Violins of Hope

LIVE AT KOHL MANSION

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VIOLINS OF HOPE Franz Schubert (1797-1828) Live at Kohl Mansion 8 “Quartettsatz” in C Minor, D 703 (1820) 8. 15

Jake Heggie (b. 1961) Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy (1809-1847) on texts by Gene Scheer (b. 1958) String Quartet No. 6 in F Minor, Op. 80 (1847) INTONATIONS: Songs from the Violins of Hope (2020) 9 Allegro vivace assai 7. 37 (world-premiere recording) 10 Allegro assai 4. 59 1 Ashes 5. 09 11 Adagio 7. 56 2 Exile 4. 20 12 Finale. Allegro molto 5. 51 3 Concert 6. 35 4 Motele 5. 37 Kay Stern, first violin 5 Feivel 6. 45 Dawn Harms, second violin 6 Lament 5.35 Patricia Helller, viola 7 Liberation 5. 58 Emil Miland, cello

Sasha Cooke, mezzo-soprano Total playing time: 75. 14 Daniel Hope, violin

Kay Stern, first violin Dawn Harms, second violin Patricia Helller, viola Emil Miland, cello

Sean Mori, violin Cover image: Marc Chagall, Blue Violinist (Violoniste bleu) (1947) THE VIOLINS OF HOPE A note about the violins played on this recording

By James A. Grymes, PhD, author of Violins of Hope: Violins of

VIOLINS OF HOPE is an artistic and educational project comprised of instruments that were owned by Jewish musicians before and during the Holocaust. Some of the instruments in the collection were safeguarded by their owners as they fled Nazi Germany. Others were played in the concentration camps and ghettos, providing a source of comfort for some and a means of survival for others. Regardless of the setting, the instruments represented strength and optimism for the future during mankind’s darkest hour. Wherever there was music, there was hope.

Each of the instruments played in this recording has been refurbished by

6 father-and-son Israeli luthiers Amnon In this recording, Daniel Hope plays small privileges—earned only through their and Avshalom Weinstein, the founders a violin that was once played in the ability to make music—is what saved their of the Violins of Hope project. Although Auschwitz-Birkenau Men’s Camp lives. the instruments make beautiful museum Orchestra, perhaps in the “Concert” pieces, at the heart of the project is the that forms the subject of the third The violin played by Sean Mori was Weinsteins’ commitment to ensuring that movement of Intonations: Songs from once owned by Elsa Katzenstein (née the instruments are played again all over the Violins of Hope. There were several Koopman), who was an accomplished the world. Since 2008, the Violins of Hope ensembles throughout the sprawling violinist in Hamburg, Germany before the have traveled to , Sion, , complex that is collectively referred to Nazis came to power. She was a member Maastricht, , , , as Auschwitz, including a large orchestra of the prominent GEDOK association of London, , Dachau, , in the Auschwitz Main Camp, orchestras women artists until it disbanded in 1933, and Auschwitz. In the United States, the in the men’s and women’s camps of in response to the restrictions the Nazis project has been presented in Charlotte, Birkenau, and several other ensembles were imposing on artists. She was also , Houston, Jacksonville, in the satellite camps. These ensembles a member of the prestigious musicians’ Sarasota, Washington, D.C, , were comprised of musicians who were guild known as the Reich Chamber of Nashville, Birmingham, Knoxville, Phoenix, recruited from the prisoner population and Music, but was expelled in 1935 when the Louisville, Fort Wayne, and San Francisco. required to perform as part of their forced Nuremberg Race Laws excluded Jews from As the project has continued to grow, labor. Day in and day out, the German professional life. In January 1939, just a the collection has expanded to include marches and schmaltzy tunes they few weeks after Kristallnacht, Elsa and almost ninety instruments. While some played formed a macabre counterpoint her husband Paul put their eleven-year- of the musicians who once played these to the brutal realities of life in Auschwitz. old daughter Ruth on a Kindertransport instruments may have been silenced by As rewards for their membership in the to Antwerp, Belgium. There, a Christian the Holocaust, their voices and spirits live orchestra, the musicians sometimes family cared for her until that summer, on through the Violins of Hope project. received benefits such as additional food when Ruth was reunited with her parents and lighter work details. For some, these and her older brother Paul as they Auschwitz violin played by Daniel Hope 7 © Avshalom Weinstein 8 immigrated to America. The Katzensteins sold most of their possessions to pay for their journey, but safeguarded this instrument as a beloved possession that they brought with them to New York.

