On 27 January 2025, the Berlin Philharmonie hosted an evocative performance featuring the touching ‘Violins of Hope’ collection, with musicians from the Berlin Radio Symphony Orchestra and the RIAS Chamber Choir under the baton of conductor Vladimir Jurowski. Celebrating the 80th anniversary of the Auschwitz liberation, these violins, once belonging to Holocaust victims, were brought to life in a specially commissioned work by Berthold Tuercke, titled Aus Geigen Stimmen, or ‘Voices from Violins’.
The piece unfolded as a heart-wrenching narrative where 53 violins, along with a viola and a cello, narrated their owners’ poignant stories, sung in English and Yiddish by the choir. Each solo performance resonated with an emotional depth, echoing touches of Klezmer and Romany music interwoven with the richness of synagogal chant. Tuercke’s absorbing 50-minute composition was accentuated by daringly sung choral segments performed by the RIAS Chamber Choir.
In addition to Tuercke’s work, the programme included poignant pieces such as Gideon Klein’s Partita for Strings, composed shortly before his tragic death in Auschwitz, and Mieczysław Weinberg’s Fifth String Quartet, magnificently rearranged for string orchestra by Jurowski and Steffen Georgi. Under Jurowski’s fervent direction, these compositions struck a powerful chord, making this performance an emotional journey rather than a conventional concert experience. Leaving the hall, I felt a deep gratitude for the overwhelming tribute I had witnessed.
On 27 January 2025, the Berlin Philharmonie hosted a performance by the Berlin Radio Symphony Orchestra and RIAS Chamber Choir, celebrating the ‘Violins of Hope’ and the 80th anniversary of Auschwitz’s liberation. Under Vladimir Jurowski’s direction, the orchestra performed Berthold Tuercke’s Aus Geigen Stimmen, alongside works by Gideon Klein and Mieczysław Weinberg. The concert beautifully conveyed the emotional narratives behind the violins, creating an unforgettable tribute.
The Berlin Philharmonie’s concert featuring the ‘Violins of Hope’ was a significantly emotional event that celebrated resilience and remembrance on the 80th anniversary of Auschwitz’s liberation. Through Tuercke’s evocative composition and selected works by Klein and Weinberg, the performance weaved together poignant stories that transcended music. It was an unforgettable exploration of art’s power to evoke memory and honour lives lost.
Original Source: www.thestrad.com
