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Podcast: New Books in Western European Studies
Episode: Neil Gregor, "The Symphony Concert in Nazi Germany" (U Chicago Press, 2025)
Description: A new history of how the musical worlds of German towns and cities were transformed during the Nazi era.
In the years after the Nazis came to power in January 1933 and through the war years all aspects of life in Germany changed. However, despite the social and political upheaval, gentile citizens were able to continue leisure activities such as attending concerts. In this book, historian Neil Gregor surveys the classical concert scene in Nazi Germany from the perspective of the audience, rather than institutions or performers. Gregor delves into the cultural lives of ordinary Germans under conditions...