The Violin Music of East Germany Part IV: Hanns Eisler.

This month the spotlight is on Hanns Eisler, arguably the most famous East German composer. Eisler had an equally fraught and illustrious career. No other composer from my project seems to have combined politics and music so completely, which caused both trials and tribulations in his musical career. Musicologist David Blake notes that ‘no composer suffered more from the post-1945 cultural cold war,’ than Eisler. However, in recent years his work has been celebrated.

He is best known for composing the national anthem of East Germany, for his long artistic association with Bertolt Brecht, his film scores, and the book he co-wrote with Adorno. Plus, The Hochschule für Musik "Hanns Eisler" is named after him. Not bad. 

His violin music was the easiest to find, although admittedly, he didn't write much for violins and strings. Now that I own it, I’ve quickly learned that it is not easy to play. His music is difficult and challenging and sits awkwardly on the violin. I blame his teacher, Schoenberg, but no doubt there is more to it. 

Read on to learn more.

About Eisler

Eisler was born in Leipzig, July 6, 1898 (happy belated birthday!), but grew up in Vienna, where his father, an Austrian Jew, worked as an editor and translator. Both of his parents were amateur musicians, and from an early age, Eisler immersed himself in music. 

During WWI, He served as a soldier on the front-lines in the Austro-Hungarian army and was wounded several times during combat. After his discharge from the military in 1918, Eisler studied composition with Karl Weigl at the New Vienna Conservatory and supported himself with proofreading work at the Universal Editions publishing house. During his first few months as a civilian, Eisler composed prolifically. From 1919-1923 He was a pupil of Arnold Schoenberg and was the first of Schoenberg's disciples to compose in the twelve-tone or serial technique. His music from the early 1920s very much shows the influence of his mentor. 

In 1925 Eisler accepted a teaching position at the Klindworth-Scharwenka Conservatory in Berlin and in 1926 he applied for membership in the German Communist Party but was denied membership mostly because he failed to pay his dues on time. In 1926 he started writing articles on music for the Communist periodical Die Rote Fahne. He also created anthems, marching songs, and pieces for unaccompanied men's chorus that were not just overtly supportive of the proletariat in their texts but also self-consciously 'accessible' in their musical content. (all of this was recorded in FBI files – more on that later).

A disagreement in musical and political values led to a break with his esteemed teacher, Schoenberg, who moved to Berlin in January 1926 to teach at the Prussian Academy of Arts. Schoenberg accused Eisler of being disloyal, and Eisler, in turn, accused, Schoenberg of being bourgeois. 

Eisler was in Vienna in January 1933 when Hitler became German Chancellor. Those involved with the German Workers' movement were forced to cease their activities immediately, and Eisler decided not to return to Berlin. The Nazi Party subsequently banned his music. During the early 1930s, Eisler moved around Europe and traveled to and from New York regularly, where he spoke publicly against Fascism in Germany. In 1937 Eisler accepted a teaching position at the New School for Social Research in New York in the hopes of moving to the United States permanently.

In 1942 Eisler moved from New York to Hollywood to teach at USC and write music for films. He continued his collaborations with Brecht while living in California, and in 1947 co-wrote Composing for the Films with Theodore Adorno. His reputation and contacts enabled a fruitful career as a Hollywood composer, and he was nominated for an Academy Award in 1942 for the score for Hangmen also Die (1942), which depicts the assassination of Reinhard Heydrich, Reichsprotektor in charge of Czechoslovakia and the Czech people’s resistance to Nazi occupation. Eisler was one of the first Hollywood composers to use atonality and tone rows in film music.

Eisler's promising career in the U.S. was interrupted by the Cold War. He was one of the first artists placed on the Hollywood blacklist by the film studio bosses. In two interrogations by the House Committee on Un-American Activities, the composer was accused of being "the Karl Marx of music" and the chief Soviet agent in Hollywood. His supporters, including his friend Charlie Chaplin and the composers Igor Stravinsky, Aaron Copland, and Leonard Bernstein, organized benefit concerts to raise money for his defense fund, but he was deported in early 1948. Folksinger Woody Guthrie protested the composer's deportation in his lyrics for "Eisler on the Go"—recorded fifty years later by Billy Bragg and Wilco on the Mermaid Avenue album (1998). 

