The Ebony Band, an alternative orchestral group from Holland under the direction of Werner Herbers, presented a series about songs banned by the Nazis in 1991. One of the concerts in this series was dedicated to the Spanish Civil War, and I listened to the first half of this concert on the CD "Music from the Spanish Civil War", recorded on BVHAAST Records. The following are my reactions to the songs:
1. Conlon Noncarrow - Piece for a Small Orchestra nr. 1 (1942)
member of Abraham Lincoln Brigade
passport confiscated on return from Spain so he moved to Mexico
2. Hanns Eisler (1898-1962) - Marcha del 5. Regimiento (1937)
member of German Communist Party
written for Jan. 7, 1937 Madrid concert
operatic
Kantate 'Auf den Tod eines Genossen' op. 64 (1937)
series of cantantes based on novel Pane e Vino (1937) by Ignazio Silone
antifascist lyrics, musical style of his mentor Schonberg
Kriegskantate op. 65 (1937)
3. Silvestre Revueltas (1899 - 1940)
Mexico en Espana (1937)
dramatic, operatic singer, strong brass march
Homenaje a Federico Garcia Lorca (1936)
response to reported murder of Lorca by fascists
-Baile
starts with solo mournful horn
transition to chaotic, high-pitched carnival music
ends with same mournful trumpet
(maybe I could transcribe this and play it?)
-Duelo
clarinet floating above creepy vamp
ends with hitting of gong
-Son
mariachi
-Frente a Frente I (1938?)
singing in Soanish
-Marcha (27 of April) (1938?)
-Frente a Frente II (1938?)
"Mussolini y Franco, Hitler y Pandilla, mueran, mueran, mueran."
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I love listening to the CD but I feel like it's not really real research but instead more like just listening to good music. What angle would you suggest taking to make the study of music from the war more academic?
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