Kamp!-Song and Satire from the “Paradise Ghetto” Theresienstadt A Staged Performance Analekta AN28789 World Jewish Congress Sergei Dreznin (pianno), Amelia DeMayo, Curt Buckler Elebash Recital Hall, The Graduate Center, New York April 2015 http://thesegalcenter.org/event/kamp-song-and-satire-from-the-paradise-ghetto-theresienstadt/ |
01. Come Right In! (Leo Strauss / Gerhard Bronner) |
Join Sergei Dreznin and actors Amelia DeMayo and Curt Buckler for a rare
performance of songs and satire written and once performed by Europe’s
cabaret stars imprisoned in Terezín. Theresienstadt, as it was known in
Germany, was a model concentration camp 40 miles north of Prague created
by the Nazis specifically for prominent Jews and intended to deceive the
international press. Among the many Terezín prisoners were Leo Baeck,
chief rabbi of Germany; Kurt Gerron, who performed opposite Marlene
Dietrich in “The Blue Angel”; musician Karel Ancerl, who survived to
become the conductor of the Czech and Toronto Symphonies; Jazz pianist
Martin Roman, the leader of the inmate group “The Ghetto Swingers,” and
many stars of the Czech and Viennese cabaret scene. Although not a death
camp, 33,000 out of its 140,000 inmates died there and 87,000 were
transported to death camps elsewhere. This performance, followed by a
discussion, will offer unique insight into the extraordinary struggle
for survival through humor and song. All lyrics translated by Thomas and
Caren Neile. Sergei Dreznin, a graduate of the Tchaikovsky Conservatory in Moscow (as a composer) and the Russian Academy of Music (as a pianist); well-known for his collaboration with violinist Gidon Kremer, his unusual interpretations and new versions of classical piano works, and his own highly original approach to music theater; has produced thirteen shows; Amelia DeMayo and Curt Buckler, performing musical and opera across the US. En 1941, les nazis décidèrent de transformer la forteresse de Theresienstadt en un camp de transit pour les Juifs des pays tchèques occupés par les Allemands. Dans des conditions intolérables, certains des artistes prisonniers ont fait ce qu'ils font de mieux: divertir. Dans les greniers et les caves, initialement dans une stricte confidentialité, certains des plus célèbres artistes des cabarets d'Europe, avec l'aide d’autres prisonniers, ont écrit et interprété des satires tant au sujet des nazis que des détenus. En Octobre 1992, une histoire de l’épisode de Theresienstadt a été mise en scène, une production à la fois dramatique et ironique pour trois interprètes - homme, femme et pianiste. Toutes les paroles, poèmes et la plupart des compositions musicales de cette production et du présent enregistrement ont été écrits, adaptés et joués par les détenus de Theresienstadt entre 1942 et 1944. |