Concertgebouw half-backs down on banned quartet
NewsThe Concertgebouw management has responded swiftly to protests on slippedisc.com:
Statement regarding Jerusalem Quartet concerts
With disbelief and anger, many have reacted to our decision not to go ahead with the Jerusalem Quartet’s two concerts this week due to the fact that the safety of visitors, staff and musicians in the building cannot be guaranteed.
Over the past months, our intention has been continuously to ensure these concerts would take place, despite the flood of messages from people and organizations opposing the quartet. What finally made us decide not to go ahead with these concerts after all has everything to do with the security situation in The Concertgebouw. The Concertgebouw itself is responsible for that. With two simultaneous concerts in the Main Hall and Recital Hall, there are 2,500 people in the building. With that, the security situation can quickly become precarious.
Two demonstrations had been announced and several people made calls on social media to demonstrate at The Concertgebouw. Until recently, the demonstrations were peaceful and no reason for us not to allow the concerts to go ahead. However, recent developments in and around the University of Amsterdam made that, after extremely intense discussions, we came to the decision not to allow the concerts to go ahead. We could not guarantee the safety within our building of staff, visitors and musicians. We are very sorry for all visitors and not least for the musicians of the Jerusalem Quartet.
It goes without saying that musicians of all persuasions will remain welcome with us, while we continue to stand by our mission to connect and enrich people with the most beautiful music. In dialogue with the Jerusalem Quartet, it has now been decided that we will look for a new concert date for a concert where safety can be guaranteed.
Simon Reinink
General Manager The Concertgebouw
Shame on Concertgebouw for this decision. What should we expect in the future, an artistic season plan dictate by protester?
I don’t understand why they could not simply get the police attending the concerts.
It is puffickly ridiculous that finally classical music gets wide attention in public space for reasons that have absolutely nothing to do with the art form.
Yes, ignorant and stupid ‘activists’ look for any publicised Jewish-by-association events and intimidate the organisers accordingly. Dangerous idiocy.
Ah, because that worked so well at the Universiteit van Amsterdam earlier this week? I think it’s very sad that this concert was cancelled but in the light of the events of this week in Amsterdam I can understand that they felt they had to make this decision. I’m sure no-one wants to see the Concertgebouw in the same state as the buildings of the Universiteit van Amsterdam and I’m also sure the Concertgebouw doesn’t plan on making a habit of cancelling concerts. The timing of these concerts turns out to be very unfortunate and I can imagine that, in this specific week, when tensions are so high, they just don’t want to run the risk of a big escalation. I heard of a few university employees who had to flee one of the university buildings last Monday, scared for their lives, and I don’t wish that on anyone working or visiting the Concertgebouw.
They bow to these disgusting riot makers, they are the now victorious ones, it’s a disgrace. The Concertgebouw didnt even inform the police etc….but decided it on their own.
But wheren’t the university buildings taken by surprise? if they had been warned in advance and be protected by police, the vandalism would not have happened.
The first time,yes, maybe, but second time, last Monday, shouldn’t have come as a surprise and still the police couldn’t prevent violence and destruction. Listen, in theory I agree with you, all I’m saying is that I also understand that it’s a tough decision for the Concertgebouw and that they have to take into account that the dutch police already failed twice these last weeks in preventing escalation.
Outrageous and certainly a weak response. If the hall needs protection, call in the police. Are we bowing to the rule of the mob? Or supporting musicians playing Schubert?
Well what a surprise! The country that killed 70% of its Jewish population in WWII and had among the highest rate of Nazi membership still bends to the will of those who want to annihilate Israel. As those other collaborators would say: “plus ça change, plus c’est la même chose“
What? Were the Nazi collaborators French?
Interesting, but mentalities can change. Ever read Martenn’t Hart? Holland has always been complex. It’s a highly Calvinist country that has accommodated radically opposed practices in recent years. I’d like to read John Borstlap’s take on this. Seriously.
The current anti-israel protests are not antisemitic, they are entirely ignorant expressions of supporting ‘the underdog’ which is a collective sentiment deeply ingrained in Dutch society (it had decennia of a socialist government in the past century). This sentiment is selective though, and fed by limitied media information. Where are the protests agains Hamas, against Iran, against hezbollah? Youngsters, demonstatively dressed with ‘palestine’ black-and-white scarfs don’t understand they are supporting people who wholeheartedly had chosen murderous terrorists as their leaders, and where a majority of protesters are apparently university students, one worries about the impact any education must have had.
