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Date: | Tue, 11 Jun 2002 15:03:52 +0200 |
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Memories of a Concert from a Historical Series
by Janos Sandoryi
In December 1989 Bernstein conducted the historic "Berlin Celebration
Concerts" on both sides of the dismantled Wall. The concerts were
unprecedented gestures of cooperation, the musicians representing
the former East Germany, West Germany and the four powers that had
partitioned Berlin after World War II. The Berlin Celebration Concert
featuring Beethoven's Symphony No. 9 performed in Berlin on Christmas
Day, December 25, 1989, to celebrate the crash of the Communist
Regime, was Bernstein's last production with Unitel. Intent on
conveying a message of peace and brotherhood, Bernstein reworded
Schiller's Ode to Joy as Ode to Freedom. An audience of over 100
million shared in this unique event which was telecast live in more
than 20 countries around the world.
After the famous concert Bernstein conducted yet again, but not
recorded, Mahlers 1st symphony and Haydns "Abscheidsinfonie", as a
special concert. And with that concert he put an aera to end I'd
say. And what a concert! Never the strings of the Berlin Philharmonics
sounded of such a rich lush. The brass was just amazing! We all
cried of that day, for the freedom! For the music! The third movement
of Mahler 1 was irresistible sad, with the minor version of "Bruder
Jakob" and the Jewish Wedding. The finale ended in a tremendeous
outpouring that was completely overwhelming of energy. Everybody
thought it tremendous.
I don't know if Berlin, or Bernstein himself, really have felt most
what they lost when he left this time.
Forwarded by Mats Norrman
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