Imagining new possibilities for classical music performance in the 21st-century: Drawing inspiration from the Berlin cabarets of the Weimar Republic

This dissertation examines the Berlin cabarets of the Weimar Republic as a model for reimagining new possibilities for classical music performances in the 21st-century United States and reshaping and inspiring my own performance practices as a classical violinist. A pivotal site of experimentation, artistic ingenuity, and inclusivity, the Berlin cabarets embraced interdisciplinary collaboration, audience participation, and community engagement in a nonconfrontational forum that addressed current political, economic, and cultural issues in society. First, I investigate the current state of classical music in the 21st-century United States and analyze nonprofit performing arts organizations that are successfully adopting new strategies to build audiences for classical music performances. I draw parallels between the state of classical music during the Weimar Republic and the 21st-century United States and explore how many modern performing arts organizations hold resonance with the Berlin cabarets. Next, I provide a detailed historical overview of the Berlin cabarets of the Weimar Republic, the artistic ingenuity that led to the genre’s success, and the demise of the cabarets during the Third Reich. In chapter 3, I describe the resurgence of the Berlin cabarets in Theresienstadt, a ghetto for Jewish inmates, during World War II. As a recipient of the University of Illinois Graduate Dissertation Travel Grant, I attend three cabaret shows in New York City. I analyze these performances and their correlations with the Berlin cabarets of the Weimar Republic. Lastly, in conjunction with this dissertation, I perform a Violins of Hope Cabaret Concert at the Spurlock Museum in Urbana, Illinois. In collaboration with Violins of Hope, an international exhibit featuring restored instruments from the Holocaust, I present with Avshi Weinstein, Co-Founder of the Violins of Hope project. Drawing inspiration from the successful elements of the Berlin cabarets of the Weimar Republic, this interdisciplinary concert features puppeteers, dancers, musicians, and visual artists from seven countries. I describe the process of planning and presenting this concert, share audience feedback, and reflect on my own performance practices for future classical music concerts.

Name thesis:degree_name

A.Mus.D.

Level thesis:degree_level

Dissertation

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Music

Grantor

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Year dc:date

2023

Author dc:creator

• Kasdan, Rebecca Rose

Contributors dc:contributor

• Freivogel, Megan
• Fairbanks, Stephen
• Silvers, Michael
• Bashford, Christina

• 21st-century Classical Music
• Berlin Cabarets
• Violin Performance
• Weimar Republic

Statement dc:rights

• Copyright 2023 Rebecca Kasdan

Language dc:language

en, eng

Handle dc:identifier

https://hdl.handle.net/2142/121462

OAI record oai:identifier

https://www.ideals.illinois.edu/oai-pmh?verb=GetRecord&metadataPrefix=etdms&identifier=oai%3Awww.ideals.illinois.edu%3A2142%2F121462