A Hungarian theme

Time for music - and it's off to Hungary and Croatia...

I recently came across a video here of a performance of John Williams' music for "Schindler's List", the film about Oskar Schindler who saved about a thousand Jews during World War II. It takes place in what is apparently the biggest synagogue in Europe, the Dohany Street Synagogue in Buda pest, Hungary. A packed audience (or is it congregation?) listens attentively as a young solo violinist plays the haunting theme accompanied by organs. The camera lingers here and there, capturing various human reactions. Watch out for the elderly lady gently resting her head against the pew end, and the young couple, she resting her head on her man's shoulder. Left is a picture of the synagogue's interior, that you can see in the video. 

 

On a lighter note but keeping up the Hungarian theme, here are Croatian cellist  Hauser and American violinist Caroline Campbell (right) hamming it up playing some czardas (Hungarian dances) from the festival he has promoted in his hometown of Pula. He used to be one half of the duo "2 Cellos" but has fashionably dropped his first name, grown his hair longer and, yes, plays a mean cello...