Also, ‘the underdog’ can count on a warm and enthusiastic support as long as it is far away and not hindering local customs: the new government has the most anti-immigrant policies ever because some 30% of Dutch people have voted for the ignorant clown Wilders who prefers deportation of all people with an immigrant background from the Netherlands, so that it will become a pure, Dutch, isolated country again, protected from the world.
So, yes these protests are ignorant virtue signalling, which pleasantly covers-up ‘one’s own sins’ as calvinist teaching always has had a profound influence in the Netherlands.
Sorry John, but these leftists are very selective in who they protest against. The good Dutch were not so vocal when Assad was murdering 500,000 Sunnis and they don’t seem to exercised about the downtrodden Uyghurs in China, or the Rohingya in Burma, or the dozens of other ethnic minorities oppressed around the world! Call a spade when it is a spade
I wonder how many of the petition signatories were previously cheering on the (correct) banning of Netrebko, Gergiev and others from western halls? Yes, Gergiev and Netrebko were cheerleading Russia’s invasion, or at least quietly agreeing with it, but the Jerusalem Quartet isn’t exactly speaking out against the tens of thousands killed in Gaza either. They can stay silent if they wish but let’s not pretend there aren’t double standards at play here.
I didn’t know that Russian invasion to Ukraine began after killing, raping, beheading and kidnapping of dozens Russian citizens by Ukraine. That’s how war in Gaza has began. Since you don’t mention in your comments this facts and fact that dozens of Israeli citizens including the babies are still hostages in Hamas tunnels, your comment is nothing else but poor hypocrisy!!!
Well, with Russia it actually was like that. But no one speaking about it, because it’s not a popular opinion
Interestingly, there are no protest rallies against Kremlin policies.
And so a grossly disproportionate response is in order? One that includes the deaths of 35,000 people, including 15,000+ innocent children, the mass destruction of homes, hospitals and buildings, the onset of famine and diseases? I challenge the members of this string quartet to say a few words for the victims of their country’s government.
Classical music performers are NOT responsible for the policies of the country they happen to live in or happened to be born into.
If you punch me in the face without warning, you don’t get to decide how hard I hit you back.
No mention of terrorist casualties, I see.
To paraphrase Mahatma Gandhi, when we practice the law of an eye for an eye, we all end up blind. (Or in this case, an eye for a million eyes.)
Hamas casualty numbers are obviously fake (and strangely regular, and very fast-coming after attacks). But even if you buy into that, keep in mind:
1. Gaza is a political entity with a functioning government, armed forces and civilian administration. They are responsible for the well-being of their civilians, for their protection and for their sustenance. Not Israel – not any more than the Ukraine is responsible for the well-being of Russian civilians across the border.
2. War is brutal. No one likes it. It comes with a price tag. If you start a war, better make sure you can afford to pay it. If you went ahead and started a war and found that the price is more than you can pay, you should surrender.
3. What’s a “proportionate” response to an unprovoked crazed rampage of rape and mutilation against innocent civilians? I don’t know, neither do you. Don’t pretend you do.
4. Like I said before – people who care about Palestinian lives should call for Hamas to surrender and deliver the hostages. The minute they do it, the war will end. It’s not “genocide” if the weak party can end the vioence by surrendering. It’s also not “genocide” when the weak party has an army that fights back and still shoots rockets at civilians *as we talk*.
5. The Gazan leadership has a habit of using their civilians as human shields. This is not a bug, it’s a feature. They’re not interested in reducing casualties. Au contraire – the more casualties, the better (so their think) the chances of getting their way. People like Frank, by calling for more pressure on Israel, encourage this perception, and so visit disaster on Gazan civilians.
It isn’t full on hypocrisy; it’s just full on, old fashioned Jew hate. Sad.
Ask Hamas about who is responsible for civilian deaths in Gaza.
Safety can never be fully guaranteed.
Don’t they have security and police in Holland
The Netherlands has an inglorious history and they’ve now buckled again. During the Nazi occupation Willem Mengelberg was the Concertgebouw’s chief conductor. Here’s a quote from Wikipedia:
‘The most controversial aspect of Mengelberg’s biography centers on his actions and behaviour during the years of the Nazi occupation of the Netherlandsbetween 1940 and 1945. His biographer Frits Zwart writes (for Radio Nederland) of an “interview Mengelberg had given with the Völkischer Beobachter, the German Nazi newspaper…the gist of it was that, on hearing of the Dutch surrender to the German invaders on 10 May 1940, he had brought a toast with a glass of champagne [and] had also spoken about the close bond existing between the Netherlands and Germany.” Zwart also notes that Mengelberg conducted in Germany and in German-occupied countries throughout the war, and was photographed in the company of Nazis such as Arthur Seyss-Inquart.[8]’
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Royal_Concertgebouw_Orchestra
Ironically, when Mahler visited Amsterdam many times in the early years of the 20th century, Mengelberg did all he could to install a Mahler tradition in Holland that endures to this day. And Mahler was, by all accounts in the eyes of someone like Mengelberg, a Jew.
