On Wednesday October 28th, the Washington, DC-area chamber ensemble HESPERUS will present a timely presentation of a horror classic: Paul Wegener's 1920 film THE GOLEM, accompanied by a quartet of HESPERUS musicians playing Jewish and German Renaissance music on early instruments, oud, ney, and dumbek. The performance will take place at 8:00 PM, at Joseph Theatre in Breidenbaugh Hall.
THE STORY: Set in 16th century Prague, THE GOLEM tells the traditional story of the Rabbi of Prague, who, worried that the Emperor was planning to massacre the inhabitants of the Jewish ghetto, created a giant made of clay to defend them. Although it saved the ghetto, when the Golem was re-activated out of jealousy and revenge it went berserk. With scenery and lighting designed in the expressionist style of Nosferatu and the Cabinet of Dr. Caligari, THE GOLEM combines a horror story with a striking portrait of how prejudice and fear poison a city; many people see the film as a harbinger of the violence to come in 1930s Germany.
THE MUSIC: HESPERUS has created a score of historic Jewish music from the German Ashkenazi traditions as well as the Sephardic Jewish repertoire from the Balkans. Sephardic Jews were ousted from Spain in 1492 and resettled throughout Europe, Northern Africa and even South America. The Jewish music, performed on medieval strings and the Turkish oud and ney, is contrasted with the music of the Emperor and his court, Renaissance European dances performed on conventional early instruments.
HESPERUS has performed and toured since 1979. This is its third visit to Gettysburg for the Gettysburg College residency. For more information about the group, please visit www.hesperus.org. The Washington Post says this about HESPERUS "Engaging stage presence, backed by programs put together with exceptional imagination...irresistible!"
300 North Washington Street · Gettysburg, PA 17325