James Simon (composer)
Encyclopedia
James Simon was a German composer
, pianist
and musicologist
.
piano (C. Ansorge) and composition (Max Bruch
). In 1934 he was forced to leave Germany to Zurich, later Amsterdam where he was arrested and deported to Theresienstadt, and from there to Auschwitz.
His older son, Jorn Martin Simon, died in the Moscow Trials
in 1937. The younger son, Ulrich Ernst Simon
, survived, escaping to London, where as young man he converted to Christianity and becoming a noted Anglican writer and theologian, and member of the council of King's College, London.
His Lamento für Cello und piano (in jemenitischer Weise), Meinem Lieber Martin! (17/18. XII. 1938) was premiered in Prague by Czech cellist František Brikcius
as part of the "Weinberger Tour" on 23 April 2007 at the Spanish Synagogue.
A cantata, Ein Pilgermorgen (A Pilgrim’s Morning, 1929-30) for soprano, tenor, baritone, chorus and orchestra to a text by Rilke, survives in manuscript.
Composer
A composer is a person who creates music, either by musical notation or oral tradition, for interpretation and performance, or through direct manipulation of sonic material through electronic media...
, pianist
Pianist
A pianist is a musician who plays the piano. A professional pianist can perform solo pieces, play with an ensemble or orchestra, or accompany one or more singers, solo instrumentalists, or other performers.-Choice of genres:...
and musicologist
Musicology
Musicology is the scholarly study of music. The word is used in narrow, broad and intermediate senses. In the narrow sense, musicology is confined to the music history of Western culture...
.
Biography
James Simon was born into a Jewish family in Berlin and murdered in Auschwitz in 1944 following his three year internment at Theresienstadt (1941-1944). He studied at the Musikhochschule in BerlinBerlin University of the Arts
The Universität der Künste Berlin, UdK is a public art school in Berlin, Germany, one of the four universities in the city...
piano (C. Ansorge) and composition (Max Bruch
Max Bruch
Max Christian Friedrich Bruch , also known as Max Karl August Bruch, was a German Romantic composer and conductor who wrote over 200 works, including three violin concertos, the first of which has become a staple of the violin repertoire.-Life:Bruch was born in Cologne, Rhine Province, where he...
). In 1934 he was forced to leave Germany to Zurich, later Amsterdam where he was arrested and deported to Theresienstadt, and from there to Auschwitz.
His older son, Jorn Martin Simon, died in the Moscow Trials
Moscow Trials
The Moscow Trials were a series of show trials conducted in the Soviet Union and orchestrated by Joseph Stalin during the Great Purge of the 1930s. The victims included most of the surviving Old Bolsheviks, as well as the leadership of the Soviet secret police...
in 1937. The younger son, Ulrich Ernst Simon
Ulrich Ernst Simon
Ulrich Ernst Simon was an Anglican theologian of German Jewish origin.Simon was sent to England by his non-practising Jewish parents in 1933. His father, the composer James Simon, later died in the Holocaust...
, survived, escaping to London, where as young man he converted to Christianity and becoming a noted Anglican writer and theologian, and member of the council of King's College, London.
Published works
While some of Simon's piano pieces, songs and his opera Frau im Stein (1918) (based on Rolf Lauckner’s work) were published, many of his compositions remain unperformed. He is called the "Lost Composer".His Lamento für Cello und piano (in jemenitischer Weise), Meinem Lieber Martin! (17/18. XII. 1938) was premiered in Prague by Czech cellist František Brikcius
František Brikcius
František Brikcius is a Czech cellist.-Life:František Brikcius was born in Prague, into a family with a distinguished cultural background. From early childhood he began to play the cello and quickly developed into a competent student...
as part of the "Weinberger Tour" on 23 April 2007 at the Spanish Synagogue.
A cantata, Ein Pilgermorgen (A Pilgrim’s Morning, 1929-30) for soprano, tenor, baritone, chorus and orchestra to a text by Rilke, survives in manuscript.
See also
- Paul KlingPaul KlingPaul Kling is a Czech born American violinist. He was sent to Theresienstadt at the age of 15, where he was the violinist chosen to play in Viktor Ullmann's opera, The Kaiser from Atlantis, although the opera was never performed. Kling was transported to Auschwitz on 28 September 1944, but survived...
- Karel BermanKarel BermanKarel Berman was a Jewish Czech opera singer, composer and opera director.- Life :...
- Pavel HaasPavel HaasPavel Haas was a Czech composer who was murdered during the Holocaust. He was an exponent of Leoš Janáček's school of composition, and also utilized elements of folk music and jazz. Although his output was not large, he is notable particularly for his song cycles and string quartets.-Pre-war:Haas...
- Gideon KleinGideon KleinGideon Klein was a Czech pianist and composer of classical music, organizer of cultural life in Theresienstadt concentration camp.-Life:...
- Hans KrásaHans KrásaHans Krása was a Czech composer who was killed in the Holocaust at Auschwitz. He helped to organize cultural life in Theresienstadt concentration camp.-Life:...
- Egon LedečEgon LedečEgon Ledeč was a Czech violinist and composer. Ledeč was one of the Jewish artists sent to Theresienstadt and is shown as concertmaster in Karel Ančerl’s orchestra in the Nazi propaganda movie Theresienstadt: A Documentary from the Jewish Settlement...
- Rafael Schächter
- Zikmund SchulZikmund Schul- life :Schul was born in Chemnitz, Germany, into an Eastern European Jewish family, and grew up in Kassel. Only little is known about his life. He moved to Prague in 1933. In 1937 he started to study composition in Prague, where he was a pupil of Alois Haba. During his time in Prague he became a...
- Leo StraussLeo StraussLeo Strauss was a political philosopher and classicist who specialized in classical political philosophy. He was born in Germany to Jewish parents and later emigrated to the United States...
- Viktor UllmannViktor UllmannViktor Ullmann was a Silesia-born Austrian, later Czech composer, conductor and pianist of Jewish origin.- Biography :...