A Baltic orchestra sends a mixed message
NewsThis is from Krytian Järvi’s Baltic Sea Philharmonic:
These are black times for Europe, black times for the Baltic Sea region, our homeland. Our thoughts and deep solidarity are with the people in Ukraine, including many friends and relatives of our musicians.
As a community of musicians from all ten Baltic Sea countries, from Norway to Russia, the Baltic Sea Philharmonic has become a movement uniting people across borders since 2008. More than an orchestra, the Baltic Sea Philharmonic has a powerful message of unity, collaboration, and freedom in a historically divided region. We have always been ‘bridge builders’, contributing to cultural and social understanding and reconciliation in the Baltic Sea region and throughout Europe. We wish for this war to end quickly, because with each passing day, what we have been working on for years is also being undone.
Now, it is more important than ever to support and listen to each other, show solidarity and unity
Well we now know what they stand for. But they don’t seem to be condemning Putin.
How is that a mixed message??
Because it refuses to outright name and condemn Russian Aggression. Take the mealy-mouthed phrase “people in the Ukraine” maybe the power is lost in some translative process, but that’s sounds rather weak.
While in the Royal Alert Hall not only Tchaikovsky’s “1812 Overture” is scrapped but now even “Waltz of the Flowers”.
An unjustified cultural offence, driven by our “woke” society.
https://www.royalalberthall.com/tickets/events/2022/classical-spectacular/
Nobody needs to hear the 1812 Overture right now, and I’m sure you know how it goes, forwards and backwards. There a bazillion recordings of it you could buy, or listen to on a streaming service.
Sounds a pretty good message to me.
It is as mixed as it is pointless. ‘Building Bridges’.. oh come ON. This has been a line used to justify all kinds of useless tours and this and that which boils down to money. I think the last real ‘bridge’ might have been when Stern went to China. And the resulting ‘Mao to Mozart’. Simply put: Classical artists do not have the real or political capital to affect change. There is simply not enough people listening or caring. And Krystian Järvi is equally mediocre and irrelevant. I realize this is harsh: but if not for the last name….
Interesting, then, that one of the first actions when the SU invaded Finland was to ban performances of Sibelius’ Finlandia. Music is a force to be reckoned with.
“…cultural and social understanding and reconciliation…” “…more important than ever to support and listen to each other, show solidarity and unity…”
A commendable approach.
It’s not mixed; he just doesn’t fully take on Russia, though criticizes by implication. It’s a wonderful orchestra, but hard to see how it can continue now. And IIRC it was funded by Nord Stream 2, so at a minimum they’ll need a new sponsor.
The ,,listen to each other” part is particularly effective.
I fail to see this as a “mixed message”. I can see how people with a certain agenda could read that into it, but that is a real stretch.
In short, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eaeVLd4G1Zg
How is this a mixed message? Am I missing something?
Huh? What was so “mixed” about that?
A mixed message? An orchestra composed of artists from all ten countries bordering the Baltic Sea supports and stands with Ukraine, its neighbor. This, despite the fact that the orchestra has Russian players. Pretty clear message
Sorry, I don’t see it as a “mixed message” and you give no reasons why it should be so construed.
How is this a ‘mixed’ message? Why do you always have to put some spin where it’s not needed?
My favorite Baltic Sea Philharmonic Album
https://baltic-sea-philharmonic.eu/new-max-richter-album-exiles-with-the-baltic-sea-philharmonic-and-kristjan-jarvi-out-on-deutsche-grammophon/
Agree, Mr Lebrecht, that this is a mixed message at best. In this deplorable situation there are LIES and there is TRUTH, there is a peaceful neighbour and a malicious, fascist INVADER. Choose your side, folks.
Anyone who has been paying attention to more than the line from western interests would be aware that inside “peaceful neighbour” there has been a borderline civil war for years.
From what I know of the current government of Ukraine, it is an enlightened and benign one. But under previous regimes — recent ones — there has been precious little consideration for the huge Russian-speaking populations, principally of the east of the country. There was even the introduction of language legislation and, coming from Canada, I know a great deal about how divisive this issue can be.
There are some inconvenient truths included in that large word. The invasion is wrong, 100%. It is also very dangerous, not least because it seems to be under the leadership of a man who is looking unhinged.
But it is not a matter of saints and sinners. Yes, there are rights and wrongs here, but there is a history to this. It did not start ten days ago. Unfortunately, it is hard for even the willing and well-meaning Zelensky to deal with a man who mourned — mourns — the collapse of the Soviet Empire and whose motivations here have a lot less to do with supporting his countrymen within Ukraine than they do with rebuilding what was lost after 1991. And that should scare us all.
