The Ethics
The goal of "The Ethics" is to raise awareness about the importance of empathy in the wake of genocide. The composition was inspired by the experience at Theresienstadt concentration camp, where children in the camp performed the children's opera "Brundibar" during the Holocaust.
"The Ethics" had its world premiere at Carnegie Hall with the Dessoff Choirs (2015), and has also been performed at the Florida Holocaust Museum with the Tampa Bay Chorale (2016), and at American University with the Choral Arts, Washington (2016). World Premiere Carnegie Hall/The Dessoff Choirs 2015. It was written for Humanity in Action and inspired by Ela Weisberger, in memory of Eva Sachs and the Brundibar Children.
Our goal is to use this to show the power of music and the arts to build identity and empathy, as a foundation for genocide prevention and tolerance. In a world with rising waves of hate crimes and racism, "The Ethics" offers a unique way for younger generations to connect to the Holocaust, as they learn to grapple with contemporary challenges. We are developing various applications within educational settings, including melodies provided for high schools and universities, and community-based programming focused on music as a tool for rebuilding memory.
Music: Violin and Chorus (Version 1); Violin, Chorus, and Orchestra (Version 2).
Related Resources
For related resources, read more here, in Natasha Zaretsky's Of Ethics and Empathy: Music as Memory and Survival or watch this video, a conversation between Ittai Shapira and architect Daniel Libeskind The Ethics: Building the Next Generation of Holocaust Memory through Identity and Empathy.
VIDEO
Live performance from Montreal, Holocaust Education week
Ittai Shapira, Composer and Violinist
Constanze Beckmann, Pianist, Curator, and Producer
Jean-Sebastien Vallee, Conductor and Artistic Director
The Schulich Singers, Schulich School of Music of McGill University.
Performances
For performances, see a live clip from Washington, DC, with Choral Arts Washington, hosted by American University (April 9, 2016), fearing Movement 2, "A Waltz with Fate". Also, see the performance at the Florida Holocaust Museum, at the Annual Gala, "To Life!" (February 2016).
Advisor: Natasha Zaretsky
Commissioned by the Krueger and Blavatnik Family Foundations
Special Thanks:
Zvi Galil
The Dayan Foundation
Angelo Fraboni
The Roschke Family
Molloy College
George Wolf
Natasha Zaretsky