Through Roses (Marc Neikrug)

This is a new work for one actor and nine musicians by the American composer Marc Neikrug. The actor is Harry Towb and the musicians are led by Pinchas Zukerman and conducted by Sylvain Cambreling. 
Written originally for the stage, the style of the work is something that has not been attempted before, in the sense that the musicians are not accompanying the actor in the traditional way, but counter-pointing his words and actions. The protagonist is an ageing violinist haunted by memories of having had to perform in a Nazi concentration camp in order to survive. The musicians are creatures of his own imagination, as is their music, with its repeated references to masterpieces from the great German musical tradition. 
The work is a serious attempt by a contemporary composer to treat in musicaldramatic terms a subject that has been so clumsily handled in recent years and the intimate nature of the piece has made it more effective on film than on the stage.
The filming techniques are in some respects unusual, seeking to heighten the counterpoint between the actor and the musicians and the nightmare quality of the work.
This film was presented hors concours as part of the anniversary celebrations of the Prix Italia in Siena in September 1981 and received considerable critical acclaim.