Choral conductor Rafael Schacter developed his impromptu sing-along
sessions to even greater heights by cultivating a number of
talented choruses. An inspirational figure in the camp, Schacter
took advantage of the wealth of top-rate singers and worked
with Gideon Klein to present a number of traditional songs
the young composer had arranged for them. Though they were
unstaged, his choruses also performed operas, particularly
favoring two beloved Czech standards, Smetana’s The Bartered Bride and The Kiss. Their familiarity to Czech audiences
made them easy favorites and especially comforting. Schacter’s
most impressive and legendary feat, however, was his successful
interpretation of Verdi’s Requiem.
Preparation of this challenging work was interrupted twice
when the majority of his ensemble was shipped East in transports,
but Schacter pressed on each time until he was finally able
to give fifteen glowing performances. To an outside party
it might seem odd for a group of Jews to be singing a Catholic
Mass for the Dead, and there were some that did not understand
Schacter’s purpose. When the SS demanded a special performance
for the Red Cross Committee, the Nazis inwardly scoffed at
the irony of the doomed Jews singing a Requiem for themselves.
But in Schacter’s mind, the Requiem was not a lament for themselves,
but a warning of the Last Judgement for their oppressors!
Ghetto Swingers program cover
Not all music in Terezin was of a classical nature, however.
Lighter fare included more popular style jazz and cabaret
music. Jazz ensembles complete with saxophones, brass, and
guitars brightened up the otherwise dismal Terezin “café”
opened at the end of 1942—no food was served, but a rare ticket
allowed a prisoner two hours of musical entertainment at one
of the tables. A favorite of the café crowd was the Ghetto
Swingers, headed by leading Czech jazz trumpeter Erich Vogel
and later pianist Martin Roman, playing a mix of Jewish jazz
music and original compositions/arrangements by Roman. These
performers, like Ancerl’s chamber orchestra, were also exploited
in the propaganda film of 1944. Another major jazz ensemble
was the Jazz-Quintet-Weiss, starring famed clarinetist and
saxophonist Fritz Weiss, which had origins in Prague but was
reassembled with some new members in Terezin. In camp ensembles,
frequent changes in personnel were an unavoidable and grim
fact of life.
Admission ticket to the coffeehouse
The cabaret scene had been present from the very early days
in the men’s barracks under the leadership of Karel Svenk—a
multitalented writer, director, actor, and producer. His first
cabaret, The Lost Food
Card, brought laughter and hope to the audience, particularly
through the finale tune, The Terezin March.
With its inspirational lyrics and infectious rhythm, the song
became an anthem for Czech prisoners and was included in all
his following cabarets. Svenk continued to produce works,
including the controversial allegory against the Nazis, The Last Cyclist. With a story representing
Jews being oppressed by idiots, the work was shelved by order
of the Council of Elders. Cabaret was another instance of
division between Czech Jews and German Jews, understandably
as language is critical to lighthearted sketches and songs.
The equivalent Svenk on the German side was Kurt Gerron, head
of the Karussel
cabaret and a prominent movie actor and director from pre-war
days. It was he who later had the unfortunate assignment of
directing the aforementioned propaganda film, overseeing that
all details of the sham were properly captured on celluloid.
Gerron’s reward for this accomplishment was shipment to Auschwitz
in October of 1944, along with an enormous percentage of other
Terezin musicians.
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