Holocaust survivors orchestra remembered in Minnesota cellist's new memoir

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Famous 20th-century conductor and composer Leonard Bernstein is known for West Side Story and the Marlon Brando picture On the Waterfront. But cellist Janet Horvath is interested in a lesser-known chapter of his life.
In 1948, Bernstein conducted an orchestra of Holocaust survivors who played at displaced persons camps in Germany. Horvath’s father played in the orchestra.
From 1980 to 2012, Horvath was the associate principal cello of the Minnesota Orchestra. Now she’s written a book about her father and that orchestra of Holocaust survivors. It’s called “The Cello Still Sings.”
Horvath spoke about her book with MPR News host Cathy Wurzer.
Use the audio player above to listen to the full conversation.
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Audio transcript
In 1948, Bernstein conducted an orchestra of Holocaust survivors who played at displaced persons camps in Germany. From 1980 to 2012, Janet Horvath was the associate principal cello of the Minnesota Orchestra. Now she's written a book about her father and that orchestra of Holocaust survivors. It's called The Cello Still Sings. Janet, welcome to Minnesota Now.
JANET HORVATH: Thank you so much. I'm happy to be here.
INTERVIEWER: Glad you're here. Your parents were musicians, excellent musicians, and Holocaust survivors. Tell us their story.
JANET HORVATH: Well, I didn't know their story, in fact. Like many other children of Holocaust survivors, we were living under the shadow of the horrors without knowing the specifics of the story. My parents wanted to move forward, and they didn't want to cause us pain as we were growing up. So they didn't share the stories.
And not until I was well into my adulthood, when I drove my father in a slushy day in Toronto to a doctor's appointment-- and I didn't know at the time of course. I didn't know that it was his last year on this earth. I asked an innocent question about music because my father was also a wonderful cellist, and he loved to talk shop. And I'd known that he played with all the famous maestros of Europe, but I'd never asked him this question.
So I asked him, Dad, did you ever play with Leonard Bernstein? And it was as if he passed out. He put his palm of his hand onto his face. And his eyes rolled back into his head. And I thought, gee, should I pull over. What's going on?
And when he came to, he said, yes, it was a very hot day. It was in the displaced persons camp, and he was just a kid. And he played Rhapsody in Blue, and it was fantastic. And then suddenly, before I could even get my tongue to burst out, well, OK, what were you doing in Germany, and why was he there, and how did you get an instrument and the strength to play after the war, the memory was gone or his willingness to share it with me.
And I was anxious to get to Google. And I googled Leonard Bernstein's site. And there, in fact, it was, that he came to Landsberg, Germany, which is just outside of Munich and equidistant to the concentration camp Dachau, to conduct this orchestra of survivors, Jewish people who were sent on a mission to build the morale of those languishing still in the displaced persons camps.
So I didn't know until I researched it that my father had played in this orchestra. And I stumbled upon the clue that there had been a printed program. And when I raced to the site and found out where it was held in a museum in New York, I wrote them. I said, my father was in this orchestra. And they wrote me back and said, yes, of course, you can come and see it. Make an appointment next time you're in New York, but don't you want to see the live video testimony and the photographs?
INTERVIEWER: Oh my gosh.
JANET HORVATH: Yeah. So it turns out that my father played 200 concerts over a period of two years, from 1946 to 1948, in 100 different displaced persons camps in the American zone of Bavaria, all over Bavaria. And two of these concerts were with Leonard Bernstein. And I imagined an orchestra, like the orchestra I played in, Minnesota Orchestra. But it was 17 musicians, and my father was one of two cellists.
INTERVIEWER: Oh my gosh. Can I ask you something? I wish I had more time with you. I know you ended up going back to Landsberg, where your parents were there. Did you do a concert there at Landsberg with the Minnesota Orchestra?
JANET HORVATH: Not with the orchestra, no. I regard this as a gift. It's a way I can end my book in a beautifully reconciliatory way.
In 2018, the city of Landsberg wanted to commemorate this program with Leonard Bernstein. And they held a concert and a week of activities to bring communities together in a way that might heal. And they invited me to play with an orchestra of German youth. And I played the very beautiful piece called Kol Nidrei, which we play every year on the holy day of Yom Kippur. And it was an out-of-body experience, I have to say. We reached a different plane as far as bringing different peoples together in a way that would heal.
INTERVIEWER: Whatever happened to your dad's cello? I'm curious.
JANET HORVATH: Oh, that's a great story. [CHUCKLES] My father played, as I mentioned, in the Toronto Symphony in Toronto for 38 years. But one of the most important events for him and for our family was that he played this piece, Kol Nidrei, which opens the service of the day of atonement, Yom Kippur. And he played it in our synagogue growing up for 30 years, every year. And then when I came to Minnesota, I continued the tradition here in the Twin Cities. And I played it every year for-- it's about 30 years now as well.
So when my father retired, he decided he wanted to sell the cello. I think he imagined I would someday sell his and mine and own a Strad, but that never would have happened. But I lost track of the cello at one point.
And then a woman wrote me, a woman whose name I'd never heard before. And she said, Janet, I just played for Holocaust survivors, and I know your father's cello. It belonged to a Holocaust survivor, so I told them about it. But I really wanted to track you down to talk to you and tell you that I'm playing this instrument. And I'll be playing this piece, Kol Nidrei, in the synagogue on Friday night, whatever night that happened to be. And I couldn't believe that my father's cello is still playing Kol Nidrei.
INTERVIEWER: Oh. Oh my gosh. That's astounding. That is quite a story. Oh my goodness. Janet, what a story. The book is beautiful, by the way. I'm so glad you had the opportunity to write it. I know it's coming out today, February 28. And I know you've got a launch at Subtext Books at 7:00 PM, which would be fantastic. I hope people show up for that.
JANET HORVATH: It's at the University Club. It's being held there.
INTERVIEWER: Excellent.
JANET HORVATH: Yeah.
INTERVIEWER: All right. Perfect.
JANET HORVATH: Thank you.
INTERVIEWER: Oh, Janet, thank you for your time, and all best with the book. We've been talking to Janet Horvath. She's the author of The Cello Still Sings. You can find information about her book and upcoming events at JanetHorvath-- H-O-R-V-A-T-H-- dot com. Thanks for listening to Minnesota Now.
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