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Dancing on a Volcano

Culture
Germany
Started April 29, 2026

Dancing on a Volcano In December 1944, amid the bombs and wartime wreckage of Berlin, acclaimed conductor Wilhelm Furtwängler led the Berlin Philharmonic in a performance of Brahms and Beethoven in a frigid variety theater—since Royal Air Force bombing raids had already wrecked most of the city’s grand concert halls and opera houses. Among those shivering under overcoats in the audience was Leo Buruma, a young Dutch law student who’d been coerced into work at a Berlin munitions factory. The m...

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Dancing on a Volcano

Commonweal (United States) | Apr 28, 2026

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CLAIM Posted by will • Apr 29, 2026
Furtwängler's choice to perform in Berlin highlights the complex role of artists in oppressive regimes and raises questions about complicity and resistance.
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CLAIM Posted by will • Apr 29, 2026
While music can uplift, it cannot change the grim realities of war and may even distract from the urgent need for action against violence.
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CLAIM Posted by will • Apr 29, 2026
Performing music in a war zone risks trivializing the suffering of those affected by the conflict and may be seen as morally questionable.
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CLAIM Posted by will • Apr 29, 2026
Art and music can act as a powerful refuge and source of resilience even in the darkest times, as shown by Furtwängler's performance amidst war.
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CLAIM Posted by will • Apr 29, 2026
The act of creating or experiencing art during wartime can serve as both a distraction and a means of coping with trauma, warranting further exploration.
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