Reviews: Rated One of
the best recordings of the year by George Robinson of Jewish
Week. * "The dozen composers
represented on this excellent Downtown Music Productions recording are
the victims of history in a way that almost no other composers can claim.
Each died in the Shoah and, with the notable exceptions of Mordecai Gebertig
and Ervin Schulhoff, the vast majority of their output was destroyed.
Recordings such as this one perform a service that goes beyond the realm
of musical history. That said, most of the music here is of more than
historical interest, and the performances under Mimi Stern-Wolfe's baton
are excellent. Understandably, a dark and brooding record, but well worth
hearing." (five-star rating) Jewish Week.
* "Mimi Stern-Wolfe deserves a great deal of praise
for putting together a very moving recording that brings forth much emotion
and thought. The two talented [vocal] soloists, Robert Abelson, baritone,
and Isabelle Ganz, lyric mezzo-soprano, sing with great feeling for the
meaning of the lyrics as well as the music. In several of the songs some
stanzas are sung in English as well as in the original language."
Jewish Currents. *
"impressive" Aufbau.
* "Less than 15 minutes long, [Haas] makes a striking
impression ... I have only praise for all the participants in this program,
especially the singers, who do not milk their songs. The voices are just
right--eloquent but not operatic. I unhesitatingly recommend this; it
honors a group of brave men and women who used their musical gifts to
try to mitigate their and their people's fate." Moses, American
Record Guide. * " It's been
a long time since I stopped patting the cat in mid-stroke to listen to
every word of a folk song. That happened with this collection's Tsen
Brider ("Ten Brothers"), sung by Robert Paul Abelson. It
is a song about ten brothers being led to the gas chambers and it send
shivers through me. The other songs vary widely in themes and styles:
The sweetly lyrical Shtil, di Nakht iz Oysgeshternt is about
a female partisan who disables an enemy caravan with one shot. Isabelle
Ganz sings it (and three others), accompanied on piano in an echoey room,
which unintentionally imparts an extemporaneous recital aura. Ten years
ago, during the resurgence of interest in Holocaust composers, most recordings
featured the instrumental works of composers Erwin Schulhoff, Gideon Klein,
and Pavel Haas; few, if any, included songs of sorrow and resistance.
Schulhoff's barbed and ironic Violin Sonata and Haas' doleful
Suite for Oboe and Piano are incorporated here with splendid
renditions. A few songs are arrangements of older ones, such as Klein's
Wiegenlied, but most are original works by composers and writers
whose careers were cut short by the Nazis. For example, composer Misha
Veksler and writer Leyb Rozenthal collaborated on Yisrolik, a
courageous piece about an orphan selling goods in the street. Producer
Marnie Hall has assembled the definitive selection of these rare works,
all well documented in the accompanying booklet. Unnecessarily, she reprises
Zog Nit Keynmol, a militant marching song, at the end. While
I appreciate why she reiterated its statement, I regret that she didn't
use the space to include one more of these stirring songs." Peter
Bates, Stylus, May 2005 Pt. 2 of 2.
Recording: Musical Producer, editing, and
mastering: Marnie Hall. Baritone, violin/piano sonata, and group pieces
recorded by David Hancock at Holy Trinity Episcopal Church in New York
City. Mezzo and oboe/piano recorded by Marnie Hall at SUNY Purchase (State
University of New York). DDD. Support: This
recording is made possible with public funds from The New York State Council
on the Arts, a state agency. Additional funding provided by The Jack and
Belle Alpern Foundation and numerous individuals.
Music Publishers: Schulhoff published
by Schott International, represented in the USA by European American Music.
Both Haas (published by Tempo Praha in Prague) and Klein
(published by Bote & Bock in Berlin) are represented by Boosey &
Hawkes in the USA. The songs Tsen Brider and Yisrolik
were published in the Harper & Row book "Yes, We Sang" by
Shoshana Kalisch with Barbara Meister. Musical arr. by Mordechai Sheinkman.
Now out of print, it is sometimes available at Amazon. For further information
about obtaining sheet music, contact Leonarda. Performing
artists: Downtown Music Productions, Mimi Stern-Wolfe, artistic
director. Cover Drawing: Jennifer Ross ©
Jennifer Ross. Graphic Design: Marnie Hall.
© Leonarda Productions, Inc. 2000. All rights reserved. CDs made
in the U.S.A.
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