Gideon Klein (1919-45) was one of the most promising talents of the lost generation of Czech Jewish composers killed in the Holocaust. In his short life, he developed a highly individual musical language influenced by Schoenberg, Berg, and above all, Janacek. He synthesized pursuits in modernism (such as with quarter-tone music) with forays into Hebrew and Moravian folk music of his upbringing. He was deported to the Terezin concentration camp with Pavel Haas, Hans Krasa, and Viktor Ullmann. In the face of such oppressive and despairing circumstances, he contributed greatly to the musical life of his fellow prisoners as a performer, educator, and director, composing prolifically until he was transferred to Auchwitz where he was killed in 1945.
Klein's String Trio (1944), his crowning final work, betrays little of the circumstances during which it was composed. It is light and accessible compared to his more experimental works, with a distinct connection to Janacek. The spritely outer movements stand in contrast to the extended middle movement, a wistful and haunting set of variations on a Moravian folk song.