Second violinist Dawn Harms recorded this album on a violin that was once owned by Erich Weininger, an amateur violinist from Vienna whose story is told in the second movement of Intonations. Erich was imprisoned in Dachau, where he risked his life playing in a clandestine orchestra. He was later transferred to Buchenwald, and was released in 1939. He fled Nazi Germany with his violin, becoming one of the last Jews to escape the Holocaust. Erich and 1,200 other Jewish refugees crammed onto the S.S. Atlantic, which ran out of coal en route to Palestine. The refugees stripped the boat of any wooden objects that could be burned for fuel. Erich made it to Palestine, where the British Mandate arrested him as an illegal immigrant and sent him and his fellow Jewish exiles to a Erich Weininger (standing at the far left) 9 and fellow prisoner musicians on Mauritius10 prison on the island of Mauritius. During this recording was made by the eighteenth- his captivity, Erich once again entertained century German violinmaker Benedict his fellow prisoners by playing the violin Wagner. Even though the violinmaker was that had accompanied him throughout his not related to the famously anti-Semitic odyssey. composer Richard Wagner, its owner wanted nothing to do with the instrument The remaining instruments played in ever again. He brought it to Amnon’s this recording came to in the late father Moshe Weinstein, a violin repairman 1930s. That was when virtuoso violinist and dealer in . Unsellable in Israel, Bronisław Huberman rescued their the Wagner Violin and the German-made Jewish owners from Nazi persecution by viola and cello on this recording remained bringing them to Palestine, to establish in Moshe’s workshop until they were passed the ensemble now known as the Israel to Amnon. In the 1990s, Amnon became Philharmonic Orchestra. By helping not interested in the quality and craftsmanship only the musicians but also their family of these German instruments. He even members leave Europe, Huberman saved gave a lecture on them at a conference an estimated one thousand lives. Many of in Dresden for the Association of German the musicians whom Huberman recruited Violin- and Bow-Makers. The success of brought top-quality, German-made the presentation and Amnon’s insatiable instruments with them to Palestine. After curiosity inspired him to begin searching the war, when they learned the full extent for other violins with connections to the of the atrocities that the Germans had Holocaust. This was the very start of the committed during the Holocaust, they Violins of Hope project. refused to play on those instruments any Back row (from left to right): Dawn Harms, Emil Miland, Sean Mori, Sasha Cooke, Patricia Kristof longer. The violin that Kay Stern plays on Moy, Daniel Hope, Patricia Heller, Kay Stern Front row (from left to right): Steve Barnett, Preston Smith, James A. Grymes, , 11 Avshalom Weinstein, Gene Scheer, Jake Heggie 12 INTONATIONS: Songs from the dramatic song cycle with a solo singer as was just another piece of wood to feed he could make a living with music. Feivel Violins of Hope the spirit and soul of the violins. The cycle the flames. went on to save many people, generations Note by Jake Heggie & Gene Scheer would also feature a solo violinist, a quartet that thrive thanks to the kindness of that of the original instruments – and a young “Concert” tells the harrowing story of old man, his violin and the music of hope. In February of 2017, Patricia Kristof Moy violinist to represent the future. Each song Henry Meyer when he was ordered to (director of the Music at Kohl Mansion would intone a story from the perspective play a concert in the gas chamber where “Lament” is a solo movement for string chamber music series) reached out to tell of the violin itself. This way, we could use family and friends were murdered every quartet. Here, the instruments intone a us about the Violins of Hope. She wanted to music and words to explore the physical and day. To survive, he apologizes to the violin song without words. bring the Violins to the West Coast in 2020 emotional journeys of the instruments. and plays a waltz while an undertow of for an extensive San Francisco Bay Area emotion pulls him down. “Liberation” was inspired by Paula residency with orchestras, chamber groups, “Ashes” is told from the perspective of Lebovic’s recollection of the Liberation of schools, community centers, religious one of the first violins Amnon Weinstein “Motele” tells the story of 12-year old Auschwitz on January 27, 1945. organizations and more. As part of this restored. When he removed the case, he Motele Schlein, a child prodigy with a major event, she invited us to create a new discovered it was filled with human ashes. promising career cut short. After his composition to commemorate the 75th How could this happen? A journey ends and family was murdered, he was randomly Anniversary of the Liberation of Auschwitz. another begins. selected to entertain at the Nazi Officers Club. He devised a plan to avenge his The singers of the Holocaust era are gone, In “Exile,” we have the perspective of Erich family. Week by week, he smuggled but these restored instruments are still Weininger’s violin. Exiled from Germany, on gunpowder in his violin case to create a able to sing, vibrate and intone. They have a ship with Palestine at last in sight, Erich bomb in the basement of the Officers been held by many hands and rested on and the other refugees suddenly realized Club. many shoulders through generations. We there was no more fuel for the furnace. The saw a rare opportunity: to tell stories of the boat was sinking. The call went out to use “Feivel” is a story of legacy. An older instruments actually being played. any and all wood on the ship to feed the man, distraught from the losses of the So, we decided that our piece would be a furnace. Erich wondered if his beloved violin war, gave his violin to Feivel Wininger so

