The Inextinguishable Symphony

By: Martin Goldsmith

Narrated by: Martin Goldsmith

Length: 11 hrs and 34 mins

Publisher's Summary

In the spring of 1933, more than 8,000 Jewish musicians, actors, and other artists were expelled from their positions with German orchestras, opera companies, and theater groups. Later that year, the Jüdische Kulturbund, or Jewish Culture Association, was created to allow Jewish artists to perform for Jewish audiences.

Here is the riveting and emotional story of Gunther Goldschmidt and Rosemarie Gumpert, two courageous Jewish musicians who struggled to perform under unimaginable circumstances and found themselves falling in love in a country bent on destroying them. A poignant testament to the enduring vitality of music and love even in the harshest times, The Inextinguishable Symphony gives us a compelling look at an important piece of Holocaust history that has gone largely untold.

©2000 Martin Goldsmith (P)2001 Blackstone Audio, Inc.

Critic Reviews

"A gripping tale of persecution, intrigue, and love and an insider's - or two insiders' - view of a dark time." ( Booklist)
"A deeply affecting story....Goldsmith's account offers an excellent contribution to Holocaust studies." ( Publishers Weekly)
"A fascinating insight into a virtually unknown chapter of Nazi rule in Germany, made all the more engaging through a son's discovery of his own remarkable parents." (ABC News)

An Inextinguishable Symphony

Amazing book especially since it's a true story. Music lovers would get a lot out of it.
The author's reading is excellent. At first I thought I might not be able to stay with it, given a lot of details about the content of concerts. But I soon was hooked especially by the human story of the author's family.

An honest and beautiful memoir

I've read a lot of history books and memoirs about the holocaust, and this memoir written and narrated by the son of survivors saved by their musical talent is a beautiful, very loving and respectful tribute to the author's parents. At the same time, the author conveys a very honest human story of their lives that does not gloss over questionable decisions and complicated motivations.

The author's narration was fine, but because of his distinctive voice and long service as the host of Performance Today, National Public Radio's daily classical music program, I kept expecting him to break from the story and introduce us to a Beethoven symphony. But that is a very small price to pay for such a beautiful story.