Voices of Terezin: 27 - 31 January

[Serial_Apologist]

Commemorating the 80th anniversary of the liberation of the death camps, Donald Macleod introduces a group of composers largely overlooked until comparatively recently, most of whom perished at the hands of the Nazis in the Terezin concentration camp.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m002756x

[Serial_Apologist]

It would seem that the second episode of the series is not being made available for subsequent listening. A shame as one would have liked to have had another chance to listen to Victor Ullmann's music, which strikes me as being close to that of his contemporary (and for a time job-sharer) Alexander Zemlinsky: two figures who linked back stylistically and aesthetically to the Mahler generation as well as to Schoenberg and therefore I feel provide a helpful gateway into the Second Viennese School. The name of Erwin Schulhoff - who composed a setting of The Communist Manifesto - seems a serious omission from the week's schedule, possibly because he was not at Terezin.

The first programme introduced the tremendously impressive music of Gideon Klein, perhaps the closest of the week to providing a bridge between the musics of Eisler and Hindemith in the early 1920s. A series on him and other composers of the Weimar period would be most interesting, to go by these figures.

[Ein Heldenleben]

As well as being quite exceptionally moving for extra musical reasons this week has revealed a wealth of music that deserves a much wider audience. These great talents have had a fitting memorial. I cannot praise highly enough the tone and quality of Donald Macleod’s script and presentation. I hope the BBC might consider making this series permanently available on iPlayer.

[Serial_Apologist]

As well as being quite exceptionally moving for extra musical reasons this week has revealed a wealth of music that deserves a much wider audience. These great talents have had a fitting memorial. I cannot praise highly enough the tone and quality of Donald Macleod’s script and presentation. I hope the BBC might consider making this series permanently available on iPlayer.

I couldn't have said it better - people will really benefit from tuning in to this week's offerings, I can promise. The music from all of the composers represented has been revelatory, touching, moving, challenging, exemplary, engaged, and even at times optimistic for a living future beyond the horror; and as for mixtures of styles, this should have offered enough to stimulate present-day composers out of the uninspiring lethargy that shames so much of the music that is presumably seen as innovatory by the organisers and presenter of the so-called New Music Show. No wonder the forum thread which supposedly deals with today's movers and shakers now lies largely fallow.