MUSIC

​The 2024 Annual Kristallnacht Commemorative Concert

“WHEN THE VIOLIN FALLS SILENT - MUSIC IN HIDING”

Was performed by Te Koki Trio - Inbal Megiddo (cello) Martin Riseley (violin) and Jian Liu (piano)

​The annual Kristallnacht concert commemorated “The Night of Broken Glass,” the horrific pogrom of November 9-10 1938, across Germany, Austria, and the Sudetenland. During this atrocity, an estimated 91 Jews were killed, 30,000 arrested, 267 synagogues destroyed, and Jewish businesses looted. Kristallnacht is regarded as an historic watershed, marking the escalation of Nazi persecution of Jews from discrimination and words to outright violence, often described as ‘the beginning of the Holocaust.’

Paying musical tribute to all victims of the Nazis, this year we paid homage to the music of Jewish, Romani, and LGBTQ+ victims.  The Nazis attempted to silence the music and art of all those they deemed Untermenschen ('sub-human', racially or socially inferior to 'Aryan' Germans). This concert allowed us to hear the music of those who were murdered, forced to hide, or flee, thus remembering them and celebrating their artistic brilliance.

We explored powerful works of Jewish composer Walter Kaufman and violinist Alex Braun, testaments to the enduring spirit of Jewish creativity, and the rich musical traditions of the Romani people, passed down through generations, yet severely impacted by the tragic loss of life and cultural heritage during the Holocaust. We shone a light on the courageous stories of the persecuted LGBTQ+ community. Tens of thousands of gay men were arrested and sent to Nazi concentration camps. Through the brilliant skilled performances, pieces and narrative, we remembered, honoured, and celebrated the diverse voices that were silenced.  

• The Gypsy orchestras in Auschwitz and Falkensee
• The violin dynasties of the Lakatos family, descendants of János Bihari – the famous “King of Gypsy Violinists”, and the six generations of violinists of the Boulanger family
• “Shony” Alex Braun, Jewish violinist and composer
• Francis Poulenc,  gay French composer and pianist
• Robert T. Odeman, gay German composer and pianist
• ​Walter Kaufman, Jewish composer and ethnomusicologist

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2022 Kristallnacht Commemorative Concert - Tribute to "The Women's Orchestra of Auschwitz'

David Zwartz MNZM

Sometimes - not often - a concert stays in the memory because of an outstanding feature. It can be a beautiful composition, a higher than usual performance level, or something special that makes a particular impact.
So it was with the Kristallnacht commemorative concert, presented in Wellington's Public Trust Hall on 10 November, the anniversary of Kristallnacht, 9 - 10 November 1938, and in King's School, Auckland on 14 November. 

This annual event is an ongoing collaboration between the Holocaust Centre of New Zealand and the NZ School of Music - Te Kōkī at Victoria University of Wellington. The music selected each year relates to the Holocaust. This year it was associated with the Women's Orchestra set up by the Nazis inside the Auschwitz-Birkenau death camp in 1943, with these aims - to entertain the Nazi staff; to provide music for fearful and stressed Jews arriving at the camp railway station platform; and marching tunes for the camp inmates as they went in the early morning to their slave labour tasks, and when they returned in the evening.

The stories of two Jewish professional musicians in the orchestra, Alma Rosé (conductor) and Anita Lasker (cello), were given with much detail, interweaving their lives before, during and after Auschwitz with music, projected images and a narration of strength and fluency shared by Inbal Megiddo and Sharn Maree Cassady; and Sharn read a poem, in English and Te Reo Māori, dedicated to Lasker.

Inbal also played cello both as unaccompanied soloist (the beautiful Bach 1st Cello Suite Prelude) and as soloist with the backing ensemble of Te Kōkī students. Her cello playing related to Anita Lasker's story, and later we saw excerpts from Inbal interviewing a 90-year-old Lasker.

Amalia Hall, Orchestra Wellington's leader and a violin soloist of growing reputation, opened her playing by joining Yury Gezentsvey in the opening movement of Bach's Double Violin Concerto. The sympathy between the playing by two such outstanding artists gave us an outstanding performance. Amalia went on to play with virtuosity as soloist backed by the ensemble in light music pieces from the orchestra's repertoire, underlining the horror of providing waltzes, marches and polkas for those soon to be murdered in the gas chambers.

Another musician, Esther Béjarano, pianist turned piano accordianist so as to be able to join the Women's Orchestra, turned, after surviving the Holocaust, to hip hop to advance her determined campaigns against racism and fascism.
​
For Wellingtonians who knew her, the final story about Clare Galambos-Winter, beginning in Europe as a Hungarian Jewish violin student, passing through Auschwitz (though not playing in the Women's Orchestra), and ending up in distant New Zealand, playing in the first violins of the NZSO for 33 years, was an overwhelming reminder of her strength and generosity, capped by the performance by two students from the evening's ensemble, of short Bartok duos on Clare's own violins which she gifted to Te Tōkī, along with endowed scholarships in violin performance.

