Words by C. de Dood - June 1930 - Piano reduction
Dramatic work for female, male and mixed choir, soprano tenor and baritone and orchestra
I. Inleiding (Introduction)
II. Het leed der werkers (the suffering of the workers)
III. De strijd der werkers (the struggle of the workers)
IV. De oorlog (the war)
V. Opgang (Rise)
Up until World War II, Israel J. Olman had been a celebrated choral conductor and composer. He wrote synagogal music and also music for socialist choirs, to be performed at major singing competitions. His fame, in addition to the fact that he was married to a Catholic woman, offered him some protection during the war. In the post-war years his reputation as a composer diminished rapidly, creating financial difficulties. The world had changed and his musical idiom had become outdated.
by Pauline Micheels