The Auschwitz Cello

What this episode covers

Writer and musician Kate Kennedy takes a personal look at five lost cellos, and what they can tell us of those who played and loved them and how our identities are shaped by the physical, social and psychological impacts of performance.What does it mean to be saved by an instrument? Anita Lasker-Wallfisch became known as the cellist of Auschwitz. Her beloved Ventepane cello disappeared at the same time as her parents were taken by the Nazis from her home in Breslau (now Wroclaw). When she was sent to Auschwitz, she narrowly avoided death by being recruited to the camp orchestra and filling the vacant role of cellist. Kate Kennedy working with archivists, finds the hut in which Anita practised with the other musicians, seeking answers as to why there was cello in Auschwitz, who had previously played it - whilst reflecting on how being saved by a cello, changes your relationship to the instrument.Producer: Adrian Washbourne Technical production by Mike Sherwood Executive Producer: Rami Tzabar A TellTale Industries production for BBC Radio 3

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