Terezin Suite
James Nathaniel Holland
About this work:
Originally built by the Austrian Empire almost a hundred and sixty years before, Terezin (Theresienstadt in German) was town north of Prague christened by the Nazis to be a paradise ghetto for the Jews. In reality, it was a way station for numerous European Jews before being transported by train to the nototious death camp of Auschwitz.
Despite overcrowding, rampant disease, and sadistic supervision, music and culture persevered, and in some cases flourished. Children wrote poetry, drew pictures, and educated composers such as Gideon Klein, Viktor Ullman, and Hans Krasa secretly wrote and/or performed their works. The best known is Krasa's children's opera, Brundibar which was well received and performed 52 times within the ghetto's walls. Eventually the Nazis turned the opera into a propaganda showpiece for the Red Cross.
The music in the Terezin Suite was originally written as incidental music for a play. It's ensemble requirements are similar to the instruments that were available to the victims. I consider this music an homage tot hese gifted composers and the many children whose lives were tragically cut short by history's bloodiest war.
The quiet selection included here from the suite is called Reflection of a Watercolor
Year composed: 2000
Duration: 00:08:00
Ensemble type: Chamber or Jazz Ensemble, Without Voice:Other Combinations, 2-5 players
Instrumentation: 1 Flute, 1 Clarinet, 1 Trumpet, 1 Piano