Mengelberg was very helpful and hospitable to Mahler who stayed at M’s house during his visits when he conducted premieres of his symphonies. Mahler’s success was in the same time Mengelberg’s success. Welcoming the nazis in WW II was another act of opportunism, and well, he was a German himself, who had settled in Holland.
Given the cut-throat competition in classical music life, some type of performers tend to become blind and deaf to what is happening around them, and focus upon their career. When they forget ethics, they unintentionally create serious blemishes on their reputation (like Karajan, Böhm, Netrebko, Gergiev etc.) One has to be a really strong personality to resist dubious chances that appear to enhance career opportunities.
They need to worry about the safety of people attending a string quartet played by Jews—do any of the pro-Hamas protestors understand how their nonsense sounds against this situation?
Israel is doing more to help the Palestinians than neighboring Egypt, Jordan, and Lebanon. Bringing an end to Hamas should be a priority of everyone in support of a free society.
Did the protestors forget what happened in Netherlands when a cartoon was drawn? …a cartoon?
The quartet is a symbol of what we stand to lose as long as Hamas survives. If Hamas got what it wanted all concerts would cease, and Pride month? forget it!
Israel is not aiming to attack innocents—but Hamas absolutely is and always has been. When Hamas hides in hospitals and schools and surrounds itself with journalists, its strategy is simple: they use their own people as human shields. Disgusting.
How sad the Left is losing its mind. Blocking a bridge, ruining a graduation ceremony—threatening concertgoers. We know who trained these proterroristers to think the way they do.
Beethoven, help us.
“Israel is not aiming to attack innocents”. Utter cobblers
That’s the extent of your argument?
@Gerry: Shame I can only upvote your comment once. Far too many blinkered, lobotomised idiots marking it down.
For comparison, the Jewish newspaper/magazine “Forward” listed 21 Palestinian cultural events that were cancelled last October and November.
https://forward.com/culture/567702/palestinian-cultural-events-cancelled-censorship-israel/
By now, the list would be much longer. There was also a notable history of cancellations before the October 7 attacks. Perhaps the most notable was the Met’s cancellation of the video broadcasts of John Adams’ “Klinghofer.”
Many Russian cultural events have been cancelled due to the invasion of Ukraine, and several Russian artists pilloried, including here on SD.
During WWI, the lively German culture in the USA, which included many German towns in the Midwest and Texas, were literally wiped out and the large majority of German-Americans ceased recognizing their German heritage. German culture essentially vanished from the USA.
During WWII, 120,000 Japanese-Americans were imprisoned in concentration camps. Needless to say, that ended their cultural expression during the war which was literally a race war on both sides.
I’m not so sure we humans should be proud of any of this.
@William: What is disgusting in all of this is that Hamas’s appalling 7th October terror attack (which killed 1200 Jews, including savages who indulged in rape, necrophilia, eye-gouging, etc – I’ll go no further) is treated as no more than a sub clause to the subsequent whining about Palestinian hardship. Sorry, but it doesn’t wash.
Correct.
I don’t see too many disregarding October 7. I think the disproportionate ca. 32 to 1 death rate is more the concern.
For clarity, I mean almost all German towns in the USA were wiped out as cultural entities.
For a second, after reading the headline, I thought they were allowing a duet.
Beamtenantwort. To be expected by this mediocre management.
Meaning, they wouldn’t pay for additional security measures.
I applaud the Concertgebouw for putting security first. They obviously have zero confidence in the Dutch police.
The only way classical music gets mentioned in mainstream press is when things get political or when a celebrity farted in concert.
Understandable and logical comments. I am not sure if I want to see armed policemen with exposed firearms around the beautiful Concertgebouw. On a different note I won’t be surprised if there is a protest at the Chicago Orchestra Hall when Lahav Shani shows up next month. I certainly do not want to see security service there. That would be a sad reminder of our current affairs…..
Shoot those lobotomised protesters. End of.
Stop giving in to the useful idiots, otherwise we’re all shafted. Truth 101.
Islamic terror relies on Kufar cowardice.
Culture connects. Cowardice and lame excuses does not. Nor does hypocrisy or feigned piety. Result: immense harm. What a pity!
Cowards… Put art above politics. EBU had balls. You do not. Shame on you.
Well at least they took a stand, either right or wrong…here the CSO stands in the wind…