Austria's Musical Exiles

Composers and musicians from Austria who were persecuted by the Nazis

    The purpose of this website is to provide useful background and source information on composers and musicians form Austria who were persecuted by the Nazis.  These artists will be featured in a variety of performances and exhibitions in Vienna in 2003 in connection with the Wiener Festwochen and a large exhibition at the Jewish Museum of Vienna.  Below is a list of artists with links to biographical information, including lists of works.  At the bottom of the page is suggested repertoire related to the Holocaust or exile.  For further information regarding these artists, including information on how to locate music or source materials, please see http://www.orpheustrust.at and contact Dr. Primavera Gruber <office@orpheustrust.at> of the Orpheus Trust in Vienna.  The Orpheus Trust has a database of 4,000 persons and 7,000 compositions by 650 persecuted composers.

    This website was created by E. Randol Schoenberg <randols@schoenberglaw.com> in Los Angeles.  Mr. Schoenberg has a very personal interest in this project, as he is the grandson of exiled Austrian composers Arnold Schoenberg and Eric Zeisl.  The selection of composers and artists is intended to be as broad as possible, while at the same time limited to artists of the highest quality and professional level.  See also the page of links to other sites.
 

The Composers

Apostel, Hans Erich (1901 Vienna -- 1972 Vienna)

Benatzky, Ralph (1884 Moravske Budejovice, Moravia -- 1957 Zurich)

Brand, Max (1896 L'viv, Ukraine -- 1980 Langenzersdorf bei Wien)

Eisler, Hanns (1898 Leipzig -- 1962 Berlin)

Freud, Eli (Vienna -- Jerusalem, Israel)

Gál, Hans (1890 Brno -- 1987 Edinburgh)

Gielen, Michael (1927 Dresden -- Buenos Aires, Argentina)

Gilboa, Jacob (1920 Kosice, Slovakia -- Israel)

Graetzer, Guillermo (1914 Vienna -- 1993 Buenos Aires, Argentina)

Greissle, Felix  (1894 Vienna -- 1982 New York)

Hoffmann, Richard (1925 Wien -- Oberlin, Ohio)

Horovitz, Josef (1926 Vienna -- England)

Jurmann, Walter (1903 Vienna -- 1971 Budapest)

Kalman, Emmerich (1882 Siofok, Hungary -- 1953 Paris)

Kauder, Hugo (1888 Tovocov, Moravia -- 1972 Bussum, Netherlands)

Kohn, Karl (1926 Wien -- Pomona, California)

Korngold, Erich Wolfgang (1897 Brno -- 1957 Hollywood, California)

Kreisler, Fritz (1875 Vienna -- 1962 New York)

Krenek, Ernst (1900 Wien -- 1990 Palm Springs, California)

Mahler-Werfel, Alma (1879 Vienna -- 1964 New York)

Mittler, Franz  (1893 Vienna -- 1970 Munich)

Pisk, Paul Amadeus (1893 Vienna -- 1990 Los Angeles, California)

Rankl, Karl (1898 Vienna -- 1968 Salzburg)

Romberg, Sigmund (1887 Nagykanizsa -- 1951 New York)

Rubin, Marcel (1905 Vienna -- 1955 Vienna)

Salter, Hans  (1896 Vienna -- 1994 Studio City, California)

Schnabel, Artur (1882 Lipnik -- 1951 Axenstein, Switzerland)

Schönberg, Arnold (1874 Wien -- 1951 Los Angeles)

Schreker, Franz (1978 Monaco -- 1934 Berlin)

Starer, Robert (1924 Vienna -- )

Steiner, Max (1888 Vienna -- 1971 Beverly Hills, California)

Steuermann, Eduard (1892 Sambor, 1964 New York)

Stöhr, Richard  (1874 Vienna -- 1967 Montpelier, Vermont)

Stolz, Robert (1880 Graz -- 1975 Berlin)

Straus, Oscar (1870 Vienna -- 1954 Bad Ischl)

Stutschewsky, Joachim (1891 Romny, Ukraine -- 1981 Tel-Aviv)

Tauber, Richard (1891 Linz -- 1948 London)

Toch, Ernst (1887 Vienna -- 1964 Santa Monica, California)

Ullmann, Viktor (1898 Cesky Tesin, Czech Rep. -- 1944 Auschwitz)

Walter, Bruno  (1876 Berlin -- 1962 Beverly Hills, California)

Webern, Anton (1883 Vienna -- 1945 Mittersill, Austria)

Weigl, Karl (1881 Vienna -- 1949 New York)

Wellesz, Egon (1885 Vienna -- 1964 Oxford, England)

Zeisl, Erich (1905 Vienna -- 1959 Los Angeles, California)

Zemlinsky, Alexander von (1871 Vienna -- 1942 Larchmont, NY)

Zipper, Herbert (1904 Vienna -- 1997 Los Angeles, California)
 

The Performers

Adler, Kurt Herbert (1905 Vienna -- 1988 Ross, California)

Galimir, Felix (1910 Vienna -- 1999 New York)

Horenstein, Jascha  (1899 Kiev -- 1973 London)

Kleiber, Erich (1890 Vienna -- 1956 Zurich)

Kolisch, Rudolf (1896 Klamm am Semmering, Austria -- 1978 Watertown, Mass.)

