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Forbidden Music: The Forgotten Composers of the Interwar Period [Skalny Lecture]

Virtual lecture by Daniel Vnukowski with live music performance

The Holocaust permanently tarnished the lives of countless musicians who endured unfathomable pain under the despotic Nazi regime. Many were forced to flee their homes in hope of finding a better life on an alien continent, only to lead lives of continued despair and isolation in their new environments. This concert offers a rare glimpse of the composers whose music was banned by the Third Reich in pre-WWII Vienna. From the sweeping melodic lines of Erich Wolfgang Korngold to the contrapuntal ingenuity of Karol Rathaus, this music leaves a lasting impression on modern ears, albeit a chilling reminder of one of the darkest periods in Western music history.

The lecture begins with the political upheavals that had swept over Central Europe in 1848, through the Secessionist and Expressionist movements in art, ending shortly after WWII. It also examines many of the unique musical styles that were at play during the 19th Century, such as Romantic lyricism and the great song tradition in Vienna. Live performances of solo piano works and piano arrangements will take place from overlooked corners of the repertoire, with music selections from better-known composers such as A. Schoenberg and A. Zemlinsky, as well as largely forgotten composers such as K. Rathaus and R. Ryterband.

Music Samples:

• Alexander von Zemlinsky - Erinnerung Aus Wien (A Souvenir from Vienna) (1895)
• Erich Wolfgang Korngold – Die Tote Stadt (1920)
• Alban Berg – Sonata Op. 1 (1910)
• Arnold Schoenberg – Sechs Klavierstucke I (1909)
• Karol Rathaus – Die Letzte Pierrot and Mazurkas (1920s)
• Jerzy Fitelberg - 3 Mazurkas (1931)
• Alexander Tansman - Second Recueil de Mazurkas (Hommage a Comitee pro Chopin de Palma de Mallorca) (1932)
• Roman Ryterband - Suite Polonaise (1944)

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