(Re)visiting the (Jewish) Archive of Gideon Klein - Terezín, 1941-1944

Moravian-born composer and pianist Gideon Klein was just 22 when he was deported from Prague to the Terezín (Theresienstadt) ghetto. Working alongside fellow internees, some of them Czechoslovakia's finest musicians, Klein has been almost completely referenced by his imprisonment. Though understandable given the circumstances, such a view is nonetheless somewhat simplistic and problematic when evaluating the complex circumstances of what took place in Terezín. This chapter explores recent research surrounding Klein's final work, the String Trio, and how the piece might be referenced to Klein’s Jewish background by way of the works Klein composed in occupied Prague. The chapter will also raise the issue of how we might define Klein’s music beyond the discourse of creativity under adversity.