Benjamin Britten wrote his John Donne songs after seeing firsthand the horrors of a concentration camp. Arnold Schoenberg’s Ode to Napoleon Buonaparte is a scathing indictment of the narcissism of fascist leaders. Dmitri Shostakovich’s Songs from Jewish Folk Poetry confronts head on the suffering of the Jewish people during the Second World War.

Performers

Benjamin Britten The Holy Sonnets of John Donne Op. 35

Arnold Schoenberg Ode to Napoleon Buonaparte Op. 41

Dmitri Shostakovich Songs from Jewish Folk Poetry Op. 79

Alexandra Nowakowski soprano; Sara Couden alto

Dominic Armstrong, Brian Vu tenor

Randall Scarlata baritone

Michael Brofman, Dimitri Dover, Ryan McCollough piano

The Ulysses Quartet