Eisler on the Go

Words by Woody Guthrie, Music by Billy Bragg

Eisler on the go, 
Eisler on the move 
Brother is on the Vinegar truck and 
I don't know what I'll do 

I don't know what I'll do, 
I don't know what I'll do 
Eisler's on the come and go and
I don't know what I'll do

Eisler on the farm,
Eisler on the town 
Sister in the tickly bush and 
I don't know what I'll do

Eisler on the boat, 
Eisler on the ship 
Daddy on the henhouse roof and 
I don't know what I'll do

Eisler in the jailoe, 
Eisler back at home, 
Ranking scratch his head and cry and 
I don't know what I'll do

Eisler him write music, 
Eisler him teach school, 
Truman him don't play so good and 
I don't know what I'll do

On March 26, 1948, Eisler and his wife departed the United States and returned to Germany, where they settled in East Berlin, attracted by its promise of a socialist society. Before leaving, he read the following statement:

I leave this country, not without bitterness and infuriation. I could well understand it when in 1933, the Hitler bandits put a price on my head and drove me out. They were the evil of the period; I was proud of being driven out. But I feel heartbroken over being driven out of this beautiful country in this ridiculous way.

Upon his arrival in East Germany, one of his first compositional activities was setting Johannes Becher's poem "Auferstanden aus Ruinen," (Risen from Ruins) to music, which became the national anthem for the newly established German Democratic Republic. He was then elected to the German Academy of Arts and served as an esteemed professor of composition at the Hochschule für Musik for twelve years.  

 Eisler died of a heart attack (his second) in East Berlin in September 1962 and. His grave is near Brecht's in the Dorotheenstadt cemetery.

Eisler (left) pictured here with good friend and collaborator Bertolt Brecht.

His Legacy

After his death, the Hochschule für Musik was renamed the Eisler Conservatory in his honor, and in 1994 the reunified Germany officially supported both the founding of an International Hanns Eisler Society and the launch of a critical edition of Eisler's collected works.

The Hanns Eisler Music Conservatory in Berlin.

On January 25, 2009, Leon Botstein at Bard College conducted a concert at New York's Avery Fisher Hall, titled "Music of the Other Germany," which included the music of Eisler, Dessau, Wagner-Regeny, Zimmermann, and Matthus.

Eisler’s Violin Music 

Prelude and Fugue on B–A–C–H (string trio) (1934) acquired

Sonate für Violine und Klavier "Die Reisesonate" (1937) acquired

Duo Op.7 for Violin and Cello acquired

Sources:

http://orelfoundation.org/composers/article/hanns_eisler

http://holocaustmusic.ort.org/resistance-and-exile/hanns-eisler/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hanns_Eisler

• private communications with friends of the Wende Museum.

Sound Healing and Reiki at The Gentle Barn

Last week I had the honor and privilege of playing my violin at the Gentle Barn FOR the animals. It was magical. There was a beautiful energetic shift that occurred during my time there.

Truthfully, this was not my first time playing in a barn. In 2018, my lovely friend Doris Degner Foster interviewed me for a piece in Sidelines Magazine. I had a fun photoshoot with my violin at Sonrise Stables in Broken Arrow, OK. You can read that article and see more of the photos here.

BUT this was the first time I’ve been invited to not just pose, but play in a barn, and not for humans – for the horses. This musical offering is a career highlight for me. I love horses. I’ve learned so much from watching them, riding them, caring for them, and competing with them (not against them). They are magical, and I swear one day I will have one of my own – just putting that out in the world.

A few weeks ago, my long-time friend and Reiki healer, Faith, invited me to join her for a sound and Reiki healing session for the horses at the Gentle Barn (You may have read about my very first Reiki session ever, gifted to me by the very same Faith last summer – if not, you can check that out here). Of course, I jumped at the chance to spend time with horses. She could have asked me to come to clean out their stalls, and I probably would have said yes, so this was an extra special invitation.

Faith and I offering our energy to Whisper.

This was my first sound healing session. I asked Faith for parameters to work within – colors of clothing, types of music, moods, etc. but Faith trusted me. Before the healing session, this made me a little nervous, but it turned out to be much more enlivening.

I didn’t bring a stand. I didn’t bring any music. I came prepared to follow my intuition and play what came from my heart, through my hands. When we started, I intuitively began to move from one horse or donkey to another, gradually making my way around the barn. At first, I could feel their curiosity. Many moved closer to me and watched and listened intently. Lulu, the donkey, might have been my first real fan. She never moved to a place where she couldn't see me, and she never multitasked while I played at her end of the barn. I made my way around the barn twice. Faith moved with me as I visited each horse, providing energetic support and relief for the animals.

Playing for Lovely Lulu.

My first trip around the barn felt like an introduction. I didn’t know these beautiful animals yet, and it felt like an opportunity to say hello musically and energetically. The second time felt quite different. Each animal has such a unique soul, and while playing for each horse, I could feel their essence radiating more strongly. I tried to stay open to this, and in turn, the music I created reflected their spirit back to them. That sounds very new age, but when I silenced the "must perform" urge, I could pick up on the subtle clues that the space provided. You could see and feel some of the horses respond positively to more lively and flowing music. Others were soothed by the long, slow vibrations of a held note.

