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Russian composer Grigory Fried was born in 1915 into a family of Jewish intellectuals. In WWII he served at the Western front in a folk ensemble, and experienced the horrors of war, the bodily and mental terror of violence and suppression.
The Diary of Anne Frank, the memoir that has touched the heart of millions, was given an extra dimension through the medium of music, by composer Grigory Frid. Composed in 1968, the monodrama comprises a series of scenes from throughout the young girl's time in hiding, including her joy at receiving a birthday present, her developing feelings for fellow hideaway Peter and moments in which she laments the lonliness of isolation. Thanks to its chamber music feel, The Diary of Anne Frank has become one of the most frequently performed operatic works in the world.
Anne's story is brought to life by soprano, Eva Ben Zvi, who won rave reviews for her interpretation of this demanding role. The performance is underpinned by the Bolshoi Theatre Orchestra and conductor Andrey Chistiakov.
Other information:
- Frid's best known work is his chamber opera "The Diary of Anne Frank" for solo soprano and an instrumental group of nine. In stark, sinister and elegiac colours he expresses the fear, hope, anger and resignation which makes Anne Frank's diary a universal message of humanity. A deeply impressive work about a topic which up till today never lost its actuality and impact.
- Recorded in 1991.
- Newly written liner notes in the booklet, the libretto available on this page after release.
- Contains liner notes on the work and composer.
