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Unit9SongofDefianceTheyconfrontedtheNaziswiththeonlyweapontheyhad:theirvoices.Whenyouwalkthecobbledmist-shroudedstreetsofTerezinintheCzechRepublic,yourmindfillswithimagesofthevillagesixtyyearsago,whenitwasaNaziconcentrationcamppackedwithdesperateanddyingJews.ButTerezinwasnotonlyaplaceofsuffering.Itwasalsoasceneoftriumph.Terezinhadbeenaperversekindofshowcase.IncontrasttoAuschwitz,Treblinkaandotherexterminationcamps,theNazisdesignedthetownnearPraguetofooltheworld.FormuchofWorldWarII,NazipropagandasuggestedthatJewsthereenjoyedalifeofleisure,evenusingcaptiveJewishfilmmakerstocraftamovieshowinghappyJewslisteningtolecturesandbaskinginthesun.Therealitywashorriblydifferent.Asmanyas58,000Jewswerestuffedintoatownthathadoriginallyheld7,000.Medicalsupplieswerealmostnonexistent,bedswereinfestedwithverminandtoiletsoverflowed.Ofthe150,000prisonerswhopassedthroughTerezin,35,000diedthere,mostlyfromdiseaseandhunger.Yetthecampmadeconcessionsforpropagandapurposes.SStroopswerepostedoutsidethefortress,whiledailyactivitywasoverseenbyaJewish“CouncilofElders,”whichturnedablindeyetoinmates’activities,unlesstheymightattractNaziattention.So,amidthepervasiveatmosphereofdeath,writersmanagedtowrite,painterstopaint,andcomposerstocompose.AmongthemwasRafaelSchaechter,aconductorinhismid-30s.Charismatic,withastrikingfaceandwavy,darkhair,SchaechterwasjustbeginningtomakeanameforhimselfintherichculturalmixofprewarPrague.HehadscarcelythoughtofhimselfasJewishatall,untilhewasseizedbytheNazis.Ashismonthsinthecampstretchedintoyears,andmoreandmoreJewsdisappearedeastwardonNazitransports.Schaechter’sfuryathiscaptorssteadilygrew.Andthenhethoughtofadaringplan.Heconfessedhisideatohisroommateinasinglesentence:“WecansingtoNaziswhatwecan’tsaytothem.”TheirweaponwastobeVerdi’sRequiem.EverythingthatSchaechterwantedtosaylaycamouflagedwithintheLatinwordsoftheRequiem,withitsthemesofGod’swrathandhumanliberation.Schaechterhadaccesstonomusicalinstrumentsexceptabrokenharmoniumfoundinarubbishheap.Otherthanthat,hehadonlyhumanvoicestoworkwith.Throwinghimselfintotheplan,hemanagedtorecruit150singers.Amongthegroupwasabrown-eyedteenagernamedMriankaMay.Duringher12-hourworkday,shelaboredeverythingfromscrubbingwindowstomakingtobaccopouchesforGermansoldiers.Atnight,sheslippedawaytojointhechoir,whereshefeltliftedupbyVerdi’smusicandSchaechter’spassion.“WithoutRafiSchaechter,we’dneverhavesurvived,”saysMay,oneofthetinyhandfulofchorusmemberstolivethroughthewar.“Hesavedusthroughthismusic.”Achingwithhunger,sopranosandaltos,tenorsandbasseswouldtaketheirplaces,whileSchaechterpoundedoutVerdi’stoweringthemesontheharmonium.Sincetherewasonlyasinglescore,thesingershadtomemorizetheirparts,inLatin,alanguagethatfewbesidesSchaechterunderstood.Whentheyrehearsedthekeysectioncalled“DayofWrath,”SchaechterexplainedthatitmeantGodwouldjudgeallmen—includingtheNazis—bytheirdeedsandtheywouldonedaypayfortheircrimesagainsttheJews.“Weareputtingamirrortothem,”hesaid,“Theirfateissealed.”AlthoughtheGermanshadspiesamongtheprisoners,Schaechtermanagedtokeeptherealmeaningbehindthechorus’srehearsalsasecret.Still,thecamp’sJewishelderswereupset.“TheGermanwilldeportyourwholechorus,andhangyou,”theywarnedSchaechteratastormymeeting.ThatnightSchaechtertoldhischorus,“Whatwearedoingisdangerous.Ifanyonewantstoleave,youmaygo.”Nooneleft.Atlast,intheautumnof1943,allwasready.Thefirstperformancetookplaceforprisonersgatheredinaformergymnasium.Someonehadfoundanoldpianomissingalegandproppeditonacrate.Duringtheperformance,atechniciankeptitintunewithapairofpliers.Verdi’smusicburnedthroughtheaudiencelikeanelectricalcharge,andmanyrememberitasoneofthemostpowerfuleventsoftheirlives.TheRequiemwaslikefoodputinfrontofthem.Theygnawedatitfromsheerhunger.Overtheensuingmonths,theRequiemwasrepeatedseveraltimesforadditionalaudiencesofprisoners.ThenSchaechterreceivedanorderfromthecamp’scommandanttostageacommandperformanceoftheRequiem.Thiswouldbe“inhonour”ofavisitbyRedCrossrepresentativeswho,fooledbytheNazis,wouldnotoriouslyreportthattheJewswerelivingincomfortatTerezin.TherewouldalsobehighNaziofficialspresent—amongthem,anSSlieutenantcolonelnamedAdolfEichmann.Thescenewassetforaface-to-faceconfrontationbetweendefiantJewsandthemanbehindtheFinalSolution.Despitehisbestefforts,Schaechtercouldmusteronly60singersforthechorus.Emaciated,theygatheredonthesmallstage.Eichmannsatinthefrontrow,dressedinfullNaziregalia.TheJewslookedtheNazisintheireyes,andtheirvoicesswelledastheysang:Thedayofwrath,thatdayshalldissolvetheworldinash…Whattremblingthereshallbewhenthejudgeshallcome…Nothingshallbeunavenged.Whentheperformanceended,therewasnoapplause.TheNazisroseinsilence.Asheleft,Eichmannwasheardtosay,withasmirk,“Sothey’resingingtheirownrequiem.”HeneverrealizedtheJewsweresinginghis.Soonafter,SchaechterandnearlyallhischorusmemberswereloadedintoboxcarsboundforAuschwitz.Schaechterwasneverseenagain.MariankaMaywasamongthosefreedwhenAlliedtroopsreachedTerezin.“Ibelievedinnothinginthatcamp,”saysMay,withalookinhereyesthattakesinboththedeath-filledstreetsofTerezinandthesoothinghillsof