Unique Historic Lecture and Concert Event

WITH HISTORIAN KARL FREDRICKSON & CELLIST TOBIAS VAN DER PALS & PIANIST PAL EIDE

“The present time is literally challenging us every hour, indeed every minute, to wake up. Anthroposophy as a science of the spirit can only be understood by those who are able to grasp that humanity is being asked to make a clear decision. Either the spirit is understood or the chaos continues.” ~ Rudolf Steiner

Please join us at ASNYC on Wednesday, November 16, for this very special two-part, live event! 

Historian Karl Fredrickson: Rudolf Steiner, His Life and Times (The Year 1918)

By the year 1918, Dornach had grown into a vibrant community of creative spiritual life. Renowned writers, musicians and artists–-among them Andrei Belyi, Leopold van der Pals, Assya Turgeniev, and Edith Maryon-–joined with people from more than a dozen nations to work on the interior of the First Goetheanum, coming together in the evenings to share their work, experience the new arts of eurythmy and recitation, and of course, to listen to lectures of Rudolf Steiner.

But this was also the final year of the war, with the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk, the ongoing Bolshevik Revolution, the arrival of American forces, and the revolution in Germany. Here, too, Rudolf Steiner was deeply involved, spending months in Berlin and lecturing across Germany, helping chart a pathway forward for Europe and the rest of humanity.

This evening we will draw on the reminiscences of those around him, along with the themes of his lectures, in an attempt to enter more deeply into the significance of that remarkable year, truly a turning point in the life of Rudolf Steiner and the mission of Anthroposophy.

Tobias van der Pals Cello and Pål Eide Piano

Cellist Tobias van der Pals and pianist Pål Eide, closely following performing the world premiere of Leopold van der Pels’ Cello Sonata #2 at Carnegie Hall’s Weill Recital Hall, will play portions of that program. Also, Tobias will speak about the adventure of discovering troves of previously unknown compositions by his late, great uncle Leopold, and bringing this work to the world. The cello sonata was composed in autumn 1922 just next to the Goetheanum in Leopold’s house on Unterer Zielweg shortly before the fire that destroyed the building.

Leopold and his wife were close friends with Rudolf and Marie Steiner. Leopold was a prolific and pioneering modernist composer whose works were often written for events at the Goetheanum. They were also widely performed across Europe and here in the US before WWII. His daughter Lea later led eurythmy training at the Goetheanum. Among her students were Dorothea Meier, Marjorie Spock, Clare Gollogly, and Linda Larson.   

Seating is limited, so please pre-register! The Karl Fredrickson portion of the evening will also be available on Zoom. A link will be provided to registrants. The recommended donation for Zoom only participation is $15.00.