Music from the Holocaust

Overview

PHCD161

MUSIC FROM THE HOLOCAUST

Karel Berman     1938-1945 Reminiscences (Suite for Piano)

Pavel Haas           Suite for Piano, Op.13

Gideon Klein      Sonata for Piano (1943)

Viktor Ullmann  Piano Sonata No.7 (1944)

Paul Orgel, piano

The four composers represented on this recording reflect the rich diversity of Czech musical life during the 1930s and early 1940s. In their music one hears expressionist gestures, tonal lyricism, folk melody and rhythmic vitality, all interwoven in a manner that eschews superficiality or sentimentality. While each composer speaks with a unique voice, they share common national origins and love of country and will always be linked by the shared tragic fate that brought them to one of the Nazi realms of the damned, the Terezin concentration camp. Of the four composers, only one, Karel Berman, would survive the war. Of the remaining three, Pavel Haas and Viktor Ullmann, would be murdered in the gas chambers of Auschwitz while Gideon Klein would disappear after several months of forced labor.

PHCD 161 presents music composed during the Holocaust, offering a rare and deeply moving record of artistic expression created in the face of persecution and loss. These works reflect a remarkable range of voices—lyrical, defiant, introspective, and resilient—preserved as part of an essential cultural and historical legacy. The performances honor the composers’ intentions with clarity and respect, bringing renewed attention to music that stands as both artistic achievement and human testimony.

This release is an important addition for listeners interested in 20th‑century history, Jewish cultural heritage, and music of remembrance.