Album portrays the political turmoil of the 20th century; Klein is the only musician in Brazil to have a classical music Grammy
“When There Are No Words” is the title of Brazilian conductor Alex Klein’s album, which, once again, sees chances to win a Grammy. The first, Klein succeeded in 2002, as the best instrumental soloist with orchestra. Another four, he won as a member of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. In 2023, the opportunity comes through music producer James Ginsburg, founder of the classical music label Cedille Records, who competes in the ‘Producer of the Year’ category with six albums, including Klein’s.
The award ceremony for the 65th edition of the Grammy Awards, which this year has nominated for 91 categories, takes place on February 5, in Los Angeles (USA).
Alex Klein’s album, with six compositions, was recorded in March last year, at the DePaul University studio, in Chicago (USA). “The album’s songs reflect wars, political disappointments and forced displacements”, explains the conductor.
Klein no Oboé and Phillip Bush on the piano interpret works by composers who were somehow touched by the turbulent policy of the 20th century. The Klein project covers works by Czechs, Germans, British, Americans and Brazilians. Much of the music shows a calm lyricism and a melodious beauty that seem to contradict the difficult circumstances of the honorees, some exiled from their countries of origin, others maddened by the war.
“Pawel Haas wrote his voice and piano suite in 1939, with a nationalist and anti-Nazi text. “Even so he was deported, he participated in the Nazi propaganda with the Jews in Therezin, and then, already sick, he was sent to Auschwitz where he died in the gas chamber”.
Alex Klein has collected national and international awards since 1983. Even with his residence outside Brazil due to his performance in the Calgary Orchestra, Canada, Klein hits a point every year in Jaraguá do Sul, a city in the north of Santa Catarina, to direct the FEMUSC – Santa Catarina International Music Festival, the largest school festival in Latin America, conceived by the maestro in 2006. “This year, FEMUSC completes the age of majority, there are 18 editions of a project that gains more and more fans and Fans, there is nothing like Femusc, they can look for it”, he says proudly of the project that is sponsored by local businessmen and support from the Jaraguan City Hall.
“This year we will do more than 200 presentations, with morning classes for beginner musicians and professionals around the world, with teachers such as Simone Bernardini, a member of the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra, Fernando Cordella, Cravista Gaúcho and the singer Jane Duboc, who teaches singing in the MPB course”, he explains.
FEMUSC 2023 takes place from January 8th to 28th. All the shows, which include performances of old, classical music, MPB and three operas, are free. Tickets are always available 48 hours in advance at the Centro Cultura Scar box office, where the presentations take place.
