The Past Is Present is a cantata about and by Holocaust survivors and their children. All of the text is taken from the oral testimony of members of Jeffrey Schanzer’s family. The visuals are taken from old family photographs as well as original artwork by Noah Bogan, who is also the son of survivors. The characters are: A Father, who mourns the loss of his first son, who survived the Holocaust but died of leukemia when they immigrated to the United States. A Mother, who describes her flight from the Nazi blitzkrieg of Poland and later, her life in post-war Europe, travelling to the US, getting married and having children. A Cousin, who describes Schanzer family life before the War and later, her immediate family’s experience under Nazi occupation. A Son, who struggles to understand his place in the world in the aftermath of an event which occurred before his birth. This piece premiered at The Kitchen in 1999.

The Past is Present
A Cantata About and By Holocaust Survivors and Their Children
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Music by
Jeffrey Schanzer

Text by
Howard Schanzer

Jeffrey Schanzer

Matilda Gruenkraut Schanzer

Rita Schanzer Sharf

Original Artwork and Visuals by
Noah Bogan 1998 (revised 2024)
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I. Lament for Erik
II. A Mother's Story – 1939-40
Interlude: Erik’s Story
III. Afterture/A Son's Thoughts
IV. Conversation with a Cousin – I

— Intermission —

V. Conversation with a Cousin – II
VI. A Mother's Story – After the War
VII. A Son Questions (You Can't Make Up for the Holocaust)
VIII. A Father's Death
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Isabelle Ganz Mezzo Soprano - A Mother
Sylvia Bloom Soprano - A Cousin
Brian McCorkle Tenor - A Son
Thomas Meglioranza Baritone - A Father
Laura Seaton Violin
Joyce Hammann Violin
Ron Lawrence Viola
Mary Wooten Cello
Margot Leverett Clarinet
Ned Rothenberg Bass Clarinet
Kevin Norton Drums
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View The Past is Present performance video on YouTube.