
Music for Remembrance
Composers used music in various ways to process the horrors of the First World War, then thought to be “the war to end all wars.” Some poured their grief into heartfelt elegies for lost friends, faraway homes, and shattered innocence, while others vividly captured the violence and senselessness of war through discordant music. As we honor all those who have served this Veterans Day, originally known as Armistice Day, we take a listen to some poignant responses to the First World War from composers who served or stood witness, as well as works by composers killed in action.