Music

Theresienstadt

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Ilse Weber (1903-1944) was an Austro-Czech composer who wrote this song during her time in Theresienstadt before she left for Auschwitz where she was murdered in the gas chamber with her young son.

Ich wandre durch Theresienstadt,
das Herz so schwer wie Blei.
Bis jäh mein’ Weg ein Ende hat,
Bis jäh mein’ Weg ein Ende hat,
dort knapp an der Bastei.
dort knapp an der Bastei.

Dort bleib ich auf der Brücke stehn
und schau ins Tal hinaus:
ich möcht so gerne weiter gehn,
ich möcht so gerne weiter gehn,
ich möcht so gern nach Haus!
ich möcht so gern nach Haus!

Nach Haus! du wunderbares Wort,
du machst das Herz mir schwer.
Man nahm mir mein Zuhause fort,
Man nahm mir mein Zuhause fort,
nun hab ich keines mehr.
nun hab ich keines mehr.

Ich wende mich betrübt und matt,
so schwer wird mir dabei:
Theresienstadt, Theresienstadt,
wann wohl das Leid ein Ende hat,
wann sind wir wieder frei?
wann sind wir wieder frei?

Whilst wandering through Theresienstadt
My heart as heavy as lead
My way came to a sudden end
My way came to a sudden end
Just by the bastion gate.
Just by the bastion gate.

I linger there upon the bridge
To look out on the vale
I long to walk on further then
I long to walk on further then
I long to go back home!
I long to go back home!

My home – those words are wonderful!
They cause my heart to groan.
They snatched my home away from me.
They snatched my home away from me.
I have nowhere to go.
I have nowhere to go.

Weary I wend my way distressed
Painful is life for me.
Theresienstadt! Theresienstadt!
When truly shall our sorrow end?
When shall we be set free?
When shall we be set free?

© Stuart Moffatt 2026

There is a beautiful snippet of Anne-Sofie von Otter singing Theresienstadt on Boosey’s website.

ChoralWiki and Noteworthy Scriptorium

The copyright of the arrangement and translation is held by Stuart Moffatt (© 2026).
The midi file was produced using Noteworthy Composer.
The mp3/ogg were produced using Myriad software.

This time of year

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It cannot have escaped your attention that that ‘It is the most wonderful time of the year’ is a message that you will have heard many times in recent, and perhaps not so recent, days. If Coco have understood that message it involves families and more specifically the love that there is within families despite the hurt that we can and do inflict upon each other from time to time: as it is said – love bears all things.

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The 5/7 alternative minuet

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  • Late Rococo minuet to the music of Luigi Boccherini
  • Minuet from Quintet E Major
  • Choreography of Helena Kazárová based on the
  • Minuet de la Cour of M. Gardel.
  • Dancers: Barbora Dastychová and Miroslav Stehlík
  • Hartig Ensemble, Prague, Czech Republic.
  • Sedláček´s Quartett. Recorded at the Martinů Hall in Prague, October 2012.

Credits:
Source video: https://www.youtube.com/@HelenaKazarova
Music: Luigi Boccherini
Bowdlerisation etc: Coco
Audio: Scored by Noteworthy and encoded by TiMidity++
Video encoding: by Powerpoint

Copyright Stuart Moffatt © 2023

☺ With apologies for errors of syntax, orthography, grammar, harmony and counterpoint which may be found embedded in this document whether arising from oversight, incorrect application of language packs or generally any other misadventure; and in general for any offence given inadvertently or inappropriately or both taken or not taken by those whose sensibilities, whether grammatical, orthographical, moral, musical or simply personable, have been offended whether, not or if you have not incorrectly misunderstood the content, intent, meaning and purpose of this article, and to those whose copyrights may have been inadvertently or wantonly infringed, but never as to cause damage the copy holder’s rights, and, if you have managed to read this far, for any errors or omissions whether wilful, unintended, innocent or deliberate in the content of this polemic, and with thanks to you who have made it thus far for your patience.

Other versions of the dance are included here for string::

In five strings
In three (original)
In seven strings
*In five-seven

for flute and mandolin – not Coco’s:

In five
In three
In seven

The Prepared Piano

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Had we not known what was coming the backstage sounds may have indicated that the music that was to follow would be of, shall we say, an interesting nature. If you have ever listened to the Lord Denning of the now defunct Third programme in its modern guise, Tom Service, you will understand that we can all be composers, it is simply a matter of rearranging the notes, as we were to hear in the first two pieces for prepared pianoforte, into a new order to produce a new work.

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The Fall of Florence

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Saturday had an interesting evening, Beethoven, Ireland and Honegger. Daniele Gatti played Beethoven’s 4th concerto in a pleasant way that drew you in to the conflict that he portrayed. After a generous interval and Ireland’s Concertino pastorale for strings we were treated to what I had thought, and those of you who know anything about Honegger also would also think, would be quite a challenging piece, Liturgique, symphony nr.3.

Somewhat astonishingly however It proved however to be as lyrical as Ireland’s pastorale.

Butterfly

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Coco was thinking about Cio-cio-san the other day and noticed a striking similarity between Madama Butterfly and the young Shulamitess in the stage play by Solomon. Madama Butterfly will be no stranger to you, and perhaps the story familiar. Some would say that Puccini spent forty years trying to write this opera and the last twenty years of his life trying to write it again, it containing the epitome of operatic drama outside Bayreuth however could not be reproduced.

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