Exodus: Jewish Composers in Exile

Renowned Polish composer Alexandre Tansman fled Europe for the United States in 1941, and his rhythmic Polish Rhapsody—inspired by the invasion of Poland and dedicated “to the defenders of Warsaw”—was premiered in St. Louis that same year. Prolific composer Josef Tal emigrated to Jerusalem in 1934, and his dramatic Exodus, based on the Passover Haggadah, was debuted by the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra during the first days of that country’s War ...