AVNER GEIGER
Harmony from
the Darkness
In 2021 I recorded "New Life".
It's a project dedicated to composers violently silenced, who were victims of the Nazi regime During the dark times of World War II. It tells their story and revived thier music.
Leitmotif is a film I created, conveying the story of my great-aunt Betsy in Amsterdam.
Her journey—and that of my family—is told through the voices of relatives whose lives were deeply intertwined with hers.
The Composers
MARIUS FLOTHUIS led an eventful life. Early on, he was politically aware and left-wing orientated.
He lost his job at the Concertgebouw Orchestra for his refusal to register with the Kultuurkamer, a regulatory cultural agency installed by the German occupying forces during World War II.
He was arrested for his resistance work, imprisoned in Camp Vught and deported to Sachsenhausen in 1944. Meanwhile, he continued composing and survived the hardships.
In the postwar Dutch and international music worlds, he held numerous positions.
by Joyce Kiliaan
LEO SMIT His music sounds thoroughly French, with bright and blithe notes that seemingly flow easily from his pen.
In reality, it took many years before his musical ideas were incorporated into his compositions. And however French it may sound, Leo Smit was in heart and soul hooked to Amsterdam and the Netherlands.
It also took years before his legacy would reach an international audience.
by Jurjen Vis
FANIA CHAPIRO was born in 1926 in Indonesia (the former Dutch East Indies), on the island of Java, in a carefree musical environment.
Both parents cherished the exceptional musical talent of their only child, making many sacrifices to support this.
Fania was half-Jewish and that would affect the course of her career. When she wrote in her diary in early 1935: “I have decided to become a composer and a wonderful pianist,” she could not expect the war would get in her way.
Despite everything, she persevered; her efforts culminated in a beautiful career as a pianist and composer.
Margaret Krill
These musicians were persecuted, banned, silenced, or killed by the Nazi regime due to their Jewish ethnicity, and in many cases, because they resisted the Nazi regime, for their religion, sexuality, or political beliefs.
Their contributions to the world of classical music, often remained unheard, their legacies were tragically cut short.
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Today I give lectures and lecture recitals on this topic- In schools, communities and private events. For more information and inquiries please contact me.
Marius Flothuis
After the Holocaust, Betsy became a sculptor, creating countless heavy bronze figures of children as a way to process her immense loss.
This film is a reflection on remembrance, grief, and the power of art.
