Marion von Tilzer, Bella Adamova, Maya Fridman, Belinfante Quartet, Michael Hesselink & Jacobus Thiele

Into Eternity

At the heart of this album is a musical triptych inspired by a letter written by Vilma Grunwald saying goodbye to her husband just moments before she and her son John were killed in the Auschwitz gas chamber.

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About the album

At the heart of this album is a musical triptych inspired by a letter written by Vilma Grunwald saying goodbye to her husband just moments before she and her son John were killed in the Auschwitz gas chamber.

It is a story of absolute sadness, yet it speaks to us of the human capacity for love, it speaks of courage, trust and confidence as told by a woman facing her death in the Holocaust. Vilma shines a light on the very core of what it means to accept circumstance without losing the belief in life’s beauty or hope in its goodness — trusting wholeheartedly that love carries us through and beyond the end.

When Marion von Tilzer became aware of Vilma’s moving letter, she immediately felt inspired to set it to music. The composition has three movements: Out of the Dark, The Letter of Vilma Grunwald, and Hajej, můj andílku, an arrangement of a traditional Czech lullaby. Through this music, the voice of Vilma Grunwald resonates once again. Around the triptych, which forms the core of the album, Marion created five more compositions. All eight pieces are related to the contrast between dark and light, which in the last piece Into Eternity dissolves into shimmering sounds of bells and piano.

Sharon Levinson

Tracklist click to play/pause

  • Marion von Tilzer

    Out of the Dark

    11:16 Play button Pause button 11:16
  • Marion von Tilzer

    The Letter of Vilma Grunwald

    11:11 Play button Pause button 11:11
  • Marion von Tilzer

    Hajej, můj andílku

    3:20 Play button Pause button 3:20
  • Marion von Tilzer

    Song for Mira

    4:02 Play button Pause button 4:02
  • Marion von Tilzer

    I Heard This in My Dream

    5:06 Play button Pause button 5:06
  • Marion von Tilzer

    The Day the Light Came

    3:40 Play button Pause button 3:40
  • Marion von Tilzer

    Girl Finds a Bright Spot in a Dark World

    5:26 Play button Pause button 5:26
  • Marion von Tilzer

    Into Eternity

    8:19 Play button Pause button 8:19

More information

Label TRPTK
Genre(s) Classical – Contemporary (> 1920)
Artist(s) Belinfante Quartet
Bella Adamova
Jacobus Thiele
Marion von Tilzer
Maya Fridman
Michael Hesselink
Composer(s) Tilzer, Marion von
Recording location(s) Galaxy Studios, Mol (BE)
Recording date(s) December 2022
Cat. No.

TTK 0104

Release date

April 28th, 2023

Additional links

Download Booklet(PDF)

Tech specs

Microphones

Josephson C617 w/ Gefell MK221 capsules (main)
Schoeps MK4 (height)
Josephson C716 (voice, clarinet & percussion)
Josephson C715 (solo cello)
Schoeps MK4 (violins, viola)
Ehrlund EHR-M (cello)
Singular Audio f-48 (piano)

Microphone preamps

Grace Design m801mk2

AD/DA conversion

Merging Technologies Hapi
Merging Technologies Anubis
Grimm Audio CC2

Recording resolution

DSD 11.2MHz 1bit

Mastering resolution

PCM 352.8kHz 64bit

Monitoring (recording)

KEF LS50
Audeze LCD-X

Monitoring (mastering)

KEF Blade Two
KEF LS50 Meta
Hegel H30
Hegel C55

Cabling

Furutech custom microphone cables
Furutech custom interlinks
Furutech custom power cables
Furutech custom loudspeaker cables
Grimm Audio TPR8 breakout cables
Purecable Prime DIG75 word clock cable

"However difficult it may be to place the terrible, gruesome and bizarre in an aesthetic framework, the whole nevertheless proved to be the pervasive reflection of an indefinable state of mind that leaves the abstract far behind without, however, lapsing into unwanted effect chasing. Vocal and instrumental contributions lived up to that in extraordinarily impressive fashion. The recording is superb: strictly clear and colourful."

Aart van der Wal, Opus Klassiek

"From the dark turmoil of the opening movement, Von Tilzer allows the sung letter to rise slowly — with soft strings and the heartbeat of the piano — from the muck of Auschwitz. And in the final movement, she recaptures innocence from hatred and evil through the simplicity of a lullaby, a beautiful dialogue between alto Bella Adamova and Maya Fridman's drifting cello."

Joost Galema, NRC (Album of the Week & 4th Best Album of the Year)

"This release is more than a compelling musical experience; it is a document that no one should miss."

Adrian Quanjer, HRAudio

"In the song the words of the letter are sung by the rich contralto voice of Bella Adamova, whose sincere delivery of Von Tilzer’s touching evocation of sadness and resignation is the most affecting track on the disc. The composer captures the emotional mood of the letter with simplicity while her transparent scoring of the piece conveys the deep love and resignation found in Vilma’s note. The vocalist has been recorded at a slight distance from the microphones; this gives the impression that Vilma is singing to the listener from just beyond this world, and adds to the emotional journey of the experience."

Mike Parr, MusicWeb International

"In listening to this album, I encourage you to find your quiet, dark, happy space and distance yourself from all distractions. When I did this, the music simply drew me in, enveloped me, and totally engaged my mind and spirit. I don't often say this of recordings, but this is one that fully rewards the effort."

Rushton Paul, Positive Feedback

"To say that von Tilzer has created a recording of poetic depth and musical beauty only begins to capture it. As grounded in her compositions as it is, however, Into Eternity derives a huge measure of its impact from the exceptional playing by her partners, Fridman first and foremost."

Ron Schepper, Textura

"In the song the words of the letter are sung by the rich contralto voice of Bella Adamova, whose sincere delivery of Von Tilzer’s touching evocation of sadness and resignation is the most affecting track on the disc. The composer captures the emotional mood of the letter with simplicity while her transparent scoring of the piece conveys the deep love and resignation found in Vilma’s note. The vocalist has been recorded at a slight distance from the microphones; this gives the impression that Vilma is singing to the listener from just beyond this world, and adds to the emotional journey of the experience."

Len Mullenger, MusicWeb International

SKU: TTK 0104 SA Category:
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