Kreisler, Fritz (1875 Vienna -- 1962 New York)

Lehmann, Lotte (1888 Perleberg -- 1976 Santa Barbara, California)

Lenya, Lotte (1898 Vienna -- 1981 New York)

Rosé, Alma (1906 Vienna -- 1944 Auschwitz)

Rosé, Arnold (1863 Iasi, Romania -- 1946 London)

Schnabel, Artur (1882 Lipnik -- 1951 Axenstein, Switzerland)

Serkin, Rudolf (1903 Eger -- 1991 Guilford, Vermont)

Steuermann, Eduard (1892 Sambor -- 1964 New York)

Tauber, Richard (1891 Linz -- 1948 London)

Walter, Bruno  (1876 Berlin -- 1962 Beverlty Hills, California)

Wittgenstein, Paul (1887 Vienna -- 1961 Manhasset, NY)
 

The Music Professors, Teachers, Critics and Writers on Music

Adler, Guido (1855 Ivancice, Moravia -- 1941 Vienna)

Adler, Oskar (Vienna -- London)

Gurewich, Marinka  (Vienna -- New York)

Keller, Hans (1919 Vienna -- 1985 London)

Polnauer, Josef (1888 -- 1969)

Reitler, Josef ( Vienna -- Los Angeles)

Stein, Erwin (1885 Vienna -- 1958 London)
 
 



Suggested Repertoire for

Wiener Festwochen 2003

Orchestral

    Kohn, Karl

        Return (1990) symphonic essay for brass, percussion and string orchestra

    Schoenberg, Arnold

        Concerto for Piano and Orchestra op. 42 (1942)

    Toch, Ernst

        Symphony no.1, op.72, 1951-2

        Symphony no.2, op.73, 1953

        Symphony no.3, op.75, 1954-5

    Zeisl, Eric

        November (1938) for orchestra

        Job (excerpts) (1939) for orchestra

        To the Promised Land (1948) for orchestra

        Piano Concerto in C Major (1951)

        Concerto Grosso for Cello and Orchestra (1956)

Chamber and instrumental

    Kohn, Karl

        Reconnaissance (1995) for chamber ensemble

        Trio, 2K (1999) for violin, cello and piano

    Zeisl, Eric

        November (1937-38) for piano

        Organ Prelude (from the opera Job) (1939)

        Menuhim's Song (from the opera Job) (1939) for violin and piano

        Sonata Barocca for Piano (1949)

        Sonata for Violin and Piano (1949)

        Sonata for Viola and Piano (1950)

        Sonata for Cello and Piano (1951)

        String Quartet in D Minor (1953)

Ballet

    Zeisl, Eric

        Naboth's Vineyard (1953) for orchestra

        Jacob and Rahcel (1954) for speaker, baritone and orchestra

Opera

    Schoenberg, Arnold

        Moses und Aron (Oper in drei Akten) (1926?1932)

    Zeisl, Eric

        Leonce und Lena (1937)

        Job, Opera in three acts (Incomplete) (1939-)

Choral with orchestra

   Schoenberg, Arnold

        Kol nidre für Sprecher (Rabbi), gemischten Chor und Orchester (g-Moll) op. 39 (1938)

       A Survivor from Warsaw for Narrator, Men's Chorus and Orchestra op. 46 (1947)
        [Ein Überlebender aus Warschau für Sprecher, Männerchor und Orchester]

        Moderner Psalm für Sprecher, gemischten Chor und Orchester (unvollendet) op. 50C (1950)

        Israel Exists Again for Mixed Chorsu and Orchestra (1949) (unfinished fragment)

   Zeisl, Eric

        Requiem Ebraico. The 92 Psalm, 1944 - 45 for soloists, mixed chorus, and orchestra

        Four Songs for Wordless Chorus (1948) for women's chorus, string orchestra

        From the Book of Psalms (1953) for tenor solo, male chorus and orchestra

Vocal with orchestra

    Toch, Ernst

        Cantata of the Bitter Herbs, op. 65 (1938)

    Zeisl, Eric

        Prayer (1945) for soprano and orchestra

Vocal with small orchestra

    Schoenberg, Arnold

        Ode to Napoleon Buonaparte (Lord Byron) for String Orchestra, Piano and Reciter op. 41B (1942)

Vocal with ensemble

    Schoenberg, Arnold

        Ode to Napoleon Buonaparte (Lord Byron) for String Quartet, Piano and Reciter op. 41 (1942)

        Kol Nidre, for speaker, mixed choir, organ and percussion, op. 39 (1938, arr. Leonard Stein)

Vocal with piano

   Zeisl, Eric

        Prayer (1945) for soprano and organ or piano

        Requiem Ebraico, the 92nd Psalm (1944 - 45) for soloists, mixed chorus, and organ or piano

Unaccompanied choral

   Schoenberg, Arnold

        Dreimal tausend Jahre für gemischten Chor a cappella op. 50A (1949)

        Psalm 130 for Mixed Chorus a cappella (six voices) op. 50B (1950)