The Big Picture and music from films about the Holocaust

So many films have been made about this crushing subject, and a good deal of them have been crucial in educating the public in this day and age of Holocaust deniers. I’ve taken the liberty of choosing the following pieces of music for “The Big Picture” from these three very powerful movies.

1) Love Theme (from Sophie's Choice)

Both the book and the movie Sophie's Choice really moved me so deeply. There's tremendous passion in the story... so I tried to bring that out in my arrangement of the iconic theme song.

2) Moving to the Ghetto (from The Pianist)

The Pianist is so incredible and emotionally overwhelming. For me to include this piece from the film was vitally important as it's considered by many who've seen the show to be one of the emotional linchpins of The Big Picture. It's actually the one piece on the program that touches on pure klezmer,‎ so it gives me the opportunity to deeply explore that very powerful sound world.

3) Remembrances (from Schindler’s List)

This piece of music isn’t on the CD of “The Big Picture”, but it’s a crucial part of the performance. Steven Spielberg did a great thing by bringing this incredibly poignant story to the public’s attention and I’m proud to include my interpretation of this moving composition by John Williams.