Artists: Daniel Hope, Klaus Maria Brandauer

Klaus Maria Brandauer read Dietrich Bonhoeffer
Musical concept: Daniel Hope

Dietrich Bonhoeffer was an outstanding theologian of the German Protestant Church who became a major figure in the Church's resistance movement.

Bonhoeffer was born in 1906 in Breslau and aged 13 decided to join the church. He was distinguished early on by his exceptional intelligenc, intellectual curiosity and openness towards other faiths. Within the church he was an early opponent of the Nazi regime, and saw its ideology as a counter-religion, and thus a threat to Christianity itself. In October 1933 he moved to Britain where he received the support of Bishop Bell of Chichester. On his return to Germany he set up an illegal seminary which was shut down by the Gestapo in 1937. In 1939 he travelled to the USA, but on the outbreak of war, and ignoring the obvious dangers to himself, returned immediately to Germany, convinced that a Nazi victory would destroy Christian civilisation

Henceforth he saw it as his Christain duty to actively oppose this criminal regime and became increasingly involved with groups dedicated to its overthrow. In March 1943 he was arrested and incarcerated. Following the failed assassination plot against Hitler in July 1944, hundreds of political prisoners were executed. Bonhoeffer himself survived until 9 April 1945, just days before the end of the war, when he was murdered by the Nazis.

Klaus Maria Brandauer, ever since his stunning film portrait in "Mephisto", has developed an empathy with characters who tried to act as go-betweens in totalitarian regimes, or, in the case of Bonhoeffer, remained violently anti-establishment.

Daniel Hope accompanied the moving letters and statements of Bonhoeffer with Solo Violin, a kaleidoscope of music and emotions, ranging from Bach, to Ravel, Debussy, Schulhoff and Ysaye.

Brandauer and Hope toured Germany with this project in May 2005, giving performances in churches and cathedrals, as well as for 2000 students at Mannheim University. The performance was equally well suited to schools, universities, and concert halls.