Classical Music in Poland and the Europe of Chopin - From the Reviewer's Notebook

  You may wonder why on this site I am posting notice of a quite extraordinary new opera in Japan.  It is to do with the close association of the annual  Chopin i Jego Europa Festival  in Warsaw, Chopin, Akiko's Piano and the concerto written for it by the gifted composer of this opera,  Dai Fujikura.  The libretto is based on a science fiction short story entitled  A Dream of Armageddon (1901) ,  conceived  before  both World Wars, by the English author H.G.Wells - a visionary writer who largely 'invented' the modern world H.G.Wells (1866-1946) Opera A Dream of Armageddon New Production - World Premiere Music by Dai FUJIKURA  Opera in 9 Scenes It seems singularly appropriate to present such a profound operatic conception at this time of a deadly pandemic, the general political moves towards populism, right-wing authoritarianism and the threats  posed  by the general breakdown of hallowed democratic institutions in so many countries  During the 2019  Chopin i jego Europa Fe

  Click on photographs to enlarge for a superior image  A picture taken in January 1945 depicts the gate and railway of Auschwitz-Birkenau after the camp's liberation by Soviet troops. ( AFP via Getty Images)                                                                                                                    [Friends of Zion Museum] Approaching Auschwitz on the Ferry in 1992 Winter sunset at Auschwitz 1992 Crematorium remains at Birkenau, Winter  1992 Zyklon B crystals Majdanek Camp Museum 1992 Jewish Cemetery at Lesko, south-east Poland The compression of time into an instant image Birkenau - the terrible 'Little Wood' A Note on the 'Little Wood' in this photograph Behind the main Birkenau camp there were two more crematoria, Krems IV and V.  They were considerably smaller than II, and III but were still of sufficient size to kill many people each day.  The area was cordoned off with barbed wire. Branches of leaves were woven thickly into the wire to