The horse I ended my playing with was Hiroka, an older mare who struggles with poor vision from previous traumas in her life. She is beautiful, but what she must have endured previously in her life breaks my heart. As I played long, slow tones for her, accentuating the resonance through subtle vibrato, I was overcome with the desire to make physical contact with her by placing my hands on her forelock. I’ve never felt so intensely called to physically connect with an animal like that. Of course, I want to pet cute dogs and love animals, but this was different. It felt like a pull from the horse and motivated less from my own desire to pet.

This was such a special experience. A heartfelt thanks to Faith, the Gentle Barn, and to the horses for being the best audience a violinist living in quarantine could ask for.

I hope others are finding ways to connect with the arts and music right now. Musicians and performers, are you finding ways to connect with audiences (literally of any kind)? I know it has been hard for me to be "sidelined" as non-essential recently, so readers of this post – tell me how I can serve you from a social distance? I'm game to try (almost) anything.

PSA:

LA Friends – I give a weekly pop up concert every Thursday evening with my dear friend Caroline Campos. We play in public parks all over the city and surrounding areas. They are free but donations are appreciated. Follow us on Instagram to find out more about times, dates, places, etc. We are @lasunsetduet

I also have a Youtube channel if you want to see a few other videos. I'm slowly adding teaching and playing materials, but let me know if you have any requests. Please subscribe to stay in the loop and see some fun stuff.

Finally, I have a Patreon page where you can subscribe at various fiscal levels to support me and my endeavors. You also get certain perks at each tier, so it is not just a selfless act of love – you get stuff in return.

Get in touch with me.

Finlandia - A Song of Peace

In the Fall of 2019, which feels like decades ago, I selected the Finlandia Theme for the Beginning Orchestra at Longfellow Elementary School in Pasadena, where I am a Music Director for the Harmony Project. I have fond memories of playing Finlandia in my youth orchestra days, summer festivals, and professional ensembles, so I was excited to find a simple arrangement of the theme that my group could play.

For those of you who have experience training young, beginning musicians in an orchestra setting, you might be familiar with the trials and tribulations of the rehearsal process. Things were slow going as we crafted our version for the December Concert. Still, the students shined in the performance, and during the early spring semester, regularly asked to play Finlandia. Several said it was their favorite piece. I just had to chuckle at this because the learning process did not kindle nearly this much passion for the composition. However, after they mastered it, they couldn’t stop playing it.

When Coronavirus hit, and all educational endeavors moved online – including music education – I felt so removed from many of my students. I started arranging their orchestra pieces for 4 part violins to share videos and music with them and keep their motivation high. When our online Spring Recital rolled around, I was touched to hear several students play Finlandia as their solo selection. It was so moving and a good reminder that as teachers we often plant seeds that germinate, grow, and blossom beautifully and sometimes unexpectedly…and sometimes those blooms take a little longer than expected.

In the same way that I highlighted the Theme from Jupiter when my students worked on it this Spring, I thought I would take this opportunity to dive into Finlandia and tell you a little more about it. No, I did not sing this song in school. No, I was not reprimanded for goofing off in assembly. I will admit that while I knew it was fiercely patriotic, I was naive to the fact that it was written as a response to czarist Russia in a celebration of the Finnish free press. I’m glad I learned something in this endeavor as well.

The History:

Sibelius wrote Finlandia for the Finnish Press Pension Celebration of 1899, a thinly veiled rally in support of freedom of the Finnish press, then primarily controlled by czarist Russia. Sibelius's contribution to the three-day pageant was a set of nationalistic musical tableaux. He later recycled several of these pieces into the suite, Historic Scenes No. 1, but the grand finale, originally called "Finland Awakens," became what is now known as Finlandia. The title “Finland Awakens” attracted negative attention from the czarist régime, so the piece was initially known as Impromptu. The Helsinki Philharmonic gave its first performances as Finlandia at the Paris World Exhibition of 1900.

I love that opening - don’t you? Those chords make the hair on the back of my neck stand up.

In program notes for the LA Phil, Susan Key writes, 

 “Like all successful symphonic poems, Finlandia’s extra-musical meaning generates the music's formal shape. The composer described this meaning in stirring words: "We fought 600 years for our freedom, and I am part of the generation which achieved it. Freedom! My Finlandia is the story of this fight. It is the song of our battle, our hymn of victory.” His genius is that this story functions simultaneously on both exterior and interior levels – capturing just that intersection where patriotism feeds personal identity and vice versa.” 

What an interesting sentiment. Are there parallels in today’s world? Based on how many times this tune has been re-imagined in different contexts and with different lyrics, her words certainly strike a chord.

 The Hymn

Sibelius later reworked the Finlandia Hymn into a stand-alone piece. This hymn, with words written in 1941 by Veikko Antero Koskenniemi, is one of Finland's most important national songs. Today, during performances of the full-length Finlandia, a choir sometimes sings the Finnish lyrics with the hymn section.

