BY KAREN BOSSICK
When Adrienne Haan first began making historic presentations about the so-called Degenerate Music of Nazi Germany, she thought of her lectures as an interesting facet of history no one knew about.
Never did the award-winning singer, who performed at The Argyros last year, think she would be using the presentations as a cautionary tale.
She’ll be doing just that when she presents “Degenerate Music” at 5:30 p.m. Tuesday June 17, at Ketchum’s Community Library. Admission is free, but reservations are required to see it in person at https://thecommunitylibrary.libcal.com/event/14450462.
That link will also allow patrons to see the program as it is livestreamed. The program will be recorded for later viewing on the library’s Event Archive.
“This historic presentation is more important than ever as it also serves as a reminder that history repeats itself,” said the New York City singer, who is presenting Tuesday’s talk under the patronage of the German Consulate General in San Francisco.
Degenerate Music, Haan said, was a label used by the Nazi government during 1930s Germany for music they deemed harmful to society. They applied the same term to art.
Haan had long been singing Cabaret music from the 1920s—what was considered the Golden Age of German music—when she became interested in researching Degenerate Music.
“In the 1920s Germany was considered THE country of culture because so much was going on with people like Albert Einstein. How could something like this happen?”
The music that the Nazis considered degenerate included modern music by avant-garde artists that was considered inferior to classical music. It also included works by Black composers, new music written by Catholics and jazz musicians and Jews
Even classical composers from the 18th century who had nothing to do with Nazis were considered degenerate because they were Jewish.
“The Germans didn’t appreciate much of this music because it wasn’t structured. It didn’t follow the rules. They believed it would lead to the degeneration of the nation because its abandonment of form threatened the Nazi’s order and control. Germans wanted to keep Germany German by only playing German composers like Richard Wagner, whose music was melodic and reminded the people of the great sagas of the German kings. They didn’t want free thinkers.”
Haan says she will provide historic photos, samples of music considered degenerate and samples of music that received the Nazis’ blessing during her presentation.
The Nazis, she said, accused many of musicians writing Degenerate Music of going against the regime. Most musicians escaped to the United States, England or Switzerland. But some died in concentration camps.
“In 1933 they started burning books. By 1941 we had the Holocaust. People say it can’t happen here, but it is. We’re banning and burning books. We burned CDs by the Dixie Chicks because they expressed their political views. People in this country are trying to rewrite history. It gets bad; then it gets worse. Then you add a military parade… This lecture is a reminder that history repeats itself. It’s very scary what is happening.”
Much can be traced to propaganda--false propaganda, dangerous propaganda and conspiracy theories, Haan said.
“Conspiracy theories are not a new thing. And, if you know how to talk, people follow you like sheep. The economy of America today is not like German’s poor economy in the 1930s. But, when people are unhappy, they blame others for it. And we see that today as people complain we have this bad economy because immigrants are taking our jobs.”
IRVING BERLING
Hann who lives in New York City, will be back in Ketchum Dec. 10 and 11, 2025, to present a Tribute to Irving Berlin at The Argyros in Ketchum.
Haan has performed around the world, including in such venues as Carnegie Hall. Her repertoire encompasses German 1920s and ‘30s cabaret music, American Songbook, Broadway and French Chanson. Armed with a Master’s Degree in Applied Linguistics from St. Mary’s University in London, she performs fluently in 14 languages.