I could not even begin to count the books I own and have read on fin de siècle Vienna, the Habsburgs, the Austro-Hungarian Dual Monarchy, biographies of prominent individuals who lived, or were… Continue reading →

The post reflects on the significant changes in music composition and consumption during the twentieth century, questioning the concept of progress and exploring the impact of societal and cultural shifts on musical expression. It delves into the complexities of dissonance, the challenges of conveying emotion through music, and the evolution of musical language in the face of societal upheaval.

The author reflects on his experiences writing about Jewish composers and music that were banned or otherwise impacted by the Nazis. He has published various academic works and translations on this topic over his ten year career. His new book, Music of Exile, stems from his work at Exilarte Centre, a cultural institution he co-founded. The piece discusses the lesser-known narratives of exile music, underscoring its historical significance and cultural nuances.

I hope this is a book that takes the reader further down the road of understanding what it means to view music as a cultural good in need of restitution: a return to audiences of stolen composers and a return to composers of stolen audiences.

The performance of The Dead City, better known as Die tote Stadt at London’s English National Opera was a revelation and frankly, a sensation for reasons few critics have mentioned. But then again,… Continue reading →

An exceptional biography about an exceptional young Czech composer. Gideon Klein was much more than the tragic young man murdered before his prime as David Fligg’s excellent biography explains.