for Auschwitz

International Gipsyfestival | Stichting Alfa
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Requiem
f o r A u s c h w i t z

Requiem
for Auschwitz
composed by Roger ‘Moreno’ Rathgeb
Introduction
Since 1997, the International Gipsy Festival in Tilburg has
been bringing as many aspects of the Sinti and Roma
culture as possible to a wide audience. It shows the
impact of this interesting culture on other European art
forms such as classical music, jazz, pop-music, folk- music,
drama, dance and the visual arts.
The aim of the Festival is to investigate, stimulate and
present this influence.
Moreover, it wants to be a source of inspiration for musicians,
playwrights, writers, artists and film-makers.
Meanwhile, The Festival has already realized numerous
cross-border projects in which many artists from all over
Europe have been involved, both Sinti/Roma and non-
Sinti/Roma.
Requiem for Auschwitz
In 2009, it is 65 years since the transportation of 245 Sinti
and Roma from Camp Westerbork to Auschwitz took
place. Most of them did not survive this drama . In Sinti
and Roma communities this evil has never been forgotten.
Roger ‘Moreno’ Rathgeb is a musician. He is, as are many
Sinti musicians, an autodidact. At a later stage of his life
he has taught himself to make staff-notations and composed
his own works.
Some years ago, he made up his mind to compose a
Requiem for the victims of Auschwitz. That is a daunting
task: a composition of 60 minutes for symphony orchestra,
choir and soloists. He started to work on it, but when
he himself visited Auschwitz some years ago the emotions
were too painful and it caused a heavy blockage.
At the end of 2007, the International Gipsy Festival asked
him to complete his composition with the aim of performing
the work in several European cities. This request
both encouraged and inspired him. In May 2009, he was
able to finish his Requiem.
The piece has been appraised by expert composers and
orchestra directors (among others Jean Lambrechts [Be]
and Riccardo Sahiti [Germ].) They also removed some
imperfections. They both are very enthusiastic about the
quality of this piece and are convinced it merits performance.
Objective
The Requiem has been composed by a Roma musician;
however it should become a monument to all victims
of Auschwitz. Especially, we are aiming to stimulate a
more communal memorial of the Holocaust by Jewish,
Roma/Sinti organizations and National Committees in the
European countries in which the concert will take place.
As the Holocaust was not only executed in Germany, but
prepared in close cooperation with authorities in most of
the European countries we want to perform the concert
in as many European capitals as possible.
The Roma/Sinti are the biggest minority in the European
Union and are currently victim of heavy discrimination,
killings and pogroms in many countries, especially in
Central and Eastern Europe.
The Requiem would like to bring about a dialogue between
all European ethnic groups and strives to prompt
governments to improve their policies regarding minorities
in general and to Roma/Sinti especially.
The concert offers a new momentum to commemorate
the Holocaust and to connect this with the actual discrimination
against Roma, Sinti, Jewish and homosexuals in
Europe. The Requiem for Auschwitz is a powerful statement
against human suffering.
Aims
- The performance of this first Requiem for
Auschwitz is an enrichment of the European
culture;
- It adds a new – musical – dimension to keeping
alive the memorial of Auschwitz in as many European
Countries as possible;
- The memorial of Auschwitz acquires a broader
basis. Jewish, Roma/Sinti organizations and other
relevant organizations support the performance
of the concert in the respective countries and
they organize activities around the concert. (e.g.
an exhibition, Roma documentary festival, meeting
about the actual situation of Roma /Sinti in
Europe)
- The collaboration between several Roma and Sinti
communities will be promoted;
- The cooperation and dialogue between Jewish
and Roma/Sinti organizations will be stimulated;
- The respect for Roma/Sinti as the greatest minority
in Europe will be fostered.
Execution of the project
The piece will be performed by the Orchestra of the
Philharmonischer Verein der Sinti und Roma in Frankfurt
am Main, the only philharmonic orchestra in Europe consisting
of 80 professional Sinti and Roma musicians. The
Orchestra’s director is Riccardo M.Sahiti, who is himself
Roma and lecturer at the Academy of Arts in Frankfurt.
The voice parts will be sung by the Philharmonic Choir in
Cluj (Romania) with 70 singers. Soloists will be sought in
the countries where the piece will be executed.
In this way the Requiem for Auschwitz is a unique symbol
of cooperation between musicians and singers from all
over Europe. The opening performance will preferably be
in Berlin, after which other locations will include Amsterdam,
Brussels, Prague and Bucharest.
Organizational structure
1. The International Gipsy Festival Tilburg/The Netherlands
(with the Alfa Foundation as the juridical
entity) is initiator, and has the lead and final
responsibility of the project.
2. The International Gipsy Festival Tilburg already
made a partnership agreements with Slovo 21 in
the Czech Republic, in this case Khamoro World
Roma Festival in Prague.
The Dokumentations- und Kulturzentrum Deutscher Sinti
und Roma in Heidelberg might become the partner for Germany.
For other countries partners are being sought.
3. The partners are responsible for the organizational
and logistic aspects of the concert in their
respective countries. They try to realize the above
mentioned aims in their country with the support
of relevant organizations and institutions in their
own country.
In The Netherlands the following institutions have already
given their support:
1. Netherlands Auschwitz Committee
2. Anne Frank Foundation
3. Camp Westerbork