Martha Susanna Betje Dekker

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The eradication of the memory of Daniël Belinfante (1893-1945) seemed complete until the Italian pianist Francesco Lotoro contacted the Dutch pianist Marcel Worms, who is associated with the Leo Smit Foundation. In the early years of the twenty-first century, research by Worms and the musicologist Wim de Vries uncovered the outlines of Belinfante’s musical career as pianist, composer and director of a music school in Amsterdam, where members of the Concertgebouw Orchestra taught both classical music and jazz. Belinfante married his pupil Martha Dekker (1900-1989), who developed a method for teaching singing and declamation to children and composed many songs. Belinfante was an interesting composer who experimented with polytonality and polyrhythm- and who left a considerable oeuvre. In 1940, he was forced by the occupying forces to close his music school. He was active in the Resistance, helping others to hide, and was arrested for these activities; he died in a fire in the hospital of the Fürstengrube camp in January 1945. Martha survived the war, continued the music school but did not compose again. In his wife's archives there is no record of any of Belinfante’s music having been performed after the war. In 1955, she donated his manuscripts to the Netherlands Music Institute.

Bruidegom: Daniël Belinfante Geboorteplaats: Amsterdam Leeftijd: 30 Beroep: componist Vader van de bruidegom: Aron Belinfante Beroep: diamantbewerker Moeder van de bruidegom: Sara Lisser Bruid: Martha Susanna Betje Dekker Geboorteplaats: Amsterdam Leeftijd: 23 Beroep: zanglerares Vader van de bruid: Joël Dekker Moeder van de bruid: Betje Turksma Beroep: coupeuse Gebeurtenis: Huwelijk Datum: donderdag 27 december 1923 Gebeurtenisplaats: Amsterdam