Sam Swaap

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Sam Swaap c. 1923

Sam Swaap (

conductor
.

Early life

Samuel (Sam) Swaap, the son of David Swaap (1859–1942) and Elisabeth Halberstad (1853–1928) began playing the violin at the age of eight, receiving his first violin lessons from H.M Hofmeester. He enrolled in the Amsterdam Conservatorium and studied under

Leon Orthel
(1905–1985) dedicated his Capriccio op.19 to him in 1939.

World War II

The

Nazi invasion of Holland on 10 May 1940, and the subsequent restrictions on Jews around the country affected Swaap's career as a musician. He was given fewer and fewer opportunities to perform with the Residence Orchestra and some documents point out that "his chair was pulled back",[1]
meaning he could no longer sit in the front of the first violin section. Early in 1941 he was dismissed from the orchestra. He was then fired, as were many other Jewish musicians who had lost their jobs, to the "Jewish Orchestra" (Joods Orkest) which was active from November 1941 to July 1942. Swaap became chairman of that orchestra.

In December 1942 Swaap was imprisoned in

Theresienstadt concentration camp
(identified as ‘Group C’ in the transport list). Swaap lost two brothers in the war.

After the War

On 4 February 1945, Swaap was notified that he would be transferred from Theresienstadt concentration camp to Switzerland where he could settle.[2] The Residence Orchestra offered Swaap the opportunity to return to his position. He accepted and on 20 November 1945 he played his first post-war concert in Diligentia. A month later, On the occasion of the Chanoekafeest, he played in Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen in Rotterdam.

In 1947 Swaap retired from the Residence Orchestra. A year later he formed the Dutch Chamber Symphony Orchestra and from that time onwards dedicated most of his time to conducting. During the course of his career, Swaap received a number of awards. He died in 1971 at the age of 83.[3]

Legacy

A part of his private collection of scores and music is located in the Felicja Blumental Music Library, Tel Aviv.

List of recordings

  1. Schubert: Ave Maria
  2. Sibelius: Valse triste
  3. Mascagni: Cavalleria Rusticana, Intermezzo.
  4. Dvořák: Indian lament
  5. Tosti: La serenata
  6. Handel: Arioso
  7. Bach (Arr. Gounod): Ave Maria
  8. Beethoven: Romance
  9. Saint-Saëns: Le déluge, Prélude
  10. Mlynarski: Mazurka
  11. G Pierné: Sérénade
  12. A d'Ambrosio: Canzonetta
  13. Massenet: Méditation
  14. Fiorillo Arr J Wolfsthal: Caprice
  15. Antonín Dvořák: Larghetto
  16. Gabriel Fauré: Berceuse op.16
  17. Beethoven (arrangement) – Piano Sonata no.8, Adagio
  18. C. Franck: Panis Angelicus
  19. Widor: Serenade
  20. Padre Martini: Gavoute

References

  1. ISBN 978-0814320365
    . Retrieved 6 April 2015.
  2. ^ "The OREL Foundation – Articles & Essays – "Some Jewish Colleagues are Back at Their Desks…"". orelfoundation.org. Retrieved 6 April 2015.
  3. ^ "Sam Swaap overleden (Sam Swaap died)". delpher.nl. Het Parool (newspaper named yesterday). 9 November 1971. Retrieved 10 October 2022.

External links

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