The Reich's Orchestra - The Berlin Philharmonics and the National Socialism

The moral dilemma (explored in Ronald Harwood’s Taking Sides) that faced prominent musicians whose careers flourished under the Third Reich such as Richard Strauss, Carloff and Furtwangler was also an issue that confronted hallowed musical institutions such as the Berlin Philharmonic as explored in this fascinating documentary by Enrique Sanchez Lansch. From 1933 to 1945. Financed by the German Reich and answerable directly to the Reich Ministry for Popular Enlightenment and Propaganda, the Berlin Philharmonic was not only Germany’s flagship orchestra; it also became an ambassador for the National Socialist regime, particularly on foreign tours. First-hand accounts of life in and around the orchestra, delivered by contemporary witnesses still alive today, as well as a wealth of previously unevaluated archive material, provide a highly authentic glimpse into the period under the swastika. First-hand accounts of life in and around the orchestra, delivered by contemporary witnesses still alive today, as well as a wealth of previously unevaluated archive material, provide a highly authentic glimpse into the period under the swastika.