American composers respond: The holocaust

This chapter examines Holocaust music—classical or art music (as opposed to popular or folk music), in any genre with or without text or title, written directly in response to or because of the Holocaust during World War II. Since 1945 American and American-émigré composers have written over 130 art or classical compositions on this topic, but the majority of these works have been composed since 1970. Representative examples from various genres are discussed to illustrate the scope of this music and the different approaches composers took to reimagine and memorialize the Holocaust in music. This overview provides a resource for many of the most significant works American composers have created, including music of Arnold Schoenberg, Steve Reich, Lukas Foss, and Aaron Jay Kernis. These works illustrate the ability of composers to take a subject as hideous as the Holocaust and provide meaningful and insightful artistic representations that transcend the horror to memorialize those who suffered and died. Through their music we may continue to remember and honor the victims of this tragic event and contemplate its lessons for the future.