The fortress town of Theresienstadt (Terezín in Czech), a few kilometres outside of Prague,
became a Nazi ghetto-lager from 1941 to 1945. It existed with a two-fold purpose, on the
one hand for confining the Jews of the Protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia and later those
of the Reich, and on the other hand, in the final stages, as an instrument of propaganda
directed to the international community which positively represented life and conditions of
deported Jews. Within Theresienstadt many artistic and musical activities developed thanks
to the presence of some of the most brilliant musicians in Europe.
This book focuses on the concept of resistance and political and cultural opposition to
Hitler’s regime through the musical analysis of some of the compositions created in
Theresienstadt. In particular the two composers taken into consideration are Viktor Ullmann
and Gideon Klein.
The Sonata by Gideon Klein and the Sonata n. 5 and n. 6 by Viktor Ullmann, composed in
1943, are analysed in this book. The last chapter of the book focuses on the opera The
Emperor of Atlantis or Death Abdicates written by Ullmann between 1943 and 1944, a
work which recalls other compositions through frequently occurring musical fragments to
effect a strong political and spiritual message.
This book investigates the meaning of the aesthetic choices of the two composers to better
comprehend the philosophical thought and message of political and cultural resistance.