13 14 Quartets by Schubert and Characteristically, the shifts in theme was famous and successful by every Mendelssohn and mood are accompanied by unusual, measure, but overworked, exhausted Note by Kai Christiansen, musicologist affecting key changes creating music and in desperate need of rest. Out of the that is a vividly charged amalgam of blue, word arrived that his older sister Franz Schubert’s 12th string quartet, restlessness and serenity. The work lay and musical soul mate, Fanny, had died the Quartettsatz in C Minor (D 703), is fallow until long after Schubert’s death suddenly at the age of 42. Devastated, often regarded as the first of his mature untimely death at the age of 31 in 1828. The Mendelssohn fled to , where works. Composed in December 1820, it manuscript eventually came into the hands he composed this string quartet and inaugurated a series of quartets that are of composer Johannes Brahms, who edited dedicated it to her memory. Just two masterpieces of the genre. As its German and published the quartet in 1870. months later, in November 1847, Felix nickname implies, the Quartettsatz followed her fate and died of a stroke at (“Quartet Movement”) is but a single Felix Mendelssohn’s final string quartet, the young age of 38. movement. Schubert intended to write Quartet in F Minor Op. 80, is a dark tour de more but, for reasons unknown, left the force celebrated for a blistering intensity quartet unfinished. Much like the famous that James Keller calls “combustible.” A “Unfinished” Symphony with which it has dark, driving mood sustains unrelentingly much in common, the Quartettsatz is across three of the four movements ending celebrated for what it is, complete unto with a virtuosic conflagration of musical itself. In strong contrast to his earlier angst. The inner slow movement alone quartets, here Schubert reveals the full offers some repose: a heartbreaking, technical and dramatic means of his lyrical elegy, a sorrowful song without mature style with signature contrasts words. Ostensibly more than just abstract between dark, impetuous agitation and chamber music, connections to his bright, sublime lyricism. personal life seem compelling. The quartet was composed in 1847, when Mendelssohn

