This performance of works by important but seldom heard German composer Hanns Eisler includes a discussion of 20th-century history and the politics reflected in the music of Eisler’s era.

Thirty-five years after its dismantling, the Berlin Wall continues to hold a place in memory as a symbol of the Cold War. The collective output of a generation of writers, artists, and musicians on both sides of the Iron Curtain reveals a complex and often unexpected mix of conflicted nationalist loyalties, ideological optimism, and artistic triumph in the face of profound challenge. Guarneri Hall’s three-day festival commemorating the fall of the Berlin Wall in November 1989 will explore the music of the Cold War and its context through the socio-political lenses of both the west and the east. With the help of leading topical experts, each event will illuminate less conventionally understood aspects of the era’s music and provide a balanced view of the forces that influenced its composers.

Selections from “The Hollywood Songbook” (1942-43) for low voice and piano
Fourteen Ways of Describing Rain, Op. 70 for flute, clarinet, violin/viola, cello and piano
Septet No. 2 (“Circus”)  for flute/piccolo, clarinet, bassoon, and string quartet
“Serious Songs” for baritone and strings

Artists: Tyler Duncan, baritone; Erika Switzer, piano; Elizabeth Fayette and Stefan Hersh, violins; Brian Hong and Tanner Menees, violas; Ari Evan and Alexander Hersh, cellos; Constance Volk, flute; Katherine Jimoh, clarinet; Ben Roidl-Ward, bassoon