously significant contribution to the repertoire. Composer, educator, and performer Elam Rotem is one of the greatest minds of our time.

This is so beautiful, how many centuries ago was this composed? It's from 2020. 🤯🤯🤯

To think a genius like this is alive in our time.

The fact that Elam Roteb is such a good music theorist, and composer, and harpsichordist, and singer is absolutely mind-blowing! 🤯 This was incredible!

Elam, your channels are under one of the most underrated on the whole of youtube. Your compositions are extraordinary, your contribution to education in early music is unprecedented and your videos are charming! I hope it will be possible to attend one of profeti della quinta‘s concerts in the future to give me more chills while listening ;-)

As both a listener and a composer, your mastery of this style leaves me absolutely awestruck. Well done is a complete understatement.

Everything about this is fantastic. The composition is beautiful beyond measure. The artistry in the room is insane. The acoustics, instruments, musicianship, and intonation all top notch. Thank you for this gift of beauty.

Elam - This is pure genius, channeling the masters of early music. It's like a tranche of original early music has been discovered! Please continue to compose and enthral. Your group is the perfect medium for this music.

This is contemporary music in my eyes, and it is absolutely masterful. What a language... Best regards from Zürich, ZHdK!

An absolute masterpiece and phenomenal performances. Such tremendous beauty. I hope to one day also hear David's Lament for Absalom set by Elam Rotem, who is not only my favourite contemporary composer, but also one of the greatest.

I thank the universe for this music, I would love to be able to compose in this way, it is something wonderful. Elam Rotem is doing something enormous for this music and for humanity, let's celebrate his existence. Greetings from Argentina.

I could listen to this on loop for a week and not get tired. Bravo.

Just when you think it can’t get any better: another level. A higher calling and a higher purpose. I am lost for words, really. Thank you!

The most beautiful and inspiring piece of the 21st century, masterfully crafted and performed.

This was an accidental find. I'm very lucky today. I'm also speechless.

Wonderful! The dissonances in the last few seconds took me by surprise. Great job Elam!

Best period composition… congrats 🎉🎉🎉

Perfect emulation of this magnificent genre. It is wonderful to see that this art still is alive.

What a wonderful work! Historically informed composition is truly the best way to immersion oneself in the music of the past.

מוזיקה מיוחדת וקסומה! זה באמת משהו. מרגישה כאילו טיילתי כמה מאות שנים אל העבר. כל הכבוד!

Simply profound. If this moves not the spirit within you, perhaps your soul is on the wrong path

An absolute masterpiece, sincerely.

This is so beautiful! I had no idea it was not Baroque - until I realized it was by a contemporary composer working in Baroque style. Old, yet new. Ancient, yet original. Thank you, thank you, for bringing this music to life!

Profetti della Quinta and Elam Rotem again shine with the brightest light! BRAVI TUTTI!

I've listened to this maybe a dozen times since I learned of it, and I'm deeply moved each time. Thank you, Dr. Rotem. Thank you so very much for lifting up that particular text and setting it to such incredibly rich and powerful music.

This is the most incredible performance, I can't stop listening. Thank you!!!

Bravo Élam, beautiful ! Listening tò this wonderful music Is the best way to start the day. Thanks!

I'm very impressed by your work, Elam! The performers were as excellent as your music.

Well that's simply beautiful! I am glad that amazing authors like Salomone Rossi or Louis Saladin are not alone in their legacy and I hope I'm correct in recognizing some of their techniques. Thank you!

Absolutely magnificent!

Great music! I love it! If you told me that this score was composed by Monteverdi, I would have totally believed it.

What an incredibly beautiful work! I am somewhat familiar with your scholarship on "Early Music Sources"; but I had no idea that you were a first-rate composer as well.

וואו עילם... זה שובה לב! כל כך מזוקק ויפה! מדהים מדהים מדהים!!! איזה מקבץ של כשרונות... נהדרים

Thank you, Mr. Rotem

This is awesome! This is my first time hearing Neo-Renaissance/Early Baroque music

Mr. Rotem that was quite extraordinary! I guess you are steeped in Early Music that it has yielded such moving music such as the Lamentations (like Tallis) in your own language! Kudos to you and your Ensemble.

אחד הדברים הכי מרעננים שראיתי ביוטיוב. אני שומע את הצבי ישראל כל שנה ביום הזכרון, ולשמוע את זה ככה זה כל כך מרענן!

The final cadence evokes the psalms of David by Heinrich Schüz. Congratulations, it's a wonderful work.

I got here through the Early Music Sources video about Word Painting. I would have never guessed people were still composing in this beautiful style. Thank you!

