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Mark Kroll: Jewish Music and Musicians from 17th-Century Italy to 21st-Century America

The Sounds of Faith, Perseverance and Optimism

Date of Event: October 24, 2013

Mark KrollAbout the Speaker: Mark Kroll is an acclaimed harpsichordist for the Boston Symphony Orchestra and professor emeritus at Boston University, where he served for 25 years as founder and chair of the Department of Historical Performance. He is a noted authority on performance practice and period instruments and has written on a wide range of subjects. His recent books include "Johann Nepomuk Hummel: A Musician's Life and World," "Playing the Harpsichord Expressively: A Practical and Historical Guide" and "The Beethoven Violin Sonatas: History, Criticism, Performance."

About the Talk: Mark Kroll traces, with stories and music, the history of Jewish composers and musicians from the 17th century to today, including Salomone Rossi, Ferdinand Hiller, Al Jolson, Leonard Bernstein and others. While many composers had to convert to Christianity or compose music for Christian courts and churches in order to find acceptance and success, Kroll shows how these artists never forgot their Jewish roots.

This lecture is supported by the Kraft-Hiatt Fund for Jewish-Christian Understanding.

Watch the lecture below or download it free from iTunes U.