Viva la Classica! – “Melancholy”. A Concert Commemorating the International Holocaust Remembrance Day

The evil of the Third Reich and its era had many aspects. One of the ideas of “cleansing” culture was a total ban of performing music by many composers, who, by the decision of the authorities, did not create their works according to Nazi principles, had Jewish origins or belonged to other national minorities, or were discriminated against for their sexual orientation or gender. Their works were named “degenerate art”.

The persecuted artists were forced to emigrate if they wanted to survive and continue their work. It is their music, often unknown to the audiences, that will be performed by the ensemble, which will strengthen and popularize their works. Of particular interest are the works of female composers who were, as it were, doubly discriminated against. The group will perform compositions by female artists that are not known to the general public.

The program will include works by Henriëtte Bosmans, Vítězslava Kaprálová, Rosy Wertheim, Victor Ullmann, Szymon Laks, Franz Waxman, Erich Zeisl, as well as Paul Hindemith and Erich Korngold. Their works were created in an emotionally difficult time: during their escape, when they were imprisoned, or when they were exiled. They felt melancholy and longing. They felt nostalgia when they looked back at “lost” Europe, their homeland.

Viva la Classica! ensemble:
Julitta Dominika Walder – soprano
Mateusz Kasprzak-Łabudziński – violin
Piotr Lato – clarinet
Joanna Sochacka – piano

https://www.vivalaclassica.com/

Under the patronage of Werner Kogler, Republic of Austria, Vice-Chancellor and Federal Minister for Arts, Culture, the Civil Service and Sport.

The concert is made possible thanks to the financial support of the Austrian Cultural Forum in Warsaw.

Free admission.