JEWISH ART SONG LECTURES
Allie Brault is proud to offer lectures and lecture-recitals on Jewish Art Song to universities, synagogues, museums, and communities around the United States. Brault has lectured at Penn State, University of Maryland, University of Colorado-Boulder, University of North Alabama, the Music by Women Festival, and on the Big Island of Hawaii with the Hawaii Performing Arts Festival.
Interested in having Allie Brault guest-lecture at your institution? Please reach out here.
REVIEW OF
"JEWISH ART SONG: EXAMINING THE MUSIC OF ILSE WEBER (1903-1944)"
Allie Brault, an accomplished singer, scholar, and communicator, headed to being Dr. Brault, has created a challenge for herself and succeeded admirably.
She discovered the music of Ilse Weber, a teacher, healer, mother, musician, composer and victim: eight songs that incredibly survived both Theresienstadt (Nazi propaganda camp) and Auschwitz--the infamous Nazi death camp--though Ilse, herself, perished with her son. The story is compelling as are Ilse’s songs, all the more so for their beauty and poignancy. Ms. Brault has delved deeply into this story and created a legacy for all time.
She positions the music in the niche of Jewish Art Song, a movement that began in 19th century Russia in the effort to preserve Jewish folk music and create a characteristically Jewish genre of classical music. She approaches the music academically, helping to define Jewish music, exploring a distinct tonal system. She is methodical in her exploration of every aspect of the music. She has analyzed each song, in depth, musically, historically and experientially.
Ultimately, for the student or audience member who hears Ilse’s music, solidly positioned in the larger picture of music in general and the specific facts of Ilse’s short life, the experience is powerful and unforgettable.
Ms. Brault's ongoing gift to the world is her creation of a growing database of genre music at www.JewishArtSong.com. Ilse’s sacrifice and gift to the world will be preserved to the benefit of us all.
Review by Lisa Chu-Thielbar.