15 16 Two-time Grammy Award-winning of Rice University, The Juilliard School Daniel Hope has toured the world as mezzo-soprano Sasha Cooke is sought and the Metropolitan Opera Lindemann a virtuoso soloist for 30 years and is after by the world’s leading orchestras, Young Artist Program. Most recently she celebrated for his musical versatility as opera companies, and chamber music appears on five recordings, including well as his dedication to humanitarian ensembles for her versatile repertoire L’enfance du Christ with Sir Andrew causes. Winner of the 2015 European and commitment to new music. She has Davis and the Melbourne Symphony on Cultural Prize for Music, Hope appears as premiered works by Mark Adamo, Mason Chandos, Bates’ The (R)evolution of Steve soloist with the world’s major orchestras Bates, William Bolcom, Pierre Jalbert, Jobs on PENTATONE which won the 2019 and conductors, also directing many Laura Kaminsky, Lowell Liebermann, Grammy Award for Best Opera Recording, ensembles from the violin. Hope has been Nico Muhly, John Musto, Marc Neikrug, Mahler’s Symphony No. 2 with Osmo an exclusive Deutsche Grammophon artist Kevin Puts, Joby Talbot, Augusta Read Vänskä and the Minnesota Orchestra on since 2007 and serves as Music Director Thomas and Michael Tilson Thomas. BIS, Michael Tilson Thomas’ Meditation on of the Zurich Chamber Orchestra and She has sung at the Metropolitan Rilke with the San Francisco Symphony, San Francisco’s New Century Chamber Opera, San Francisco Opera, English and Sasha Cooke LIVE, a collection of Orchestra. He is artistic director of the National Opera, Seattle Opera, Opéra her performances from the Music@ Frauenkirche Dresden and is the president National de Bordeaux, and Gran Teatre Menlo chamber music festival released on of the Beethovenhaus Bonn. del Liceu, among others, and with over their label. Sasha lives in with her The youngest ever member of the Beaux 70 symphony orchestras worldwide, husband, baritone Kelly Markgraf, and Arts Trio during its final six seasons, today frequently in the works of Mahler and their two daughters, Evelyn and Julia. Hope performs at all the world’s greatest Berlioz under such leading conductors as halls and festivals. He has worked with Yannick Nézet-Séguin, Gustavo Dudamel, conductors including Kurt Masur, Valery Bernard Haitink, James Levine, Edo de Gergiev and Christian Thielemann, as well Waart, Trevor Pinnock, Harry Bicket, as with the world’s greatest symphony Michael Tilson Thomas, Riccardo Muti orchestras including Boston, Chicago, and Sir Mark Elder. Sasha is a graduate Paris, London, Los Angeles and Tokyo. Sasha Cooke ©17 Stephanie Girard 18 Devoted to contemporary music, Hope San Francisco Chamber Music Day, Kay Stern is the Concertmaster of the has commissioned over thirty works, Symphony Parnassus, and has performed San Francisco Opera Orchestra, a position enjoying close contact with composers Tchaikovsky’s Violin Concerto with the she has held since 1994. such as Alfred Schnittke, Toru Takemitsu, Nova Vista Symphony. Playing the piano Stern is a Professor of Violin and Chamber Harrison Birtwistle, Sofia Gubaidulina, he has won First Prize at the National Music at the San Francisco Conservatory György Kurtág, Peter Maxwell-Davies and Fischoff Competition and the Pasadena of Music and an artist and faculty Mark-Anthony Turnage. Chamber Music Competition. member of Festival Napa Valley, the Daniel Hope has penned four bestselling Blackburn Academy and Classical Tahoe. books published in Germany; he Stern has served on the faculty of the contributes regularly to the Wall Street Cleveland Institute of Music and the Music Journal and has written scripts for Academy of the West. She has served as collaborative performances with the assistant to Dorothy DeLay at the Aspen actors Klaus Maria Brandauer and Mia Music Festival and assistant to the Juilliard Farrow. In Germany he presents a weekly Quartet at the Juilliard School. radio show for the WDR3 Channel. As founding member and first violinist of the Lark String Quartet, she has performed and given master classes throughout the United States, Europe and Violinist Sean Mori is a scholarship Asia. student of Ian Swensen at the San Kay attended the Juilliard School as Francisco Conservatory of Music Pre- a student of Dorothy DeLay. While at College. He was a quarterfinalist in the Juilliard, she received full scholarships 2018 Menuhin Competition, and has for her Bachelor, Master’s and Doctoral performed on NPR’s “From The Top,” degree programs. Her concerto and Steinway Society’s Young Artists Concert, chamber music recordings can be Daniel Hope Sean Mori 19 © Nicolas Zonvi © Carlin Ma 20 heard on Phillips, Nonesuch, Innova, Heggie, Frederica von Stade and Nadja MusicMasters, Koch International, Solerno-Sonnenberg. Gramavision, Arsis and Albany Records. Dawn plays on her cousin Tom Waits’ albums Alice, Blood Money, and Bad As Me. She also has two solo albums, The Black Swan and The Hot Canary that Dawn Harms’ diverse career ranges can be found on cdbaby.com or www. from being a chamber musician, violin dawnharms.com soloist, and concertmaster, to being a music director and conductor. She is a Kay Stern Dawn Harms first violinist in the San Francisco Opera © Shaleah Feinstein © Katherine Briccetti Orchestra, Associate Concertmaster for Violist Patricia Heller studied viola with the New Century Chamber Orchestra, Lee Yeingst of the Denver Symphony, Emil Miland Patricia Heller and Co-Concertmaster with the Oakland then Max Aronoff and Toby Appel at © Sisto Flores © Shaleah Feinstein Symphony. She teaches at Stanford Philadelphia’s New School of Music. She University, and is the conductor of the studied the New Approach with Katò pre-college string orchestra at the San Havas in England and has been a member Francisco Conservatory of Music. of the San Francisco Opera Orchestra Dawn is in her seventh season as Music since 1986. Director and conductor of the Bay Area While studying at the University of Rainbow Symphony, and has conducted Denver’s Lamont School of Music Patty the San Francisco Opera orchestra twice, joined forces with composer Duane in two concerts that only featured Heller. As the Heller Highwater Duo they the orchestra. She has also performed performed music for viola and piano in chamber music with Lynn Harrell, Jake the many places they lived before settling

