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.
The last thing I wanted to do was to turn this site into me reviewing performances and CDs. As a recording producer, I’ve read too many reviews – good and bad – that… Continue reading
(Verflossen ist das Gold der Tage – Washed Away is the Gold of our Days – Rondel op. 11 from 1921) “In comparison with all of these other would-be Mahlerians, Wilhelm Grosz rises… Continue reading
I’ve reviewed two outstanding new books on Schoenberg for the Times Literary Supplement – in fact, they appear to have made my review their headline feature. The books are Julie Brown’s SCHOENBERG AND… Continue reading
On February 3rd 2015, I was asked by the Holocaust Research Centre, headed by Prof. David Cesarani at Royal Holloway College, University of London to give their annual Holocaust Lecture. I Chose the… Continue reading
An area that remains totally under-researched is the fate of music-exiles in South and Latin America. Occasionally a wisp of a story pops up such as Hans Joachim Köllreuter who taught, amongst others,… Continue reading
There has been an indecently long gap since my last posting. This was due to a computer crash, travels and deadlines that were made all the more stressful with the loss of important… Continue reading
Just as I completed reading Sabine Feisst’s excellent Schoenberg’s New World – the American Years, the Times Literary Supplement asked if I would review two new books on Schoenberg. I won’t give away… Continue reading
This article in today’s Guardian is by Roger Scruton, a philosopher with a leaning towards Hegelian aesthetics. In it, he pleads for his concept of ‘conservatism’ and explains why it’s hard to ‘think’… Continue reading
Unlike full-time academics, conferences make up very little of my yearly schedule. When I can make one, I find them rewarding and encouraging as they highlight how far interest and research have come… Continue reading
At the Ziering-Conlon Initiative for Recovered Voices symposium, ‘Music, Censorship and Meaning in Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union: Echoes and Consequences’, held at Los Angeles’s Colburn School, I gave the following paper.… Continue reading