Led by Emeritus Professor Donald Maurice MNZM as the evening's MC, we plumbed depths and reached heights of emotion. The vicious state-directed pogrom of Kristallnacht, the concept of industrialised murder aimed at annihilating a race, the utter heartlessness of providing music for slaves before killing them, fused with the courage and determination of the players in Auschwitz and their dedication to Holocaust education afterwards. These elements, portrayed through integrated words, images and beautifully-performed music, gave us an evening that will not be forgotten by all who were there.

The same event with some change of performers was repeated on 14 November in Auckland, with similar effect on the audience.  
​MUSIC.NET.NZ Review Kev Rowland

The works on the programme were:
Bach G major Suite for cello solo
Bach Double Concerto for two violins (Yury/Martin, Amalia)
Blue Danube and Tritch Tratch Polka by Johann Strauss
Beethoven Romance in F major
Zigeunerweisen by Sarasate
Boccherini Cello Concerto (arr. Grutzmacher)
Schubert Marche Militaire
Schumann Traumerei
Mendelssohn Violin Concerto
Bartok Duos 10, 14, 43

Performers:
Amalia Hall 
Inbal Megiddo 
Martin Riseley 
Yury Gezentsvy 
Sharn Maree Cassady 

Ensemble in Wellington      
Rupa Maitra
Antonia Graht
Sarang Roberts
Mana Waiariki
Sarah Marten
Lauren Jack
Jane Daly
Esther Lee

Ensemble in Auckland
Jessica Alloway
Gill Ripeley
Joelle Pinto
Milena Parobczy
Crystal Lin
Celina Reyes
Anna-Marie Alloway
Sally-Anne Brown

The two musicians who played the Bartok in Wellington were Sarang Roberts and Mana Waiariki; in Auckland, Martin Risely and Amalia Hall.

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Photography credit Wellington: Eva Kaprinay Photography
Photography credit Auckland: Sav Schulman Photography

AUDIENCE REACTIONS / COMMENTS

• ​“I couldn’t stop thinking about the concert and wanted to extend my appreciation to the organisers and musicians for sharing awareness of the lessons of Shoah, but also the survival and resistance of the orchestra and Jewish diasporas.”
  
• “Congratulations on such a successful performance, it was beautifully put together, the story telling accompanied by the music.”
  
• “That was such a wonderful concert. My wife and I were deeply touched by it.”
  
• “The music was divine, and everything was delivered  professionally.”
  
• “Amazing”
  
• “I so loved your beautiful presentation last night, and the superb playing..we will be going again next year if this is a yearly event.”
  
• “Truly inspiring in every way - everything that was said, shared and of course the music and the musicians. Many thanks to all who made this event so successful. So glad it was brought to Auckland.”

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For more information on the women whose stories featured in this years annual concert click the following.
Alma Rosé
​Esther Béjarano
​Anita Lasker-Wallfisch
Clare Galambos-Winter

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Premiere: 'The Partisans' Song' in  te reo Māori, International Holocaust Remembrance Day 2022

‘The Partisans' Song’ world premiere performance of the te reo Māori translation (following the song in Yiddish), 27 January 2022, Parliament, Wellington, New Zealand. International Holocaust Remembrance Day 
Vocalist: Anastasia Reid. Pianist: Liam Furey. (New Zealand School of Music—Te Kōkī)
Written in Yiddish by Hirsh Glik “Zog Nit Keynmol” (“Never Say”) was a triumphant and hopeful call for defiance, inspired by the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising. The song became a beacon to many and quickly grew to be known as 'The Partisans' Song'.
Translated by Hēmi Kelly (Ngati Maniapoto, Ngati Tahu-Ngati Whaoa), of the Auckland University of Technology (AUT), The Partisans' Song initiative is led by the WE ARE HERE! Foundation of Australia.

Zog Nit Keynmol
Yiddish/Transliteration
​
Zog nit keynmol az du gayst dem letzten veg,
Ven himlen blayene farshteln bloye teg;
Vayl kumen vet noch undzer oysgebenkte shuh,
Es vet a poyk tun undzer trot - mir zaynen do!
 
Fun grinem palmenland biz land fun vaysen shney,
Mir kumen un mit undzer payn, mit undzer vey;
Un voo gefalen iz a shpritz fun undzer blut,
Shpritzen vet dort undzer gvure, undzer mut.
 
Es vet di morgenzun bagilden undz dem haynt,
Un der nechten vet farshvinden mitn faynt;
Nor oyb farzamen vet di zun in dem ka-yor,11
Vi a parol zol geyn dos leed fun door tzu door.
 
