Brenda Noemi Laguarta
ISFD N° 41
Teacher: Stella Maris Saubidet Oyhamburu
Language and Written Expression IV
A Youth Multicultural Orchestra that Opens Debate
In
1999, the West-Eastern Divan orchestra was created, assembling young musicians from
Spanish, Jewish, Israeli, Palestinian, and other Arab backgrounds. One of its
founders, the Argentine-Israeli pianist and conductor Daniel Barenboim,
conceptualized this orchestra as a ‘utopian republic’ based on music.
(Barenboim, 2006, lecture 4) He expressed that in music, one had to be aware
not only of oneself but also of ‘the other’, and in this sense music is not ‘an
expression of what life is, but an expression of what life could be, or what it
could become’. Although this project with the aim of coexistence was intended
as a one-time event, it quickly evolved into a legendary orchestra. However, the
idea of a musician’s being part of the West-Eastern Divan Orchestra gives rise
to a great deal of debate, generating opposing claims regarding the impact on
the socio-political field, the emotional sphere, and the construction of an individual
identity.
‘My
orchestra is a political laboratory’ (Barenboim, 2014), said the conductor to “The
Telegraph” in an attempt to explain how the work of this multicultural group has
a profound effect on society and politics. It cannot be denied that Barenboim’s
ideas involve some disadvantages on this field, like being accused of ‘normalization
and looking over obvious problems’, just as Mina Zikri, an Egyptian member of
the orchestra, states it (Zikri, 2014). A further drawback to it, is people
hatred, as Barenboim points out when he says that ‘many people absolutely hate
[them] in the various countries where [his] players come from’, since ‘they
think [they] are traitors to [their] own people’ (Zikri, 2014). Nevertheless, one
argument in favour of the existence of this orchestra is that it imparts an encouraging
message, showing that the Arab countries will not arrive to a solution through military
means, but through dialogue and mutual understanding. In addition to this,
Edward Said sustains that since they are not politicians,’ what [they] are really
interested in is the power of music and discussion and culture to create a
sense of equality and fellowship otherwise unavailable in the anguish and
tension of polarized life in the Middle East’ (Said and Barsamian, 2003, p. 34).
Clearly, the orchestra causes an impact on the socio-political field, but it
also influences other areas.
Turning
to the effect that being part of the West-Eastern Divan Orchestra origins in
each individual, it can be said that there is proof that it generates mixed emotions.
On the one hand, even some musicians acknowledge that meeting people who come from
‘parallel dimensions’ (Chaker, 2014) is emotionally and personally challenging,
due to their ‘pre-conceived ideas’. This generates ‘some fighting and
struggling’ (Kertsman, 2014) in the first place. But, on the other hand, being
part of this orchestra means being immersed in a situation of ‘debate, dialogue
and co-existence’. (Chaker, 2014) This means that there is a space for everyone
to express his point of view, while the other people listen, show understanding
and ‘learn to see other sides’ (Kertsman, 2014). And the greatest advantage is
that, given these conditions, the members of this program can establish
relationships of friendship with people who they would not even talk to. So,
association with people from different cultures has a great influence on a
person’s feelings.
And
finally, there are also divergent opinions concerning the construction of an
individual identity. Some critics advocate, that being part of the orchestra is
negative because they believe that ‘one has to give up what he is and his
beliefs in order to accept the other’ (Chaker, 2014). However, Solveig Riiser
in his article titled “National Identity and the West-Eastern Divan Orchestra”
sustains that ‘the creation of a common identity and common social values
occurs because a negotiation takes place. Hence music can have a formative role
in identity creation while at the same time embodying prior identities in its
production.’ Consequently, being part of this project contributes to the
construction of each musician’s personal identity through the expression of
their own subjectivity, always respecting the other’s narrative.
Taking
everything into account, it can be concluded that the idea of participating in
a multicultural project like the West-Eastern Divan Orchestra, needs careful
consideration, since there are opposing views in this regard. Although some
people argue that the experience can have a negative impact on the
socio-political field, the emotional sphere, and the construction of an
identity, there are those who believe the opposite. These consider that, on the
contrary, being part of the orchestra has a positive effect, spreading a
message of mutual respect, stimulating dialogue and co-existence and contributing
to the consolidation of a personal identity. Seen from this perspective it may be
concluded that the many advantages of this decision outweigh the negative
aspects of it.
Works
Cited
Barenboim, D. (2006) Meeting in Music. BBC Radio Reith Lectures. Lecture 4. Retrieved
on September 28, 2014 from http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/reith2006/lectures.html.
Chaker, L. (2014) Musicians Spotlights. WQXR Radio Interviews. Interview 1.
Retrieved on September 28, 2014 from http://www.west-eastern-divan.org/news/musician-spotlights-wqxr-radio-interviews/
Hewett, I. (2014) Daniel Barenboim: My
orchestra is a political laboratory. The
Telegraph. Retrieved on September 29, 2014 from http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/music/proms/11043891/Daniel-Barenboim-My-orchestra-is-a-political-laboratory.html
Kertsman, B. (2014) Musicians
Spotlights. WQXR Radio Interviews. Interview
2. Retrieved on September 28, 2014 from http://www.west-eastern-divan.org/news/musician-spotlights-wqxr-radio-interviews/
Riiser, S. (2010) National Identity and
the West-Eastern Divan Orchestra. Music
and Arts in Action, Volume 2, Issue 2. Retrieved on September 28, 2014 from
https://ore.exeter.ac.uk/repository/bitstream/handle/10036/3947/riiser_2010.pdf?sequence=1
Said, E. W. Barsamian, D. (2003) Culture and resistance. Oslo: Oktober.
Zikri, M. (2014) Musicians Spotlights. WQXR Radio Interviews. Interview 3.
Retrieved on September 28, 2014 from http://www.west-eastern-divan.org/news/musician-spotlights-wqxr-radio-interviews/
