Holocaust Symphony,film composer Arkady Luxemburg CA,jewish,jcc san diego,piano

Holocaust Symphony

composer Arkady Luxemburg

Written by composer Arkady Luxemburg
after he visited Yad Vashem Museum
in Jerusalem, Israel.

Holocaust Symphony for Strings

Foreward from the composer

In my passion of passing on the torch of remembrance, I am dedicating my life to the education of young people through my music. As a professional composer, my music has been published and played on radio and TV in the former USSR, Czech and Slovak Republic, Romania, Israel, France and America.

My newest composition, "Holocaust Symphony" for String Orchestra was written in memory of the victims of the Holocaust.

This is powerful symphony that is built in four movements:
1. Echo of Tragedy; 2. Escape; 3. March to the Execution; 4. Let Us Remember.

It is my goal to send a copy of the CD of this symphony to all victims of the Holocaust so that they may listen to this music, secure in knowledge that they will not be forgotten.
It is also my intent to have our young people hear this music, and thus be taught lesson of the Holocaust in a new format, a musical tribute to their family's who perished but who's spirits live on.

This ambitious endeavor will only come to fruition with your help.
Financing is urgently needed to help with the performance and recording of this project.

The choice is yours - your support will allow this poignant and unique tribute to become a reality.

Arkady Luxemburg
composer

tel. (619) 640 5744
e-mail: luxemburgmusic@hotmail.com

About the Symphony

1. Echo of Tragedy
The Symphony starts with a short introduction - this intonation is the foundation for all of the symphony.
This is the epigraph - image of the Holocaust - people's tragedy in the World War Two. Suddenly we can hear the theme of people's screams and cries. First theme - Violin solo music foretells a feeling of the coming tragedy.
Second theme (Agitato) describes the fascists, that will destroy everything. We hear the clash of the two themes. On the culmination (Piu mosso) the first theme is developed into a picture of suffering, screams and cries.
Next part is the Viola solo - people's feeling of doom. The Basses have a pizzicato and then one by one all other instruments - with a sensation of paralyses in the face of inevitability. Again the first theme is now more ominous and on the culmination (Piu mosso) the theme of suffering appears, then there is the Nazi theme (fff) destroying everything living. Then begins the struggle, murder of people. The culmination stops suddenly. The last part (Andante) is the first theme - people are murdered: Bass solo, Cello solo, Viola solo, then Violins solo.

2. Escape
First theme Violins 2 - people's escape from the concentration camp. This theme is further developed by the Violins 1, Violas, Cellos up to the culmination with all instruments. Then again appears the first theme from movement 1 sounding more quiet in the Basses (Tranquillo). With the pizzicato by all instruments this theme continues to develop. It gives us a picture of the Nazi capture of people. The theme of fascists sounds on the culmination (Sostenuto) shooting, screams, moans of dying people. It ends with the culmination of assassinated people in the concentration camp.

3. March to the Execution
This movement begins with Violas ostinato repeatedly playing one note. First theme Cellos lead pitiful theme of March to the Execution, then this theme appears with Violins 2 and more intensity with Violins 1.
Next part (Flebile) - weeping. The first theme comes back again and continues to the culmination (ff) more ominously. On the culmination (Allegro) - Execution, firing of innocent people. Again we hear the first theme from the first movement (Agitato aigu) more tragic. This is horror, screams of terrified people. Third movement ends with the vanishing theme of procession.

4. Let Us Remember
It begins with different instruments solo: Cello solo, Bass solo, Viola solo, Violin 2, Violin 1 solos - describes dead people's souls, their feelings and dreams when they were alive. Next part (Largo) - image of victims, gloomy picture of lifeless corpses. Next appear some elements from the 1, 2 and 3 movements. On the culmination of the entire orchestra comes the fierce introduction theme. As disaster attacks we hear the theme of horror, screams and cries (Agitato con forza) and then fading away. The Symphony ends with the introduction theme gradually vanishing.
It leaves images of the dead and ashes of their bodies in our consciousness.