The Bridge of Remembrance – Concert on the Remembrance Day

Music by E. W. Korngold, F. Hensel Mendelssohn, M. Weinberg, V. Ullmann, R. Kahn, performed by professors and students of the Conservatorio di Musica “Santa Cecilia” Rome. Artistic director: M. Barbara Ferrara

Welcome:

Andreas Krüger, Head of the Cultural Section of the Embassy of the Federal Republic of Germany in Rome

Pino Pelloni, Fondazione Giuseppe Levi Pelloni

Musical introduction:

Barbara Ferrara, Conservatorio di Musica “Santa Cecilia” Rome

For me, Theresienstadt was and remains a school of form. Before, it was impossible to feel the weight and substance of form because it was suppressed by everyday life. Here, where the substance of form must succumb, where everything material must be transformed into spirit… — Viktor Ullmann, Goethe and the Ghetto (1944)

What remains when all that is human is lost? In the context of the Shoah, music was not only a chronicle of pain, but also a means of metaphysical transformation. This concert programme explores the concept of ‘form’ mentioned by Viktor Ullmann: the ability of art to take the brutal chaos of reality and transform it into something eternal, universal and deeply spiritual. The programme does not follow a purely chronological sequence, but moves through analogies. It shows how music served to project human dignity beyond the barbed wire and transform material deprivation into indestructible inner wealth.

The dialogue between the works, composed in the silence of the camps and elsewhere, and the sensitivity of contemporary forms of expression make the concert a space for abstract, very powerful reflection. The music acts as a bridge here: it leads the listener from the particularity of historical tragedy to the universality of human existence. This is not merely an exercise in remembrance, but an experience of sonic vigilance. In a world that tends to forget, these notes become traces of an unfinished story that continues to raise questions and shows that beauty – when it arises from austerity and suffering – is not mere adornment, but the ultimate, highest form of truth.

Program:

E. W. Korngold
My Mistress Eyes

F. Hensel Mendelssohn
Adagio per violino e pianoforte in Mi maggiore H72

M. Weinberg
Zwei Lieder Op. 13 su testi di J. L. Perez für Gesang und Klavier Trio

V. Ullmann
Drei Jiddische Lieder (Brezulinka) Op. 53:
Berjoskele
Margarithelech
A Meidel in die Johren

F. Hensel Mendelssohn
Fantasia per Violoncello e Pianoforte in Sol minore

R. Kahn
Sieben Lieder aus “Jungbrunnen” von Paul Heyse:
Nun stehn die Rosen Blüte
Mein Herzblut geht in Sprüngen
Waldesnacht, du wnderkühle
Wie bin ich nun in kühler Nacht
Wie trag‘ ich doch in Sinne
In der Mondnacht
Es geht ein Wehen durch den Wald

 

Performers:

Eero Lasorla – tenor

Finnish tenor Eero Lasorla can look back on an outstanding international education, which he crowned with a degree with honours in chamber music at the Santa Cecilia Conservatory in Rome after completing his studies in Tampere. His career is characterised by remarkable versatility, ranging from opera repertoire to lieder and choral music.

In Finland, he has played iconic roles such as Tony in West Side Story, Tom Rakewell in The Rake’s Progress and the Soldier in L’Histoire du soldat. Most recently, he appeared on stage in Helsinki as Jonathan Persson in Kung Karls Jakt and at the Teatro Parvum in Alessandria in the role of Nemorino (L’elisir d’amore). Noteworthy are his experiences at the Savonlinna Opera Festival and his collaborations with renowned choirs such as the Chorus Cathedralis Aboensis. Since 2024, he has been a permanent member of the choir of the Flemish Opera and Ballet (OBV) in Belgium.

A great interpreter of chamber music, he has performed at festivals such as Liszt and Friends and the Sibelius Festival. His commitment to Finnish music is evident in the publication (LIM/Ricordi, 2020) of the volume Jean Sibelius Lieder, created in collaboration with Marina Cesarale, which collects and translates the composer’s entire song oeuvre.

Gabriele Valabrega – Violin

Gabriele Valabrega was born in 2006 and grew up in a family environment that was enthusiastic about the arts. At the age of just seven, he began violin lessons under the guidance of Maestro Ann Stupay. He consolidated his training at the Centro Sperimentale di Musica per l’Infanzia (Cesmi) in Rome, where he quickly distinguished himself both as a soloist and in orchestral formations, winning first prize in the national competition ‘Giovani Musici’ in 2018.

His talent has been confirmed by numerous international awards, including diplomas with honours at the ‘Chroma’ competition, first prize at the national Suzuki competition in Viterbo (where he performed as a soloist in Vivaldi’s Concerto in A minor) and first prize at the 11th international ‘Città di Filadelfia’ competition. He has obtained ABRSM certifications with the highest marks and perfected his technique in Poland at the renowned Zenon Brweski International Music Courses with Helen Brunner.

In 2019, he triumphed at the ‘Giovani Musici’ competition in both the soloist and chamber music categories. He is currently continuing his academic career at the Santa Cecilia Conservatory in Rome in the class of Prof. Liliana Bernard and has established himself as one of the most promising representatives of the new generation of violinists.

Marina Cesarale – Piano

Pianist Marina Cesarale graduated with honours from the Santa Cecilia Conservatory in Rome and then perfected her training with world-renowned masters such as Petroushanskij, Magaloff and Masi. She also specialised in song singing with Charles Spencer in Vienna. Her career has been marked by prestigious institutional performances, such as an invitation from President Giorgio Napolitano to play for RAI on the occasion of the 150th anniversary of Italian unification.

A highly regarded scholar and performer, she collaborates with IBIMUS and ISMEO to revive unpublished works of vocal chamber music. In 2025, she led a seminar on Robert Kahn at the Santa Cecilia Conservatory. Since 2020, she has been a member of the artistic committee of the Sibelius Society Italia, for which she has given important concerts, including duets with violinist Satu Jalas (granddaughter of Sibelius) and collaborations with tenor Eero Lasorla.

Together with Lasorla, she published the first Italian essay on Sibelius’ complete songs with LIM/Ricordi, for which she provided the translations and analyses. Also active in radio, she has made recordings for Radio Vaticana with Erica Piccotti and David Greiner, exploring challenging repertoires such as ‘degenerate music’. Her work combines musicological rigour with a deep commitment to promoting Central European and Scandinavian musical culture.

Mathilda Overlöper – Violoncello

Mathilda Overlöper grew up in Bochum and moved to Bremen in 2022 to study violoncello with Kilian Fröhlich at the University of Bremen. She is currently spending an Erasmus semester in Rome at the Santa Cecilia Conservatory, where she is studying chamber music in the class of M. Barbara Ferrara. Mathilda has loved chamber music since the age of seven and has found her passion in it. The same is true of the orchestra, where she can experience moving moments with the audience.

Inages: Erich Wolfgang Korngold (Georg Fayer, PDM), Fanny Hensel, (Moritz Daniel Oppenheim, 1842, PDM), Viktor Ullmann (PDM), Robert Kahn (PDM)