Compositions by Jewish artists and musicians held at the Terezín concentration camp during World War II are revealed in a new book, 'Our Will to Live.'
To know the Holocaust in great detail is one thing. But to hear and feel it from the souls of those who were in the midst of it becomes a singular revelation in the monumental new bookby the Philadelphia-born violist Mark Ludwig.
We know already that the Terezín composers are part of a lost generation that felt the polar opposite attractions of the rustic Leos Janacek and the cerebral Arnold Schoenberg. Meanwhile, the discovery of Nazi-banned pieces that were left behind when the Jewish composers who successfully fled the Third Reich has broadened the awareness of European music between the wars.
“They [the Red Cross] appeared to be completely taken in by the false front put up for their benefit,” wrote Rabbi Leo Baeck in Terezín. “The effect on our morale was devastating. We felt forgotten and forsaken.” Then, the opera’s title character is abandoned by his best friend, Death. “Who after this will still obey me?” exclaims the Emperor. “Does Death refuse his duty?”
What drove this activity in Terezín under near-impossible conditions is summed up by Ullmann: “Our desire for culture was equal to our will to live.” The various artifacts bring one’s awareness to an entirely new level. Sketches give detailed glimpses of what the stages looked like. Handmade programs for concerts capture the script and overall style of the prewar 1940s, with a dash of gallows humor for the 1944 “Ghetto Swingers” jazz concert.
Malaysia Latest News, Malaysia Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
How the bat mitzvah broke barriers for Jewish womenThe first bat mitzvah was celebrated 100 years ago by a Jewish girl, Judy Kaplan, and has broken barriers for Jewish women and leadership.
Read more »
The Jewish Federation of Greater Philadelphia heads to Ukraine to help refugeesTwo members of the Jewish Federation of Greater Philadelphia are headed to Ukraine this weekend.
Read more »
Surrealism Was Only a Small Part of Dorothea Tanning's 70-Year Career. A New Gallery Show Reveals the True Breadth of Her OutputDorothea Tanning is known as one of the great Surrealists, but a new show at New York’s Kasmin Gallery reveals a very different side of the artist:
Read more »
Tiffany’s New Blue Book High Jewelry Collection: 6 Exceptional Pieces to SeeTiffany's 'Botanica' Blue Book collection explores realms of nature with a new sense of refinement.
Read more »
Beware Bill BarrBill Barr, unfortunately, is not an aberration. As his memoir shows, he is the past, present, and future of the GOP. Ankush Khardori writes
Read more »