22 in the Bay Area. The duo was proud to be has received grants from the National “Arguably the world’s most popular 21st able to commission several new works for Endowment for the Arts and Chamber century opera and art song composer” (The the ensemble. Music America. A member of the San Wall Street Journal), Jake Heggie is best Patty now makes her home in Daly City. Francisco Opera Orchestra since 1988, he know for his acclaimed operas Dead Man She frequently appears with her little also served as founding Principal Cellist of Walking, Moby-Dick, It’s A Wonderful Life, Celtic band The Scottish Thistles and now the New Century Chamber Orchestra for Great Scott, Three Decembers, Two Remain performs with her daughter, cellist Julia a decade. and If I Were You. Heggie’s operas and Heller, in a new iteration of the Highwater His many recital collaborations include nearly 300 art songs have been performed Duo. performances with Jamie Barton, extensively on five continents and championed Violist Patricia Heller is honored to join Catherine Cook, Sasha Cooke, Joyce by some of the world’s most beloved artists. the Violins of Hope project and share DiDonato, Susan Graham, Marilyn Horne, Dead Man Walking – “the most celebrated Jake Heggie the resonance of these remarkable Ann Moss, Frederica von Stade, and American opera of the 21st century” (Chicago © James Niebuhr instruments with our hurting world. She the late Zheng Cao and Lorraine Hunt- Tribune) – has received 70 international usually plays a viola made in 1896 in Lieberson. Ms. von Stade asked Miland productions and two live recordings since Vienna at Atelier Carl Zach & Co. to play for her at her farewell recital in its San Francisco Opera premiere, making it Carnegie Hall. He is featured on numerous the most widely performed new opera of our recordings, including Heggie’s The Faces time. Heggie was the 2016 keynote speaker Cellist Emil Miland is an acclaimed of Love: The Songs of Jake Heggie, and for the National Association of Schools of soloist, chamber and orchestral musician. the 2013 release Here/After: Songs of Lost Music and has delivered commencement He made his solo debut with the San Voices. New works have been composed addresses at Northwestern University and the Francisco Symphony at 16, the same year for Miland by Ernst Bacon, David Carlson, Eastman School of Music. He is also a frequent was selected to perform in Rostropovich David Conte, Candace Forest and Lou guest artist at festivals, universities and Master Classes at the University of Harrison. Mr. Miland usually performs on a conservatories internationally. He lives in San California in Berkeley. A graduate of cello made by Giovanni Grancino in Milan Francisco with his husband, Curt Branom. the New England Conservatory, he 1718. www.jakeheggie.com Gene Scheer 23 © Tony Ryan 24 Gene Scheer’s work is noted for its Higdon on an operatic adaptation of INTONATIONS: Songs from the at Kohl Mansion, for her vision, passion scope and versatility. With the composer Charles Frazier’s novel Cold Mountain for Violins of Hope and guidance in conceiving of and Jake Heggie, he has collaborated on the Santa Fe Opera. The opera won the for mezzo-soprano, solo violin, youth solo commissioning this new work. many projects, including the critically International Opera Award for best world violin and string quartet acclaimed Dallas Opera world premiere, premiere in 2016 and was nominated for First Performance: Moby-Dick, Three Decembers (Houston a Grammy for Best Opera Recording. For Music by Jake Heggie January 18-19, 2020 at Kohl Mansion, Grand Opera), and To Hell and Back the Dallas Opera, Mr. Scheer wrote the Texts by Gene Scheer Burlingame CA (Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra). Other Grammy-nominated oratorio August 4, Sasha Cooke, mezzo-soprano works by Scheer and Heggie include 1964 with composer Steven Stucky and Inspired, in part, by the book “Violins Daniel Hope, violin Camille Claudel: Into the fire, a song cycle Everest, written with composer Joby of Hope: Violins of the Holocaust – Sean Mori, youth violin premiered by Joyce DiDonato and song Talbot. Instruments of Hope and Liberation in String Quartet: Kay Stern & Dawn Harms, cycle Iconic Legacies: First Ladies at the Mankind’s Darkest Hour” by James A. violins; Patricia Heller, viola; Emil Miland, Smithsonian featuring Susan Graham. Grymes violoncello His most recent piece with Jake Heggie (Published by Harper Perennial. Used by featured the mezzo-soprano Sasha Cooke permission.) L’Dor Vador - From Generation to and violinist Daniel Hope earlier this year Generation entitled INTONATIONS: Songs from the Commissioned by Music at Kohl Mansion In recognition of the 75th Anniversary of Violins of Hope and operas for the San and made possible by a 2017 Hewlett 50 the Liberation of Auschwitz, and to the Francisco Opera (It’s a Wonderful Life) and Arts Commissions Grant from the William memory of those who found strength, If I Were You (Merola Program). Mr. Scheer and Flora Hewlett Foundation. solace and hope in music during the worked as librettist with Tobias Picker on Holocaust An American Tragedy, which premiered Special gratitude to Amnon Weinstein at the Metropolitan Opera as well as and Avshalom Weinstein, founders of the Thérèse Raquin, (Dallas Opera). Mr. Scheer Violins of Hope project; and to Patricia collaborated with composer Jennifer Kristof Moy, executive director of Music

