‘Women and War’ recital enthralls audience at Yarmouk Cultural Centre

Stories of war told through music composed across the globe, across different times in history

Soprano Verica Grmusa performs at the ‘Women and War’ Music Night at Yarmouk Cultural Center.

KUWAIT CITY, Nov 24: Soprano Verica Grmusa and pianist Harriet Bushman performed the ‘Women and War’ Music Night at Yarmouk Cultural Center recently.

Dar Al-Athar Al-Islamiyyah organized this recital in collaboration with the National Council for Culture, Arts and Letters (NCCAL) marking the centenary of the end of World War I. It told the stories of war through music composed across the globe and across different times in history.

While it started with ‘War to End All Wars’, the recital unfolded by threading the music of World War II and more recent history. It shifted focus from the predominantly masculine narratives of war to the lens of female experiences, with songs of love and losses that highlighted the war’s universal themes.

The recital also put the spotlight on several remarkable women performers who used song as a platform to command public voice; thus, fittingly marking another centenary – the Women’s Suffrage movement in the United Kingdom.

The recital started with a World War One poem, followed by a song by British composer John Ireland (17891962), “The Soldier.” Composed in 1917, the song tells the story of a soldier pondering on his impending death. Focus then turned away from the battle field with songs by Russian composer Sergei Rachmaninov (1973-1943) – “The Soldier’s Wife,” who is waiting for her husband’s return, and “Vocalise,” a wordless lament composed in 1915. The plight of women and children in war is also told in two songs by Serbian composer Miloje Milojević (1884-1946). The first song, “Berceaux Triste” (A Sad Lullaby), is autobiographic. Milojević composed the song in 1916, while serving in the Serbian army. He dedicated it to his wife, Ivanka Milojević, and their young daughter, Ivanka Milojević (18811975), the first concert singer in Serbia, toured tirelessly in the South Slav region, organizing charity concerts during World War I. She premiered most of her husband’s works, including the song, “Zvona” (The Bells), a harrowing account of a mother burying her child.

The recital continued the theme of loss and broken families with a song by French composer Claude Debussy (1862-1918), “Les Petit Enfents” (The Small Children). Composed in 1915, the song speaks of French, Belgian, Serbian and Polish children who no longer have homes. Its topic is relevant in the context of modern wartime and refugee crisis.

This group of songs was followed by a premiere of song cycle composed by Harriet Bushman that continued the thread of love and losses.

While music was a suitable outlet for sorrow, it was also a powerful medium to express ideals of peace and freedom. The story of Croatian soprano Maja Strozzi-Pecić (1882-1962) brings focus back to World War I. A famous opera star of her time, with Stravinsky among many composers who dedicated his songs to her, she also carved a career on the concert stage. She toured the South Slav region during World War I advocating liberation and unification of South Slav people. One of her favorite songs was “Sabah,” a song by Serbian composer Petar Konjović (1883-1970). Composed in 1916, it is a testament not only to the unifying power of music, but also to the power of the performer. Strozzi-Pecić commissioned and co-created this song; and in her performance, it reconciled different ethnicities and religions in the region, emerging as a symbol of the new unifying South Slav repertory.

The looming World War II brought the themes of war and peace to the forefront yet again, as illustrated by the song written by French composer Francis Poulenc (1899-1963), “Priez Pour Paix” (A Prayer for Peace), composed in 1939. Once again, charismatic performers promoted ideals of peace and the recital ended with the stories of the two sopranos and World War II. Both sopranos commanded a public voice through song platform; one used it to criticize the German regime while the other devoted her efforts to charity work and supporting the British troops.

Lotte Lenya (1898-1981), Austrian singer and actress, is best known for her performances of the songs of her husband, German composer Kurt Weill (1900-1950), who was of strong belief that music should serve a social purpose. The couple left Germany during the rise of National Socialism and settled in America. Lotte Lenya recorded many of Kurt Weill’s songs, including “Youkali,” a song about the utopic land of happiness that contrasts his war poetry settings.

Vera Lynn (b1917), one of the most popular female artists of all time in the United Kingdom, rose to fame during World War II when she hosted a radio program with live performances of songs most requested by the soldiers. She also toured Egypt, India and Burma, entertaining the troops with outdoor concerts. Her enduring hits include “A Nightingale Sang in Berkley Square,” “The White Cliffs of Dover” and “We’ll Meet Again.”