Forbidden Notes

When the Nazis came to power in the 1930s, they quickly began banning art they considered morally or politically objectionable. In the world of music, this meant the persecution or prohibition of Jewish and ‘Bolshevist’ music, even if the composers had long since passed away. As a result, the music of composers like Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy was also banned.

The theme of Peace is especially relevant in 2025. Eighty years after liberation, Ars Musica reflects on Entartete Musik, music deemed “degenerate” and therefore forbidden. The composers of this music were to be silenced, and performances made impossible. For the first time in history, race determined whether music was considered acceptable. Mendelssohn’s powerful setting of Psalm 2 for double choir (Warum toben die Heiden) resonates with both today’s global tensions and those from over eighty years ago.

Many banned composers emigrated to the United States before or during the Second World War. Jewish composer Hanns Eisler and modernist Igor Stravinsky are strong examples of this. Ars Musica honors them with the performance of two gripping compositions.

Also experience the intimate prayer for peace Dona nobis pacem by Latvian composer Pēteris Vasks, his groundbreaking piece that began to conquer concert halls in 2005. After this evening, you’ll never hear music the same way again, because music is stronger than weapons.