Finnish lyrics:
Oi Suomi, katso, sinun päiväs koittaa,
yön uhka karkoitettu on jo pois,
ja aamun kiuru kirkkaudessa soittaa,
kuin itse taivahan kansi sois.
Yön vallat aamun valkeus jo voittaa,
sun päiväs koittaa oi synnyinmaa.

Oi nouse, Suomi, nosta korkealle
pääs seppelöimä suurten muistojen,
oi nouse, Suomi, näytit maailmalle
sa että karkoitit orjuuden
ja ettet taipunut sa sorron alle
on aamus alkanut synnyinmaa.

English translation:
Oh Finland, behold, thy daylight is dawning,
the threat of night has now been driven away.
The skylark sings across the light of morning,
like the firmament itself was chiming,
and now the day the powers of night is scorning:
thy daylight dawns, oh fatherland!

Oh Finland arise, and raise towards the highest
thy head now crowned with mighty memories.
Oh Finland arise, for to the world thou criest
that thou hast thrown off thy slavery,
beneath oppression's yoke thou never liest.
Thy morning's come, motherland!

It is also sung as a Christian hymn (Be Still My Soul, Hail, Festal Day, A Song of Peace, and in Italian evangelical churches: Veglia al Mattino). In Wales, Lewis Valentine uses the tune for the patriotic hymn Gweddi Dros Gymru (A Prayer for Wales).

This is My Song / A Song of Peace

One of the more famous renditions of this hymn is "This is My Song," also known as "A Song of Peace," with lyrics written in 1934 by Lloyd Stone. It often appears in hymnals with substituted and additional verses by Georgia Harkness (1891–1974). It is sometimes called "A Song of Peace," taken from the second line of the song.

Lloyd Stone (1912 – 1993) was born in California and attended the University of Southern California as a music major, with the intent of becoming a teacher. Instead, he joined a circus bound for Hawaii and remained there for the rest of his life, writing poems and songs. "A Song of Peace" is his best-known work. He wrote Stanzas 1 and 2 when he was only 22 years old.

Georgia Elma Harkness (1891- 1974) was a Methodist theologian with a passion for poetry and the arts. Born in Harkness, New York, Georgia was a graduate of Cornell and also studied at Yale and Harvard. A trailblazer for generations of women to follow, Georgia was the first female theologist to teach in a seminary. She wrote nearly forty books in the course of her career.

Lyrics:

This is my song, O God of all the nations,

a song of peace for lands afar and mine;

this is my home, the country where my heart is;

here are my hopes, my dreams, my holy shrine:

but other hearts in other lands are beating

with hopes and dreams as true and high as mine.

My country’s skies are bluer than the ocean,

and sunlight beams on cloverleaf and pine;

but other lands have sunlight too, and clover,

and skies are everywhere as blue as mine:

O hear my song, thou God of all the nations,

a song of peace for their land and for mine.

May truth and freedom come to every nation;

may peace abound where strife has raged so long;

that each may seek to love and build together,

a world united, righting every wrong;

a world united in its love for freedom,

proclaiming peace together in one song.*
*Third stanza by Georgia Harkness.

This version was recorded and performed by many artists, including (my favorites) The Indigo Girls.

Finlandia in Pop Culture

References to Finlandia can also be found in pop culture although admittedly, I had never heard of or seen most of these (no offense to The Walking Dead or the Die Hard Series.):

• Finnish film director Renny Harlin featured Finlandia prominently in the film score for his 1990 film Die Hard 2: Die Harder.

• Finlandia is used in Finders Keepers, Lovers Weepers! by Russ Meyer.

• Finnish symphonic power metal band Nightwish has used Finlandia as an intro to their live concerts, such as shows that are a part of their Imaginaerum World Tour.

• Before joining Nightwish, Troy Donockley had already played a version of Finlandia as a guest musician for Mostly Autumn. It also appears on his album The Unseen Stream.

• Joan Baez featured the Finlandia Hymn on her 2005 live album Bowery Songs. Baez's live performance also appeared on the album Mitä Vapaus, a compilation of protest songs by various artists, released by Amnesty.

• On 8 December 2015, Sibelius' 150th birthday, Sibelius Academy of the University of the Arts Helsinki, gathered over 1000 people on the Senate Square to sing Finlandia.

• The Walking Dead features Finlandia in episode 5 of season 7 as Sasha and Maggie awaken at Hilltop in the night to a recording of Finlandia blasting from a parked car and zombies coming in.

Sources: 

https://www.britannica.com/topic/Finlandia

https://www.laphil.com/musicdb/pieces/354/finlandia

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Finlandia

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Finlandia_hymn

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/This_is_my_song_(1934_song

http://yourdailypoem.com/listpoem.jsp?poem_id=497