Impressive!

Modern conservatoires: teaching students that throwing a dead herring down a stairwell is music. Elam Rotem: composes real music.

what an astounding musical experience! As the performer/conductor and composer of this work also happens to excel at explaining musical context, it would be great to have some explanations of the work and its position in the 3rd millennium. The composers whose music possibly inspired the lamentations - in some cases they left documents explaining their thoughts. Elam Rotem could do something that better helps contemporary people approach the essence of that musical style!?

I shared this wonderful performance with many of my music loving friends

The music and performance/s rise to the level of the Hebrew, i.e. its straight-aheadness. And its nobility of expression crafted of piercing loss and deepest admiration. Amen.

Meravigliosi...la composizione e gli artisti che la eseguono, sono incantata dalla bellezza

Iconic. Canonic. Masterpiece. Congratulations to all. May you live long! (Mayim Chaim)

Thankyou to Doctor David for introducing me to such a masterpiece with excellent musicianship by all,

A man after my own heart and composing such as I with no regard to the unfortunate particulars of time in which we are inordinately trapped.

Mazal tov, Elam. This is beautiful.

Unbelievable! Unbelievably beautiful!

A wonderful performance to listen to.

Maestro Rotem, you're a genius! Wonderful, and in the most beautiful language. Todah rabah!

Beautiful!

Elam Rotem is a genius

Absolutely sublime.

Gorgeous.

Exquisite! A new thing in the land. Thanks for sharing during these difficult times.

Bravi tutti! Brilliant performance of an AMAZING NEW WORK! Maestro Rotem, you are an inspiration to all who love "Early Music". You help us to truly understand and appreciate that when ancient scores are performed with the style, musicality and passion that this CONTEMPORARY music is played with here, the performances bring it all to life, and there is no longer "old" or "new" music - just GREAT MUSIC!! Thank you!

It is deeply moving that humanity can still create music like this.

This is so many levels of awesome.

Oh my God! I’m in love!

A masterpiece, executed with mastery.

The sound recordist did an excellent job of balancing the instruments and voices. I have to thank RU-vid's thematic selection algorithm for suggesting this; I had never heard of Elam Rotem before. Amazing that new music in Italian Renaissance style is being composed again, and it is very beautiful.

Wow. Just wow. This was... I don't even have words...

Bravo !!!! You are the best , Monteverdi is my dad.. I grow up with him (musically) you are doing an amazing work

Pure joy to listen and see you sing and play... This piece is one of my favourites by Elam, and this is also a masterful performance. How wonderful, when the daughthers of Israel weep for Saul!

Beautiful, wonderful! Thank you all!

Wow! The end gave me goose pimples! Amazing composition!

What a lucky person I am! I just stumbled upon this video quite by accident while I was listening to the music of Josquin. Shades of Monteverdi! This is an extraordinary composition.

Sublime music. We are so lucky.

Perfect.

Es increible!!!

Je découvre avec bonheur vos compositions dans le pure style de Salomone Rossi! ensemble parfait.Bravissimo!

Awesome. I totally want to play this. Very well written and performed.

Gorgeous music. The actual moments of lamentation with their echoing "discord" are just heavenly.

Thank you for sharing this!

My son’s name is Elam and we thought it would be fun to search up his name. So glad that this was suggested, otherwise I may have never heard it. Beautiful.

9:43, wow, Elam, Where you get that dissonance ?!. Excellent job by the way.

Beautiful music, impressive voices! I just love it.

Pure Genius! Thank you for sharing your very considerable gifts.

Great work all around.

Can't believe that Rich Evans is not only a honored member of redlettermedia but also a brillant countertenor !

So inspiring.

SO COOL!

Lo how David laments over Saul who continued to seek and did harm him. I remember his lamentation over Jonathan bur didn't know this verse

Imppecable and remarkable work. Passion and technique well apllied.

bravo! bravi!

I deeply admire the compisition and the performance of it, thank you Elam!

Like all the other commenters: speechless. What beauty and emotion. I know you from the smart informative and perfectly presented videos on music history. But just like the old theory teachers / musicians you are also a creator of notes and harmonies. Of celestial beauty. Thanks for all the valuable work.

Absolutely divine singing.

Totally moving!

All the "esprit" of the late Renaissance and early Baroque music in this piece. Congrats for all, composer and ensemble.

Meravigliosi come sempre , vi adoro 🎼❤️

Absolutely extraordinary! So beautiful and moving, not to mention masterfully composed and executed. Cantor Rivka Isachar-Benjamin

זה מביא, ללבי, תקווה גדולה. תודה.

יוצא מן הכלל ! Fantastic