Through Roses

On 21 August, 1980, a unique work was premiered at London's Southbank Centre. The composer, Marc Neikrug, was thrilled: "I knew I was doing something unusual with the form, trying to create a play that was intricately entwined with the music." Since its premiere, Neikrug's deeply moving music-theatre work, Through Roses, has been performed over 200 times (and translated into 11 languages). Commissioned by the 92nd Street Y, in New York, Through Roses portrays the musical flashbacks of Carl Stern, a Holocaust survivor who had been forced to perform for the Nazis and their inhuman activities at Auschwitz -- watching as others, including his wife, are marched to their deaths.

The film version was directed by Jürgen Flimm and stars Maximilian Schell as Carl Stern. The clip here is used by permission from CineCentrum.

For more audio and video interviews with composers and performers go to http://www.schirmer.com/newsletter

Category:

Music

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• marc
• neikrug
• through
• roses