After emigrating to the USA in 1939 due to persecution, Jascha Heifetz, a famous violinist, helped Mario Castelnuovo-Tedesco secure a job as a composer at MGM film studios in Los Angeles.
Historical Context
In 1935, Mario Castelnuovo-Tedesco was banned from performing his works and listed as an 'unwanted non-Aryan composer' by Mussolini's regime.
Composer Biography
Mario Castelnuovo-Tedesco, the composer, was born in Florence, Italy, to Sephardic Jewish parents in 1895.
Composer's Artistic Vision
The Divan of Moses Ibn-Ezra is dedicated to Hans and Rosaleen Moldenhauer and centers on Moses Ibn-Ezra, a Sephardic poet and scholar from the 11th-12th century, whose poetry synthesizes Muslim and Jewish cultures.
Composition History
The Divan of Moses Ibn-Ezra, one of Castelnuovo-Tedesco's last major works, was likely started in 1961 and completed in 1966, reflecting on his life and mortality.
Composer's Artistic Vision
Mario Castelnuovo-Tedesco's musical language, developed after studying piano and composition, uniquely blends impressionism with counterpoint.
Performer Biography
Guitarist Anne Haasch is a winner of the International Interpretation competition 'Ostracized Music' in Schwerin, which led her to explore works by Jewish and ostracized composers.
