+++ postponed from September 19, 2021 +++
Anne Baquet – Singing and acting
Marcos Galkin – Flute
Nima Ben David – Viola da gamba
Julia Sinoimeri – Accordion
The child prodigy Joseph Kosma was born Kozma József into a Jewish family in Budapest in 1905. He spent his youth in Berlin, side by side with Bartók, Kodály and Brecht. His life is turned upside down by the world wars. In 1933, he fled to France to escape National Socialism.
Joseph Kosma is one of those composers whose name we hardly know, while their melodies are on everyone’s lips. In the land of chanson, he decides to write songs whose purpose is not only to distract and cheer up, but also to express people’s fear in an increasingly dehumanized and threatening environment.
Kosma wants to use music to bring back the “wonderful everyday life” and not just escape reality, but to live a better life. “And when this miracle is accomplished, music has fulfilled its role, namely to love people and life,” says Kosma. His colorful oeuvre initially appears somewhat strange and difficult to categorize. Perhaps this is precisely why it has endured and deserves special recognition.
Text: Nima Ben David
Photo by Anne Baquet: © Michel N’guyen
Photo by Joseph Kosma: © Fortepan | Zoltán Szalay
This concert is organized with the kind support of
Friends of Villa Seligmann e. V.
