Barenboim will return to Australia after almost 50 years

Barenboim will return to Australia after almost 50 years

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norman lebrecht

March 30, 2018

He last performed there with Jacqueline du Pré in 1970.

It has been announced that he will tour the subcontinent next season with the Berlin Staatskapelle.

 

Comments

  • Baruch says:

    When will great Barenboim come to his youth country, Israel ? All the people that like good music are waiting

    • MacroV says:

      I’m pretty sure he’s performed in Israel more recently than 50 years ago. But nice to know he’s welcome to return.

  • Marg says:

    Great news!

  • David R Osborne says:

    Um… it’s a continent.

    • Maria says:

      Hardly runs like the continent of Europe with its language variety to start with, and we here in England refer to it as a country, as we do America, as well as a continent.

      • V.Lind says:

        There’s no such place as”America.” The country to which you doubtless refer is the United States of America, colloquially referred to as “the U.S”. or “the States.” It is in a continent called NORTH America, which also includes Canada (which is larger), Mexico and Central America. There is also South America, which contains 12 countries plus French Guiana. It is not incorrect to refer to “the Americas,” but NOBODY except the English refer to the U.S. as “America.” (Or pronounces “Houston” and “Chicago” as the English do).

        • Bruce says:

          “NOBODY except the English refer to the U.S. as ‘America.'”

          We Americans do it all the time 🙂

          • David R Osborne says:

            And obviously V. has never heard the delightfully melodious theme-song to the movie ‘Team America, World Police’.

          • V.Lind says:

            Yes, but you Americans think you are the best at everything and all sorts of other misapprehensions. Everyone knows geography is not an American strong suit. Someone once said you went to war so Americans could learn where some countries were. (Latterly celebrity adoptions have supplemented the educational process).

            Whether you use it or not it is incorrect. Contrary to what you think there are other countries in America. You’re not even the biggest.

          • Saxon Broken says:

            V.Lind says: “geography is not an American strong point”

            Is that the whole of America? Or just the (United States of) America?

        • anmarie says:

          If there’s no such place as America, I must be living in a parallel universe.

        • Steven van Staden says:

          If there’s no such place as America, who are all these people who call themselves Americans and speak with American accents?

        • Bruce says:

          First it’s “NOBODY except the English calls it ‘America’.” (but we do)

          Now it’s “whether you do or not it is still incorrect.”

          Is this an example of the “No true Scotsman” fallacy?

          • V.Lind says:

            Yup, some of you do. I just saw last night a clip of George W.Bush campaigning for the presidency in 2000 and he said it a lot. It is used by Americans a lot in pompous mode.

            Nonetheless, American pretensions aside, there is no such place as America. There is North A, South A, Central A, and the United States of A. Just because you think you rule the world does not entitle you to lay claim to more than you own.

          • LEWES BIRD says:

            V.Lind, surely in the message above you had in fact meant to say, “It is used by United States of Americans a lot in pompous mode” — your usage, as written, was otherwise most pompous in its imperialist ambiguity.

          • Bruce says:

            ^ I’m figuring from this that V. Lind must be English, and is falling back on her “NOBODY but the English” claim from earlier. It comes across looking like “you can’t call yourselves this, because it’s wrong — but I can, because I’m English.”

      • David R Osborne says:

        Meaning not a “subcontinent” as Norman referred to it. Was that not obvious? Oh well… Just nurturing my inner pedant.

      • LEWES BIRD says:

        Maria, your peculiar syntax and prose make one wonder who exactly is “we” in “we here in England”? We here in Russia think of Australia as a continent, as well as a country, perhaps in the wider “continent” some people refer to as “Oceania”. Certainly not a subcontinent. But that’s just us in Russia. You in England might know differently, what with your wide experience in English things and all.

    • Mario Lutz says:

      yes it is, but is part of the Commonwealth…

  • Aussie says:

    In English usage “the subcontinent” effectively means India. Most definitely not Australia. Try “the Antipodes” if you’re after some elegant variation.

  • Bruce says:

    I learned it in school as a continent and a country. Apparently now there is a continent called Oceania (comprising NZ, AUS, and many Pacific island nations in the general area), at least according to my big shiny Michelin map of the world.

    • David R Osborne says:

      Australia is a continent, Oceania is a geographic sub-region that includes Australasia. Don’t blame me for this Bruce, blame Norman.

      • Saxon Broken says:

        New Zealand is not on the same continental plate as Australia…so Oceania can’t really be a continent. The continent of Australia only has one country, Australia, which occupies the whole continent.

        Interestingly, India is on a different continental plate than the rest of Asia.

  • Stephen Cera says:

    Irving Berlin wrote a song, “God Bless America,” which became the unofficial anthem of Kate Smith (1907- 1986), the famous American singer of popular music. The intensely patriotic Ms. Smith was awarded by the Medal of Freedom by President Reagan in 1982 .

  • Steven van Staden says:

    So confusing. Here was I thinking it’s a colony.

  • David R Osborne says:

    In many ways it still is Steven…

    • Steven van Staden says:

      Good. I knew I was right! Pietermaritzburg and Durban (Natal, now KwaZulu-Natal) used to be the considered the last outposts of the British Empire, but not any more, and definitely no Barenboim visit on the cards for Durban.
      But I fear we have strayed far from the point of the article.

  • Doug Grant says:

    I believe they will come only to Sydney. Sadly, the rest of us have to miss out. However the orchestra is no better than several in Australia and Barenoim no better than many conductors who visit.

    • David R Osborne says:

      Yes I agree. Good orchestra but certainly no better than for example MSO and I’ve seen both many times. Why the expense of dragging 100 musicians half way round the world when Dan could conduct the orchestras that are there?

    • MacroV says:

      Norman says a tour of the “subcontinent,” whatever that means. I would think if they’re coming that far, they’ll play in more than just Sydney, but I could be wrong.

      I’ve been very impressed with what I’ve heard of the Sydney and Melbourne symphonies. But still no harm in Australians hearing orchestras from abroad (and in Australian orchestras going abroad).

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