25 26 1 I. Ashes With inextinguishable song. “Tear up the floorboards, the railings, concert to begin. the walls and the doors!” When they told him not to pray, When they told us not to pray, “Rip the ship apart!” Henry looks up at the showerheads Told him to forget, Told us to forget, “Every piece of wood into the furnace now!” That have never shed a drop of water. When they told him not to hope, When they told us not to hope, We know why. He played the violin. We played these violins. “Is it time to let you go?” he asks me. Here in the gas chamber, everything but “Are you just another piece of wood to fuel murder is a lie. Who touches me now? the fire?” “Forgive me,” he whispers to me. 2 Who opens me like the Torah II. Exile “But if I play, I will not die today.” Searching for answers Erich is gone. I am still here. And beneath a carved piece of spruce Erich picks me up nervously, Now, every time someone picks me up Together we soar and sing Finds only ashes? As he did on the cattle car to Dachau, And draws a bow across these strings, Of walks along the Rhine, hands On the march to Buchenwald. Part of me is back in Erich’s hands, intertwined. Whose ashes? Whose hands? He takes me in his hands, And I cry again like Isaac in Abraham’s The tune rolls forth like a wave. Who will listen if I sing again? Touches a string arms. Henry must be brave. And I cry like Isaac in Abraham’s arms. So no one can see beneath the wave, They told her not to pray, Where a riptide pulls him down. Told her to forget, Twelve hundred exiles on a ship 3 Told her not to hope... In the middle of the ocean III. Concert Before all this? On our way to the Promised Land. Before you stole the future? Before you How could it happen? But the ship is listing, drifting, “Play something romantic,” the killed my brother? I was never meant to be an urn for ashes. And the call goes out: Commandant orders. Before you ripped children from mothers? I was crafted, carved, created, “All the coal is gone!” “Something from before all this.” Before the glass was broken? The temples Born to intone and vibrate “We must feed the furnace!” The officers are all seated. and bodies burned? To thread yesterday, today and tomorrow “Find every piece of wood!” They tap their feet as they wait for the Before you forced me to stand and play

27 28 In the place where each day you murder crowd. They applaud, shouting “Bravo!” Could no longer read. thousands? Oh, how proud! Oh, how proud! He goes to the basement (Bravo!) He said: “Feivel, take my violin, Lights the fuse (Bravo! Bravo!) Make music to feed your family. Yitgadal v’yitkadash sh’mei raba b’alma Now, now he is twelve. And runs like the wind to the edge of the I have lost everyone. It’s all over for me.” div’ra chirutei, All his family is gone. forest v’yamlich malchutei… So young, but not alone. To watch the explosion and hear their cries Feivel takes me in his hands, I am with him. As the horror dies and dies and dies... Thanks the old man. The concert in the gas chamber is over. Promises to share what he is paid There is even some applause… Even as he is forced to perform He closes his eyes As soon as he can. For the men who murdered his family. Holds me close and quietly strums. (Violin Solo) But, we have a secret. In his heart, he hears his mother and father At the first wedding, Feivel is on fire. And Motele is not alone! Whispering “Bravo, Motele! Bravo!” He plays and we sing all night Of love, of weddings, 4 IV. Motele For weeks and weeks in the case where he Motele is not alone. Of children multiplying, keeps me Dancing toward the promise of Jerusalem. Motele was nine years old He’s been smuggling gunpowder. 5 When I became the beat of his heart. Little by little, patiently, slowly, V. Feivel Pull the bow across my strings We had no secrets. Over time he has built a bomb in the I will sing and there they will be basement Pull the bow across my strings Family and friends together again He played Mendelssohn like a master that Of the Officers’ Club. I will sing and there they will be Listen! These are not simply notes you night. And tonight is the night. Family and friends together again. hear… I still feel the touch of his fingers Listen! These are not simply notes you hear, The weight of his bow. But the voices of eternity. Paid in loaves of bread, Bravo, Motele! Bravo! Again I feel the touch of his fingers, Feivel runs to give the old man His family stood and cheered with the The weight of his bow. When the old man could not longer play, The portion he had promised.

