Wednesday, April 14, 2010
Barenboim Interview.
"This is the most important thing I do. No question."--Daniel Barenboiem
This is a three part interview that BBC did with Daniel Barenboim. I encourage you to watch the full interview. He is the conductor for the West-Eastern Divan orchestra. This orchestra has brought together people from Egypt, Iran, Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, Palestine, and Syria. If you missed the movie this past weekend check out this interview. They talk about Barenboim's motives and goals in bringing this orchestra together.
I thought that it was really interesting that the interviewer stops Barenboim from reflecting on past Israel. He insists that they start the interview talking about the present state of Israel but Barenboim can't neglect the past. This reminds me of our class as we struggle through Armstrong's book. Past events and trends seem to be an important aspect of looking critically at Jerusalem's present, even for Israelis.
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This is incredibly interesting. THANK you for posting it!! I found it interesting that born in Argentina, he still considered himself an Israeli. I really do think that nationality or ethnicity are societal constructs and whatever group you feel most represents you, or you have the closest connection to, should be the group with which you are allowed to identify yourself.
ReplyDeleteI also love that he uses music to bridge gaps between people. Music is incredibly important to me, so I feel I can understand why it's such a powerful tool for bringing people together (as cliche as that may sound.)