Free The Holocaust Opera by Mark Edward Hall

stench of burning flesh. Orders were being screamed. Dogs barked. Children wept.
    Males and females were separated immediately, each forming their own line. Most were unaware that this was the last time they would see their loved ones alive.
    Into the midst of all the chaos strolled an officer who seemed very much out of place. His uniform was immaculately tailored. His handsome face was set with a kind smile. He was cheerfully whistling one of his favorite opera tunes by Wagner. He carried a riding crop in his white-gloved hand, but rather than striking the prisoners with it as he passed along their ranks, he used it to indicate which direction he wished them to go in, links oder rechts , left or right. The detainees were unaware that this charming and handsome officer was selecting which new arrivals were fit to work and which ones should be sent immediately to the gas chambers and crematorium. Life to the left, death to the right.
    As the officer strode down the ranks, perusing the new arrivals, making his grim choices, inconceivably, on the sidelines, an orchestra made up of rag-tag prisoners played waltzes.
    This gave the whole thing a surreal atmosphere. It also gave young Aaron Gideon an idea. He and his father, Abraham, had been separated almost immediately from their wives and they were desperate to be reunited.
    As the officer strode within earshot, Aaron decided to make a bold move and said, “I am a musician.”
    The officer stopped, looking the young man up and down. “Oh?” he said.
    “Yes, and so is my father; and my wife is a singer.”
    “And who is your father?”
    “I am,” said the older man beside Aaron. “My wife became ill on the train, and I wish to make sure that she is taken care of.”
    “What is her name?” the officer, whose nametag said Mengele, asked.
    “Miriam. Miriam Gideon.”
    Mengele had an aid write the name in a large notebook. “We will see that she is taken care of.” He smiled.
    “Thank you, kind sir,” Abraham said.
    “So, you say you are musicians?”
    “Yes,” replied Aaron.
    “There are many musicians in camp, as you can see,” Mengele said, gesturing toward his orchestra of rag-tag prisoners.
    “We are better than them,” Aaron replied.
    “Really,” Mengele said, unable to contain another small smile. “What are your names?”
    “Abraham and Aaron Gideon,” said the older man.
    “What sort of musicians are you?”
    “Classically trained,” Abraham said proudly. “And my son is a composer.”
    “A composer,” Mengele said, gazing with interest at Aaron. “A creative composer?”
    “Yes, sir.”
    “Do you follow form, or do you improvise?”
    “Both, sir.”
    “Very interesting. You say your wife is a singer?”
    “Yes, sir. She is.”
    “A fine singer?”
    “Yes, very fine.”
    “Her name, please?”
    “Eva.”
    “Eva. Very well then. I will consider what you have told me, and if I decide to hear more musicians, I will call for you.”
    Days later, when the two Gideon men were nearly frantic with worry over the fate of their wives, soldiers came and called them from their work detail, which consisted of feeding dead bodies into the crematorium. They were brought before Mengele for an audition. Besides Mengele, there were three SS officers, two enlisted soldiers, and a woman in the room. The woman, a striking beauty, was introduced simply as Brawne. She sat behind a desk taking notes and was quite attentive to Mengele.
    Abraham was a violinist and Aaron, a pianist. They used instruments that were provided for them. Nervous, tired, and hungry, but resolved to do the very best they could under the circumstances, both men performed requested selections. They played well together and Mengele and his entourage seemed impressed.
    “Wagner!” Mengele said, jumping up from his seat behind the desk. “I wish to hear something from Wagner. Der Ring des Nibelungen. ( The Nibelung’s Ring ) Can you play any selections from Der Ring des Nibelungen ?