Jerusalem Quartet is broken up by Gaza protest
NewsThe Fouth String Quartet Biennale in Amerstadam was severely disrupted last night when pro-Palestinian demonstrators drowned out the Jerusalem Quartet. Heather Kurzbauer reports on violinist.com reports:
A series of SQBA master classes offered by the greats to up-and-coming quartets entices both audience and participants to experience work in progress. In a revelatory morning session, two members of the Jerusalem Quartet offered words of wisdom to the young Amsterdam-based ADAM Quartet.
Challenging the extremely tense performers to open up and define “what is revolutionary about Mendelssohn’s Opus 13 #2?” while calmly advising them on “how to create the illusion that what we hear goes far beyond the reality of what we do” turned teaching moments into magic.
Later that evening, the spell was broken when pro-Palestinian demonstrators poured out their wrath on the audience and performers disrupting the Jerusalem Quartet’s evening concert with catcalls preceded by flyers that insinuated that concert attendance was tantamount to warfare. The Jerusalem Quartet rose above the situation to deliver a spellbinding performance of Shostakovich’s Second string quartet….
More here.
When they appear in New York, which has been all too rarely in recent seasons, they seem to have some extra security. I too, attended a master class of theirs some years ago. I believe the violist, Ori Kam, grew up in California. Anyway, he is as smart as a whip and speaks flawless English, with great eloquence about what they do. And of course, it may have been lost on the protesters that the first of the quartet cycle in which Shostakovich really speaks in his mature voice, is a wartime work that can be read as a cry against war and tyranny.
If the Jerusalem Quartet are truly anti-war, if they truly are not indifferent to the slaughter of Palestinian children, then why don’t they just say so? Yes, Shostakovich was a humanitarian who could only speak cryptically through his music. He did all that he could. But for the Jerusalem Quartet, is this really the case? It’s really too bad that they chose silence during genocide when their voices were presumably free.
They are musicians. Their role is to play music. Why should we expect them to make political statements? And to disrupt their performance in such a way shows a gross lack of respect not only for the performers but also the audience, who were there for the purpose of music, not politics.
Artists have no obligation to comment about political events just because their governments or political leaders happen to be involved.
I don’t know what is the stance of the members of the quartet or the official position of the group if any, I frankly don’t care, I would care if they were warmongering but as far as I know they aren’t.
Please let these superb musicians do their job, don’t drag them into the political arena where whatever position they take they won’t win anything and will convince nobody that needs convincing of anything you think should be the right course of action.
‘Pro-Palestinian demonstrators’ = Ignorant, grievance-addicted useful idiots.
One word: Barbarians.
Reality is much more nuanced, in a way protesters, the quartet and the audience were all victims of political intolerance.
There are few winners, if any.
Remember that “pro-Palestinian” protesters usually are connected with Hamas and friends. Hamas=IS=Talibans. They hate music and culture (and all Jews, of course).
How do you know that?
No they aren’t & no they don’t!
Hamas & being pro Palestine are 2 separate issues. You’re basically accusing most of the EU of being pro-Hamas because they support Palestine. That’s outrageous.
Palestinian culture is very deeply rooted in music & culture. Both western classical & traditional Arab musics. Hamas does indeed, allow music in Gaza. Your comment is racist & ignorant.
That’s a vulgar lie that diminishes any person parroting it.
Iran (and by extension it’s militant sympathisers) are sworn enemies of ISIS (which just claimed responsibility for a terrorist attack in Iranian soil) and have never been in good terms with the Taliban.
The only common trait between these people is that each calls themselves Muslims, that hasn’t stopped them to be hostile to each other (Christians in the West know about this kind of antagonism about religious dogma).
To the pro Palestinian supporters I will cite Colonel Frank Slide from the movie Scent Of A Women : “Were ever you are out there , Fuck you too !!!”
Really? Not a single ounce of understanding about the people they pain about and why they do it?
It’s funny to think that Israeli, as well as most, artists are so naive to believe that music and art will somehow shield from suffering repercurssions from their goverment’s actions. Do they still expect to be welcomed when performing outside of their country?
Clearly they are welcomed, people wanting to extend a blanket ban on Israeli people are by no means a majority anywhere, individual Israeli citizens aren’t embassadors of their government.
In the 30s of the 20th century there was no Israel, no innocent pro palestinians or palestinians and no Hamas. Do you remember what happened to the Jewish musicians in Europe? If no, go read your history.
Stella , you are wasting your time. They are a lost cause .
And if Palestinians had their own country as promised, there would be no Hamas. Read your history
Disgusting, thuggish behaviour. Exactly what one would expect from these people.
Who are “these people” Rob?
What do you suggest?
The Palestinians are still waiting for their homeland and the compliance with UN resolutions, since these things haven’t happened the least we can do is listen even if we don’t intend to do anything about it.
And so it continues … I was at one of their concerts at Wigmore Hall in 2010 when protesters stood up from their seats at different intervals and started shouting. You didn’t know when the next one was coming … It was hideously tense.