Concert features Holocaust era women composers

Two Austrian artistes will play 12 compositions in the city on April 5

An upcoming concert in Bengaluru will showcase the musical legacy of Jewish women who composed music during the Holocaust and in the aftermath of World War II.

The India tour featuring Austrian duo, pianist Sigrid Hagn and violinist Hana Hobiger, will reach Bengaluru on April 5. It is called Ariela. “Many of these women never got a chance to tell the world about their unbearable fate but they left behind compositions that manifest their character and strength,” Sigrid talks of her latest endeavour, which entailed meeting grandchildren of these composers, and sifting through music archives and libraries.

‘Wiegala’ was written at a concentration camp, Sigrid reveals and proceeds to share the backstory: “Ilse Weber gave one of her sons away before going to the concentration camp with her younger son. Both died there. Later, when her husband was brought to the same concentration camp (Theresienstadt), he found her compositions.”

These women had studied the piano, ran music institutes, worked in radio, and were award winners. They were courageous — Lena Stein-Schneider fought for compensation for her suffering during the Nazi regime and war. But Sigrid informs that “female composers of this period are generally under-represented” and “their music is not widely known.”

The duo will play the compositions of 12 Jewish women, “including some modern pieces”, in their original form. “I want to convey the essence of these musical pieces in the context of the historical tragedy and close to the (original) artistic intention,” Sigrid explains. Compiling this concert has been an emotional ride for Sigrid but she is resolute in telling their stories through music. “What those women left behind survived the darkness,” she signs off.

The Bangalore School of Music is bringing the concert to the city with the support of the Austrian Culture Forum Delhi and Austrian Embassy.

Ariela on April 5, 6 pm, at Aruna Sunderlal Auditorium, R T Nagar. Entry will be on a first come first serve basis.