“there has been precious little consideration for the huge Russian-speaking populations”………..these would be the descendants of Russians moved into the Ukraine in the 20s and 30s as Stalin expelled the kulaks and any opposition to the Soviet policy of collectivisation. At the same time the incoming soviets banned the Ukrainian language and anything to do with Ukrainian culture. You might want to read Red Famine by Anne Applebaum to acquaint yourself with the terror that was unleashed on the Ukrainian people, not least the policy of starvation that led to several million deaths of Ukrainians.
“Uniting people across borders ” . Not had much success, has it ? This statement was mealy-mouthed nonsense
Agreed. It refuses to be bold and outright condemn Russia’s undisguised irredentism through occupation. It uses uncertain terms when what is needed is “no uncertain terms “ . They may as well have said nothing.
I think it is a much better message than “Fuck the EU!”
I contend that The Baltic Symphony Orchesta is similar to Barenboim and Said’s East West Divan Orchestra, which I believe was created to raise awareness of the different cultures of different nations, and to put youth on the same playing field through music so that they are able to examine one and other more closely and hopefully come to a good conclusion and develop relationships. The success has yet to be determined, but the message is hopeful.
And how wrong you are! In their raison d’etre they have been exactly the opposite to Barenboim’s project. The orchestra was set up in 2008 with Gazprom/Nord Stream money. There is clear evidence that they were used to lobby for Nord Stream. The same Nord Stream that was already in 2006 described by the Polish Foreign Minister as a new version of Stalin/Hitler pact of 1939 which started WW2. Today the orchestra pretends they did not know and Kristjan says that he is surprised that there was any politics involved. Which is pretty lame since some major German media have been warning about that for at least the last 10-13 years, or so. Without Nord Stream any war in Ukraine would be unlikely, since Russia would not be able to sell gas to Western Europe without Ukrainian help. NB Nord Stream was also highly controversial because of two other reasons: ecology for Baltic Sea and economy for the Polish ports of Szczecin and Świnoujście (the pipe would limit the size of ships that could enter those ports). I think it could easily be argued that this is probably a single artistic project which contributed the most to the present war in Ukraine. It is also interesting to see that Kristjan’s brother Paavo have been recently to Moscow (after the war had started) to conduct a youth orchestra there. He gave some unconvincing explanation about “building bridges”. You cannot work with Russia’s young musicians when their country kills children in Ukraine. Maybe you could if you gave some clear statement there condemning the invasion, but I do not think he did anything of the sort. Anyway, Baltic Sea Philhamonic may be one day a case study for how the darker side of cultural diplomacy works. Thank God Nord Stream has been stopped. But there are now more than 100.000 useless metal tubes lying one the seabed floor.
@ Musician: I can’t seem to find the name of the 2006 Polish Prime Minister, and wonder if you might provide that bit of information please.
At any rate, the basic premise of both orchestras beyond politics is to create a better weltanschauung between people through cultural sharing and awareness so in fact, therein lays the similarity. Whether or not the Baltic Sea Phil Orchestra was created as a spokesman for Nordstream is unimportant and highly questionable. So now that Nordstream is out of the picture what’s left is a big empty space where a wonderful arts organization, who employed many musicians and many others who are as frightened and angry about this war as you and I are. Let’s try and limit the suffering instead of justifying it.
I just found this: One more question what is PIS and what does it stand for please
Zbigniew Rau, who was appointed foreign minister on August 26, will help align the trajectory of Polish diplomacy with the government’s general line. His appointment fits into the logic of a larger government reshuffle, expected this fall, which aims for a greater centralization of power. His higher standing in the governing PiS party may, however, halt the gradual loss of relevance of Poland’s Ministry for Foreign Affairs.
Question to musician? How can you believe or trust Polish government leaders like PiS who deny complicity in the murder of Jews, children included in places like Kielce and Jedwabne and throughout Poland to glorify the good name of Poland. Therefore, I question, no, I doubt these libelous statements against the Baltic Sea Philharmonic Orchestra.
It is Kristjan Järvi. K-R-I-S-T-J-A-N.
He wants the war to “end quickly”? We want the WAR to end IMMEDIATELY.
https://www.ndr.de/kultur/musik/Das-Orchester-und-die-Ostsee-Pipelines-von-Nord-Stream,nordstream690.html