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Music at World's End 2025
Music at World's End is a 2025 scholarly work written by Icelandic music historian Árni Heimir Ingólfsson. The book follows the lives of three musicians who fled Nazi Germany and Austria in the years before World War II, and who settled in Iceland to contribute significantly to its musical development.
Victor Urbancic, a conductor, pianist, and composer from Vienna, was joined by Heinz Edelstein, a cellist and music teacher from Freiburg im Breisgau, and Robert Abraham—later known in Iceland as Róbert Abraham Ottósson, a conductor and pianist from Berlin. As Árni Heimir Ingólfsson notes in the book, these musicians were compelled to leave their homelands shortly after the rise of the Nazi regime. Edelstein and Abraham were of Jewish descent, and Urbancic's wife Melitta was also Jewish. After failing to find work elsewhere, they each secured positions in Iceland. At that time, the country was still developing its classical music tradition, and their musical expertise was essential for this cultural growth. All three musicians were skilled and adaptable, willingly participating in building the musical life of their new nation.
Ingólfsson also addresses the anti-immigrant stance of the Icelandic government during this period, led by Prime Minister Hermann Jónasson. He highlights that at least four other musicians attempted to obtain work permits in Iceland but were denied or considered applying: Alphons Silbermann, Ludwig Misch, Paul Erdensohn, and Viktor Ullmann.
Árni Heimir Ingólfsson initially wrote short articles about Urbancic, Edelstein, and Abraham in 2001, commissioned by the culture editor of the Icelandic newspaper Morgunblaðið. These were published in three parts that same year. He later expanded his piece on Abraham for a 2012 publication celebrating the centenary of his birth. The Icelandic version of the book was released in September 2024 under the title Tónar útlaganna: Þrír landflótta tónlistarmenn sem mótuðu íslenskt menningarlíf (The Music of the Outlaws: Three Exiled Musicians Who Shaped Icelandic Cultural Life). This edition received high praise, including a five-star review in Morgunblaðið and commendations from the TV book program Kiljan. Jón Karl Helgason, an Icelandic scholar, observed that Árni Heimir Ingólfsson’s research was especially significant given ongoing debates about Iceland's immigration policies at the time. The work was shortlisted for both the Icelandic Literary Prize (non-fiction) and the Icelandic Hagthenkir Award for Best Scholarly Book.
The English-language edition appeared in January 2025 and was soon featured on BBC Radio 3's Saturday Morning program. Music and Letters reviewer historian and record producer Michael Haas described the book as “immensely readable and informative.” Jane Gottlieb of Juilliard, reviewing in Notes, called it a “fascinating study,” full of “enormous amount of information and keen insights.” Kimberly Cannady, writing for Scandinavian Studies, noted it as “exciting” and “meticulously researched.” Dominic Hartley, reviewing for MusicWeb International, said the book was “gripping and instructive,” commending Árni Heimir Ingólfsson’s “formidable” and “scrupulous” research.
Details
- Publisher
- SUNY Press
- ISBN
- 9798855800692