Geshriben iz dos leed mit blut und nit mit bly,
S'iz nit keyn leedl fun a foygel oyf der fry;
Dos hut a folk tzvishen falendi-ke vent,
Dos leed gezungen mit naganes in di hent.
 
Zog nit keyn mol az du gayst dem letzten veg,
Ven himlen blayene farshteln bloye teg;
Kumen vet noch undzer oysgebenkte shuh,
Es vet a poyk tun undzer trot -- mir zaynen do!
https://lyricstranslate.com

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​
English translation by Aaron Kremer
​
Never say that there is only death for you,
Though leaden skies may be concealing days of blue, 
Because the hour we have hungered for is near; Beneath our tread the earth shall tremble — we are here!

From land of palm tree to the far-off land of snow,
We shall be coming with our torment and our woe; And everywhere our blood has sunk into the earth, Shall our bravery, our vigor blossom forth.

We’ll have the morning sun to set our day aglow, And all our yesterdays shall vanish with the foe; And if the time is long before the sun appears,
Then let this song go like a signal through the years.

This song was written with blood and not with lead; It’s not a song that summer birds sing overhead;
It was a people among toppling barricades,
That sang this song of ours with pistols and grenades.

Never say that there is only death for you,
Though leaden skies may be concealing days of blue, Because the hour we have hungered for is near; Beneath our tread the earth shall tremble, — we are here!

Te reo Māori translation by  Hēmi Kelly

​Kaua rawa e mea ko te mate anahe tō huarahi,
Ahakoa āraia ana te kiko o te rangi e te pōuriuri,
Kei te tata mai te wā kua roa e tāria ana;
Ka rū te whenua i te takahi a ngā wae – ki te haka!

​ 
Mai i te whenua o te nīkau, ki te whenua kōkēi o te huka,
E haere nei mātou i runga i te kōharihari me te tiwhatiwha;
Katoa ngā wāhi i pipī ai ō mātou toto ki te papa,
Ka puāwai mai i reira tō mātou māia me tō mātou kaha.
 
Ka whiti tonu te rā i te ata, ka ao te rangi,
Katoa ngā raru o nanahi ka ngaro me te hoa kakari;
Ā, ki te roa te wā i mua i te aranga mai anō o te rā,
Tukua mā tēnei wai ngā tau e whakaaomārama.
 
I titongia ai tēnei waiata ki te toto, kaua ki te matā;
Ehara i te waiata e haria ai e ngā manu o ō te raumati rā
Engari nā te iwi i te kauhanga riri a Tū,
Tēnei waiata a mātou i hari ki te pū me te pohū.
 
Kaua rawa e mea ko te mate anahe tō huarahi,
Ahakoa āraia ana te kiko o te rangi e te pōuriuri,
Kei te tata mai te wā kua roa e tāria ana;
Ka rū te whenua i te takahi a ngā wae – ki te haka!

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November 9th 2020: Kristallnacht Commemorative Concert - Resilience & Reinvention

Further details in our Archive

Classical and jazz music composed by leading Jewish European composers who fled the Holocaust and reinvented themselves in Hollywood, where they wrote the music for some of the greatest blockbusters, and influenced film music forever.

A multimedia experience, with visual excerpts from  films and a jazz tribute to Blue Note Records, New York - jazz’s iconic label, co-founded by German-Jewish immigrants Alfred Lion and Francis Wolff.

This concert commemorates Kristallnacht and the beginning­ of the destruction of European Jewry and is dedicated to the music of these Hollywood composers including  Weinberg, Korngold, Toch, Rózsa, Waxman and Castelnuovo-Tedesco.

Presented by HCNZ in partnership with Te Kōki-the New Zealand School of Music - Victoria University of Wellington, and supported by the Public Trust Hall and the Adam Foundation. 

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November 10th 2019:  Kristallnacht Commemorative Concert - A concert of unity

Further details in our Archive

Thank you to the following sponsors and suppliers: Adam Foundation,  Wellington Jewish Community Centre,  Wellington City Council,  Grouse Lighting, Peter Frater, GracePR and Hiremaster.
Photos: Holocaust Centre of New Zealand

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Kristallnacht Commemorative Concert - November 2018

Music, remembrance and hope

With the theme of “music, remembrance and hope”, the Holocaust Centre of New Zealand’s 2018 Kristallnacht concert met all three qualities to the highest degree.
 
For this 80th anniversary of the horrifying events of 9-10 November 1938, the programme’s eight items covered a range of music by Jewish composers – two of whom perished in the Shoah (Holocaust) – and ranged from Gustav Mahler’s teenage piano quartet to the final piece, “Violins of hope,” by Israeli Ohad Ben-Ari which was first performed in Berlin on International Holocaust Remembrance Day 2015.
 

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