Daniel Barenboim wins Adenauer prize
mainThe city of Cologne has named Daniel Barenboim as the next recipient of the Konrad Adenuaer prize for his ‘boundless courage’ in showing that ‘music releases a peacemaking power.’
‘Daniel Barenboim has found a connecting element with music that brings together people from different cultures,’ said the city’s mayor Henriette Reker.
The award, named after the first post-War Chancellor who was pre-War mayor of Cologne, recognises ‘living and working in a big city, innovative and courageous contributions to the development of a liveable city worldwide, to European integration or to the preservation and strengthening of local self-government in a Europe that is growing together.’
Could care less. He needs to attend an anger management program…first step toward peace.
You say you don’t care, but then go on to condescendingly suggest he attend an anger management program. Are there hypocrisy management programs? Programs for the prior removal of beams in your own eye before attending to the motes in the eyes of others?
Nothing against you or your comment, but I’m always fascinated how ‘Could care less’ and ‘Couldn’t care less’ apparently mean the same thing, depending on where you were brought up. If one ‘could’ care less, then clearly the issue at stake leaves one reasonably indifferent, which seems to be at odds with the emotion it provokes.
Barenboim IS a grumpy old bastard, though.
Dear Sir, first check your syntax and spelling . Then check your facts : Barenboim is spending a lifetime in bridging the Israeli-Palestinian gap.Listen to his joint Arab-Israeli orchestra and then profess your ignorance.
That orchestra is a mere symbolic gesture and does nothing to ‘bridge the gap’ between those two groups of locals. As long as a majority don’t listen to classical music, such gestures are not very effective.
He also regularly behaves unpleasantly to his underlings.
Will inflate his ego just a little bit more
Any day now I expect to see him floating about my house like any other hot-air balloon. But I probably won’t be able to see him above the basket!!
Benjamin Britten was infamous for ‘corpsing’ people of no further use to him or who had supposedly upset him in some small way. And Barenboim has similarly dropped great people like the violinist Schlmo Minz and cellist Matt Haimovitz both of whom he used to do high-profile concerts with.
I really wonder about his “peacemaking” skills
The late David Hemmings said something similar about Britten: that he was discarded by the composer as soon as his voice broke.
It’s a convenient political trope from the Left. Wash, rinse, repeat.
So, Barenboim must continue to work with the same musicians his entire life? Or do you actually know something along the lines of why Mintz was “corpsed” by Stern.
In view of certain recent headlines about this gentleman, the fact that this award is for showing ‘music releases a peacemaking power’ shows that these awards are a load of politically motivated baloney
You are giving much to much authority the whining of a single disgruntled employee.
There are many more people than one who have issues with Barenboim’s behaviour towards those over whom he has some kind of authority.
Well-deserved award to a great musician and humanitarian who believes that Israel should treat the Palestinians and Arabs living under its control decently and humanely.
Do you know a conductor who’s not grumpy or egoistical?
Andris Nelsons for one.
Haitink, reportedly. Guilini too, sadly no longer with us.
I have come across one, they do exist.
Bruno Walter
Actually there are a great many conductors who behave reasonably nicely.
Oh my god, you mean people can have more than one facet to their personalities?
Perhaps it is possible, after all, to be an ambassador of peace between peoples and also sometimes an asshole to individual people. (I wonder if Paderewski, Casals, or Rostropovich were ever unpleasant to anyone…)
Well, the last on the list, yes.
Beethoven embraced the whole of humanity in his 9th symphony while mistreating both his nephew and his housekeeper. People can have their qualities locked-up in different boxes.
well deserved prize to a great musician and wonderful and principled human being
Great musician ???
Of course he is-why do you doubt about this ?
It’s an opinion. Relax.
(Same to you, piano lover)
You may not particularly like him, but he has had several major conductor jobs at leading institutions in both Europe and the US. This really doesn’t happen unless you are considered “a great musician”.
“Show me a happy orchestra and I’ll show you a bad conductor.” — Fritz Reiner
Wish we could have shown him Haitink & Concertgebouw, Abbado/ Berlin, et al…
To keep his orchestra unhappy, Reiner made considerable efforts to look as if he had just sniffed at a thermometer.
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Fritz_Reiner_-_Carnegie_Hall_1947_(02)_wmplayer_2013-04-16.jpg
Between 1939 and 1945 German orchestras played Beethoven’s “Ode to Joy” 9th Symphony in “heavy rotation,” but I don’t think it did much for the cause of peace.
The peace inducing properties of music are a much exaggerated load of soft-headed “New Age” happy talk. Still a worthwhile and meaningful human pursuit, though.
To my opinion DB’s attempts to bring peace are clueless.Waste of time.It brings him more glory than deserved.Why has he 3 passports??
This said he has wonderful recordings and I treasure many of them.
His extraordinary memory fascinates me….