Sonatina

On December 7, 1941, Lotte and I were at her apartment, listening to the broadcast of the Sunday symphony, when the program was interrupted to announce that the Japanese had attacked Pearl Harbor and sunk several ships. The next morning I stood in line, with perhaps a couple hundred other guys, at the Navy Building on Church Street, trying to enlist.

Length of complete piece: 10:00 (3 movements)

Sonatina

Sonatina

Shakespeare’s Sonnet No. 73

At one of the processing desks there sat a dignified-looking middle-aged soldier. I started a conversation with him and found he was the director of the Bremen Symphony. And I invited him to dinner at our house. I picked up my prisoner (he was not yet discharged) and brought him to the house. We had a fine meal, with wine and everything, and afterwards we listened to a recording of Brahms’ 3rd Symphony. Later, when I took him back to the camp, he said that he felt he was becoming civilized again… About eight months later, when I was back home, I received a letter from him, thanking me again for that evening. He had reestablished the orchestra, and he had opened the season with a playing of Brahms 3rd. That music became indelibly linked to that experience for me.

Length of complete piece: 3:15

Shakespeare's Sonnet 73

In a Pensive Mood

A little while later there were prisoners that didn’t look quite right to me. I said to the guy: “You don’t look like soldiers. Who are you?” And he said: “We are the Munich Symphony Orchestra.” Then I knew for sure that the war was over. And I said to him: “You will be making music soon, again.” (Two years later, when I was in Germany again, I heard them on the radio, being conducted by Knappertsbusch.)

Length of complete piece: 5:45

Recorded by: Michael Roberts

In a Pensive Mood

In a Pensive Mood

My Schedule

Kennedy’s casket was brought back by train from New York to Washington, and she was on that train. The entire funeral was televised, including the train ride (it took four hours), and I was glued to my set all day long… During the ceremony, Leonard Bernstein (a friend of the Kennedy family) conducted the strings of the New York Philharmonic in the Adagietto of Mahler 5th Symphony. As I watched the train roll for four hours, the music would not get out of my mind. Since then, wherever I hear that music I see the train.

Length of complete piece: 1:40

My Schedule

My Schedule