29 30 But, there on the table is a bottle of 7 Also available poison. VII. Liberation on PENTATONE And he remembers the old man’s words: (A young violinist walks to the stage “I have lost everyone. It’s all over for me.” Is it over? Finally over? playing a solo and joins the ensemble for Did we survive again? the finale.) How I wish the old man could see That with me, his violin, Feivel saved A tired soldier gives him a piece of bread, Remember this: seventeen souls. and says: When they tell us not to pray Their descendents will sing of love, of “Open your eyes. Arise, my friend, Tell us to forget marriage, the liberation has begun.” When they tell us not to hope Of children multiplying, We will play these violins. Dancing toward the promise of Jerusalem. Is it over? Can it really be over? For a moment?...

Pull the bow across my strings Yes, but for a moment only. PTC 5186 836 I will sing and there they will be The past is a clock without any hands. Family and friends together again. Listen! These are not simply notes you hear, When the wheel of history comes round But the voices – the stardust – of eternity. When hatred is chanted and screamed – again – 6 When innocents are blamed – again – VI. Lament (string quartet) When the gun is loaded When the match is lit Let someone – someone – pick me up And let me sing again … to remember. Remember… PTC 5186 515 31 33 34 Acknowledgments

PRODUCTION TEAM Executive producer Jake Heggie INTONATIONS was commissioned by Music at Kohl Mansion (Patricia Kristof Moy, executive director) Recording, mixing, and mastering producer; digital editor Steve Barnett (Barnett Music and made possible by a 2017 Hewlett 50 Arts Commissions Grant from the William and Flora Productions, Minneapolis, MN, USA) Hewlett Foundation. Recording, mixing, and mastering engineer Preston Smith (Perfect Record, St. Paul, MN, USA) Recording coordinator Nicolle Foland Special thanks to Amnon Weinstein and Avshalom Weinstein, founders of the Violins of Hope project; and to Patricia Kristof Moy, executive director of Music at Kohl Mansion. This project was Liner notes Jake Heggie & Gene Scheer, James A. Grymes & Kai Christensen also made possible by generous gifts from Diane B. Wilsey, The Ann & Gordon Getty Foundation, Recording photography Matthew Washburn Walter and Elise Haas Fund, Victory & Terry Rosen, Calstrom Productions, Kenneth Gundry & Susan Design Marjolein Coenrady | Product management Kasper van Kooten Kasdan Gundry, Katherine & Roy Bukstein, Donna Dubinsky & Len Shustek, Hellman Foundation, National Endowment for the Arts, Judy Preves Anderson & David Anderson, Diane & Stephen This album was recorded live at Kohl Mansion, Burlingame, CA, January 18-19, 2020 Heiman, Linda & Frank Kurtz, and Bernice Lindstrom.

Daniel Hope appears courtesy of Deutsche Grammophon GmbH INTONATIONS: Songs from the Violins of Hope is published by Bent Pen Music, Inc. (“Bent P Music”BMI) Represented by Bill Holab Music (www.billholabmusic.com) All rights reserved.

A San Francisco Classical Recording Company production

PENTATONE TEAM Cover image © 2009 Artepics / Alamy Stock Photo. Vice President A&R Renaud Loranger | Managing Director Simon M. Eder A&R Manager Kate Rockett | Product Manager Kasper van Kooten Head of Marketing, PR & Sales Silvia Pietrosanti Sit back and enjoy