Arizona Lady and Exiled Composers from Nazi-Occupied Europe
The Jewish History Museum has partnered with Arizona Opera to co-present a reception and lecture by ASU and Herberger Institute for Design and the Arts professor Sabine Feisst on Arizona Lady, the 1953 musical treasure of exiled Hungarian composer Emmerich Kálmán. In the wake of Hitler’s rise to power, many talented Jewish musicians had to flee Nazi-occupied Europe and some of them settled in the United States. Although often forced to redirect their artistic vision, they made invaluable contributions to America’s music culture. This talk will focus on the careers of three composers: Erich Wolfgang Korngold, who brilliantly scored Errol Flynn movies in Hollywood; Arnold Schoenberg who composed modernist music and became a sought-after teacher in Los Angeles; and Kurt Weill who made a name for himself on Broadway. The talk will provide fascinating context for AZ Opera’s production of Emmerich Kálmán’s Arizona Lady. This event costs $10 per person.