How does one survive and hold on to hope even in desperate circumstances? Sometimes it is music that helps us to see through adversity.
As the music of Beethoven floated through the Berlin auditorium, Nazi Commandant Josef Hanke fell in love with Mosha Gebert, the teenage Polish piano prodigy.
But it was only after the Nazis had taken over Warsaw, and Mosha is forced to watch her student murdered as she, herself, pushed into the train for Majdanek one of the killing camps did Mosha begin to realize how music would change her life forever.
Author-screenwriter Nicola Pittam had been researching another true story when she stumbled across a short mention of the tortures and struggles of the pianist. The book, The Beethoven Factor, by Dr. Paul Pearsall, a psychologist, brought tears to this stiff-upper-lip British journalist and she felt that she had to find out more. Her writing instincts went into overdrive.
Once she obtained permission to use Mosha’s story, Nicola knew that her own knowledge of the Holocaust and life in the camps was minimal compared to what she needed if she was going to tell this woman’s story.
Listening to Beethoven for hours on end as she devoured history books of the time period and life during and at the camp. Then she reached out to the State Museum at Majdanek and their PR man, Lukasz, assisted her with films and videos as well as reading her script and her manuscript for the book.
Few of the women in her barracks knew Mosha and Mosha didn’t want to make friends at first until she realized the value of being as one, bringing them together with her love of the music.
When the same Commandant Henke arrived at Majdanek, he assumed that Mosha would play piano for him…and only for him. But she proved him wrong. She refused to share her love and joy of music with someone as evil as this Nazi or play in a place as horrific as the camp.
Then comes a battle of wills as Henke tries to deprive her and her friends of food, and blankets, as well as torment her sister …all to force Mosha to play “Ode to Joy” for him.
Still, she refuses. Then he breaks one of her fingers.
Despite the pain, Mosha convinces a prison guard to smash the rest of her fingers with a rock. She hopes by crippling herself, he will be forced to give up his quest to control her…but he doesn’t. Rebel Pianist of Majdanek is a moving story of how one woman’s strength and faith with the help of her music holds out against the Nazi Death Camp.
The book is only recently released from Mardle Books and can be found on Amazon. Nicola also writes TV and feature dramas and is a member of Roadmapwriters.com. She has also written a script version, too.
Splash Magazines
Be the first to comment