VOICES of SURVIVAL: OPERA in THERESIENSTADT by Jackelyn Marcus a Thesis Submitted to the Faculty of the Dorothy F. Schmidt Colle
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VOICES OF SURVIVAL: OPERA IN THERESIENSTADT by Jackelyn Marcus A Thesis Submitted to the Faculty of The Dorothy F. Schmidt College of Arts and Letters in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Master of Arts Florida Atlantic University Boca Raton, Florida May 2012 VOICES OF SURVIVAL: OPERA IN THERESIENSTADT by Jackelyn Marcus This thesis was prepared under the direction ofthe candidate's thesis advisor, Dr. Sandra McClain, Department of Music, and has been approved by the' members of her supervisory committee. It was submitted to the faculty ofthe Dorothy F. Schmidt College of Arts and Letters and was accepted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree ofMaster ofArts. Re ecca Lautar, MM Interim Chair, Department ofMusic Heather J. Coltm -- Interim Dean, The Dorothy F. Schmidt College ofArts and Letters 13"...~r~,,-· !:hI; II'-J~f2- Barry T. Ro ;on, PhD . ~ Dean, Graduate College 11 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I would like to offer thanks and express my sincere appreciation to the following people who generously helped me in completing this document: Ela Weisberger, Lisl Bogart, and Dr. Jerry Goldsmith, for being strong enough to survive Theresienstadt and the willingness to share their stories. Merle Saferstein from the Holocaust Documentation and Education Center for assisting in connecting with survivors and research. My parents, family, friends, and sisters of Sigma Alpha Iota for their support and encouragement throughout the research and writing of this manuscript. Dr. Sandra McClain, my thesis advisor, for her wisdom, advice, and motivation throughout this process. Dr. Kenneth Keaton and Dr. Laura Joella for their dedicated service on my thesis committee. Dr. Alan Berger for his assistance in the research process. iii ABSTRACT Author: Jackelyn Marcus Title: Voices of Survival: Opera in Theresienstadt Institution: Florida Atlantic University Thesis Advisor: Dr. Sandra C. McClain Degree: Master of Arts Year: 2012 Theresienstadt was opened by the Nazis on November 24, 1941, to be a ghetto and work center as part of Adolf Hitler’s Final Solution. Unique because of its artistic activity, the camp became a ghetto for the cultural elite and for Nazi propaganda. Operas, always strong venues for emotional expression, were often performed. This study examines the impact of three operas that were an integral part of life in Theresienstadt. The Emperor of Atlantis, composed in Theresienstadt by Viktor Ullmann, told a story of love and the indomitable human spirit. In contrast, The Bartered Bride by Bedřich Smetana, well-known to the prisoners and considered the Czech national opera, provided a reminder of life prior to interment. Perhaps most notably, Brundibar by Hans Krasa, the children’s opera that was a blunt mockery of Hitler told through the eyes of its young cast, has lived on as a powerful reminder of the struggle. iv DEDICATION This manuscript is dedicated to the prisoners of Theresienstadt. VOICES OF SURVIVAL: OPERA IN THERESIENSTADT List of Figures .................................................................................................................. viii Chapter 1: Introduction ........................................................................................................1 Chapter 2: Theresienstadt ....................................................................................................5 Theresienstadt before the war .................................................................................5 Theresienstadt during the war ..................................................................................6 Process to enter Theresienstadt ................................................................................9 Ghetto, concentration camp, work center ..............................................................12 Musical life in the camp ........................................................................................13 International Red Cross Visit .................................................................................14 Theresienstadt after the war ...................................................................................17 Chapter 3: The Emperor of Atlantis – The Devil Abdicates .............................................19 Ullmann before the War.........................................................................................19 Ullmann inside Theresienstadt ...............................................................................22 The Emperor of Atlantis ........................................................................................23 Story of the Opera ..................................................................................................26 Score Analysis .......................................................................................................29 Performances..........................................................................................................36 Post War .................................................................................................................37 vi Chapter 4: The Bartered Bride ...........................................................................................39 Smetana before the War .....................................................................................................39 The Bartered Bride .............................................................................................................43 The Opera...............................................................................................................44 Score Analysis .......................................................................................................50 Smetana vs. Wagner...............................................................................................53 Performances..........................................................................................................54 Chapter 5: Brundibar..........................................................................................................57 Krasa before the War .............................................................................................57 Krasa inside Theresienstadt ...................................................................................59 The Opera...............................................................................................................61 Score Analysis .......................................................................................................62 Performances..........................................................................................................74 Propaganda .............................................................................................................75 Post War .................................................................................................................77 Chapter 6: Conclusion........................................................................................................78 Appendixes ........................................................................................................................82 References ........................................................................................................................104 vii FIGURES Figure 1. Map of Theresienstadt..........................................................................................6 Figure 2. The Emperor of Atlantis. Duett. Act I, Scene 3 .................................................31 Figure 3. The Emperor of Atlantis. Death’s Aria. Act I, Scene 5 ......................................33 Figure 4. The Emperor of Atlantis. Drummer’s Aria. Act I, Scene 6 ................................34 Figure 5. The Emperor of Atlantis. Drummer’s Aria. Act I, Scene 6 ................................36 Figure 6. The Emperor of Atlantis. Rezitativ und Arie. Act II, Scene 8 ...........................37 Figure 7. The Emperor of Atlantis. Rezitativ und Terzett. Act III, Scene 10 ....................38 Figure 8. The Emperor of Atlantis. Duett. Act III, Scene 11 .............................................39 Figure 9. The Emperor of Atlantis. Terzett. Act IV, Scene 15 ..........................................40 Figure 10. The Emperor of Atlantis. Arie des Todes. Act IV, Scene 16 ...........................41 Figure 11. The Emperor of Atlantis. Arie, The Emperor’s Farewell. Act IV, Scene 17 ...43 Figure 12. The Bartered Bride. Act I, Scene 2...................................................................59 Figure 13. The Bartered Bride. Act I, Scene 3...................................................................60 Figure 14. The Bartered Bride. Act III, Scene 5 ................................................................61 Figure 15. The Bartered Bride. Act III, Scene 8 ................................................................62 Figure 16. The Bartered Bride. Act III, Scene 9 ................................................................63 Figure 17. Brundibar. Act 1, Scene 1.................................................................................74 Figure 18. Brundibar. Children’s Chorus. Act 1, Scene 3 .................................................75 Figure 19. Brundibar. The Policeman. Act 1, Scene 5 ......................................................76 viii Figure 20. Brundibar. Act 1, Scene 7.................................................................................77 Figure 21. Brundibar. Finale. Act 1, Scene