Orchestra of Exiles

The Story of Bronislaw Huberman, the Israel Philharmonic, and the One Thousand Jews He Saved from Nazi Horrors

By: Josh Aronson, Denise George

Narrated by: Tom Zingarelli

Length: 8 hrs and 2 mins

Publisher's summary

At 14, Bronislaw Huberman played the Brahms "Violin Concerto" in Vienna, winning high praise from the composer himself. Instantly famous, Huberman began touring all over the world and received invitations to play for royalty across Europe. But after witnessing the tragedy of World War I, he committed his phenomenal talent and celebrity to aid humanity.

After studying at the Sorbonne in Paris, Huberman joined the ranks of Sigmund Freud and Albert Einstein in calling for peace through the Pan European Movement. But when hope for their noble vision was destroyed by the rise of Nazism, Huberman began a crusade that would become his greatest legacy - the creation, in 1936, of the Palestine Symphony, which 12 years later became the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra. In creating this world-level orchestra, Huberman miraculously arranged for the very best Jewish musicians and their families to emigrate from Nazi-threatened territories. His tireless campaigning for the project ultimately saved nearly a thousand Jews from the approaching Holocaust.

©2016 Denise George and Josh Aronson (P)2016 Tantor

Critic reviews

"A polished, quick-moving work of historical biography." ( Kirkus)

Interesting but questionable in some parts

My biggest gripe is the narrator’s continued mispronunciation of viola/violist. I was not aware of this story until reading this and it was interesting, I just wish it was clearer how much is recreated narrative vs. actual fact. There are conversations between characters that feel they only exist to convey information that could have been conveyed outside of dialogue.

superficial

the narrator mispronounced violist.
the story was told in a very sentimental, flowery way, not at all academic. didn't fully address the problems of establishing a Jewish state in an area already settled by others. biased depiction of central figures. but interesting nonetheless.