Original Score

Kon’s original score included the piano and vocal parts only, with occasional notes about instrumentation. Kon was never able to orchestrate the work himself. Of the total 88 pages, 16 were missing (pages 63-78) from the only known existing manuscript, housed at the Yale University Archives, and retrieved by Dr. Diana Matut.

Because the climax of the work was missing from the manuscript, in order to complete the work, Matut  enlisted the renowned Yiddishist, Michael Wex to provide additional Yiddish texts, which Horowitz then set in 6 additional movements that were inserted into the score, as well as additional transitions and choral parts in order to complete it as a seamless opera.

Dr. Matut had suggested that the missing section be something like a museum restoration of a painting, whereby the restored sections are made obvious to the viewer - an idea that Horowitz greeted favorably.

Horowitz added the movements without attempting to imitate the style of Kon, but rather provided the missing drama of the work at that point, yet using elements of Kon’s own work.

Horowitz chose to utilize two pieces that were composed later by Kon: His song, Yosl Ber, and the nign from the Polish film music Kon composed the music for, the Dybbuk.