CAIRO: In an exclusive telephone interview with Daily News Egypt from his home in Germany, Israeli pianist and conductor Daniel Barenboim attempted to correct one of the key assumptions of his critics in Egypt.
“I’m not representing the Israeli government. I’m coming [to Egypt] as a private person who has been very critical of the Israeli government on many occasions, he said.
Few classical musicians of modern times have provoked such controversy through their work and political views as Barenboim, one of the most prominent musicians of the late 20th and early 21st centuries.
In his highly controversial first visit to Egypt, Barenboim will conduct the Cairo Symphony Orchestra in Beethoven’s Symphony No.5 at the Cairo Opera House on April 16. He is also due to perform a number of piano pieces himself, though these are yet to be announced.
Barenboim’s upcoming musical venture in Cairo is causing a stir because of the mere fact of an Israeli citizen being allowed to play on Egyptian soil. Some have condemned the performance as a form of forced normalization.
One of the more vocal critics is prominent television presenter Mahmoud Saad, who urged “every journalist in Egypt not to allow this to happen. Other journalists have shared the view that the planned concert is a form of “normalization by stealth.
Barenboim’s response to his critics has been characteristically delicate and low-key. “This is not about normalization in terms of accepting the existing conditions. It’s more to do with dialogue, with opening up to hear what the other side is saying, he said.
Born in Argentina to Jewish parents, Barenboim moved to Israel as a child and still holds Israeli citizenship. He is also the proud holder of a Palestinian Authority passport, granted to him at a ceremony in the West Bank in 2008 in recognition of his ongoing support for the Palestinian cause. He has been the butt of scathing verbal assaults from the Israeli establishment for his criticism of the government’s treatment of the Palestinian people, and is a firm opponent of Jewish settlements in the West Bank and the blockade of Gaza. He also has made enemies among Israeli conservatives for his choices of musical repertoire, venues and colleagues. Barenboim’s upcoming performance, though, has landed him in hot water not with his Israeli compatriots, but with outspoken members of the Egyptian establishment. The issue of artistic cooperation between Egyptian and Israeli artists has been a topic of furious debate over the years. But as Barenboim points out, the planned concert is the result of moves by the Austrian and Spanish embassies in Cairo, with zero input from the Israeli authorities. Among the supporters of the event is Egyptian Minister of Culture Farouk Hosni, who has adopted the line that such acts of cultural cooperation have the power to foster dialogue between like-minded sections of society on either side of the border. It is an idea that fuels much of Barenboim’s work. “This is not a political project; it is a project of humanity, and it stems from the idea that these two peoples, the Israeli’s and Palestinians, are so linked that they are blessed or cursed to live together, said Barenboim. “I understand those who are upset by the issues in Palestine, and upset by the policies of the Israeli government. But this is precisely why it’s important now to demonstrate that there are Israelis who are critical of their own government’s policies. It’s also important for the views of Egyptians to be heard in Israel, he said. This is not the first time that the musician has attempted to perform in Egypt. In January of this year, Barenboim planned to bring the West-Eastern Divan Orchestra to Cairo for a concert in solidarity with the besieged residents of Gaza. However, it was cancelled due to concerns for the safety of the Israeli musicians in the orchestra. The West-Eastern Divan Orchestra is composed of a mix of musicians from Israel and the Arab region, and was founded jointly with the late Palestinian intellectual Edward Said. Barenboim does not shy of voicing his concerns over the Israel-Palestine issue, however – aside from asserting the futility of military action – he is reluctant to propose a political resolution to the conflict. “This is not the time to be deciding on whether to have a one-state or a two-state solution. The first point has to be to recognize each other’s right to live there, he said. “It’s not a conflict between two nations. It’s between two peoples who are both convinced that they have the right to live on the same piece of land. The solution has to be that they both accept each other’s desire to live on the same land. If you have an enemy, you have to understand how that enemy thinks and feels. “First of all, the Palestinians must be given the dignity and independence that has been their right for so many years, but which has been denied. Barenboim began his career as a pianist in 1950 at the tender age of seven. He has recorded several complete cycles of the works of Mozart, Beethoven, Bartok and Johannes Brahms, among others. He took up conducting and has led many of the world’s most prestigious orchestras, and then went on to work as musical director for the likes of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra and the Berlin State Opera. He also boasts a cabinet full of honorary degrees and prizes, among them six Grammys. As might be expected, Barenboim’s commitment to his humanitarian ideals has earned him not a few enemies among both Jews and Arabs, which he admits has put a strain on his personal life. Yet, as he ventures into another storm of controversy, his enthusiasm seems undimmed. “I’ve received a great deal of appreciation from Palestinians and also from Israeli’s, but also a lot of criticism. Since I’ve been criticized and praised by both sides, I must have been doing something right, he said. Catch Edward Barenboim in concert this Thursday at the Cairo Opera House’s Main Hall, 8 pm.
