Creativity in Captivity: Viktor Ullmann's Der Kaiser von Atlantis

The Nazis, believing that these activities would prevent the prisoners from causing trouble, were confident that all the Jews would soon be destroyed anyway, so there was no harm in indulging them with a bit of leisure time until then. [...]they realized that they could use the cultural activity in...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:The Opera journal 2005-06, Vol.38 (2), p.3
Main Author: Bergman, Rachel
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Composers
Creativity
Jewish music
Jewish people
Lieder
Musical performances
Nazi era
Opera
Online Access:Get full text
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Summary:The Nazis, believing that these activities would prevent the prisoners from causing trouble, were confident that all the Jews would soon be destroyed anyway, so there was no harm in indulging them with a bit of leisure time until then. [...]they realized that they could use the cultural activity in Theresienstadt to their advantage: it showed the outside world that life in the camps really wasn't so terrible. "3 This mentality helps to explain the fervor with which the Thersienstadt prisoners participated in and attended and supported cultural activities in the camp. [...]at a time when the rest of Europe and all occupied territories were completely cut off from any Jewish activity, Theresienstadt served, in essence, as a type of Jewish cultural Mecca, where, in addition to the production of new works, works of artists and composers previously banned by the Third Reich, such as Mendelssohn, Mahler and Schoenberg, also flourished. [...]he punctuates the texture with augmented triads (marked in the score with an asterisk), thereby reflecting the stamp of modernism and his unique harmonic language.13 Finally, Ullmann juxtaposes Harlequin's theme, the theme of life, in the solo violin (top voice, mm. 5-9 and 13-15). 4 One member of the Council of Elders, Theresienstadt's governing body, played the piano. Since the council members were afforded certain special privileges, the Nazis allowed Eppstein's grand piano to be brought into the camp, although only one other young pianist was permitted to use it.
ISSN:0030-3585