THE MIRROR

Flowers Of Peace Project

Christopher Latham, violin

Edward Neeman, piano

Wesley Uniting Church Forrest June 1

 

Reviewed by Len Power

 

To understand the experience of refugees and displaced persons fleeing the Nazis and the Holocaust, The Mirror examined the creations of composers and artists affected by these events.

As part of the Flowers Of Peace project for the Australian War Memorial, Christopher Latham and Edward Neeman told 12 stories of WW2 refugee composers and internees through their music.

Projections of artworks with narrative provided a smooth continuity. Apart from a brief introduction by Christopher Latham, there was no spoken commentary during the concert.

The experiences of the composers attempting to flee to safety – some succeeding, some failing, none unaffected – was powerfully and emotionally told through their music. The carefully selected artwork added considerably to the program.

Composers Edwin Schulhoff, Pavel Haas and Victor Ullmann perished in the death camps. The beautiful music of these composers poignantly showed the promise of talented people whose lives were brutally cut short.

Amongst the composers who survived or escaped, Boaz Bischofswerder, Georges Boulanger, Henriёtte Bosmans, Erich Korngold, George Dreyfus, Ignaz Friedman and Georg Tintner, it was made clear that they did not do so unscathed. Their stories of displacement, of careers cut short due to illness or the impact on friends and family were devastating.

Christopher Latham and Edward Neeman

The playing of Christopher Latham and Edward Neeman was superb. Allowing the music to speak for the composers and their lives, the concert was a tribute to a group of artists caught up in a horrific time that abruptly ended their careers or seriously affected them forever.

Providing context and preparation for Kaddish: A Holocaust Memorial premiere concert by the Melbourne Symphony in October 2024, The Mirror was a sobering, reflective experience that was still uplifting because of the opportunity to hear the fine music of composers who should not be forgotten.

 

Photos by Peter Hislop

Len Power's reviews are also broadcast on Artsound FM 92.7 in the ‘Arts Cafe’ and ‘Arts About’ programs and published in his blog 'Just Power Writing' at https://justpowerwriting.blogspot.com/.