A Different Kind of US Representative Visits Germany
The orchestra, a graduate program of Bard College in the state of New York, is visiting Germany, presenting works by Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy and Max Bruch. This ensemble provides a clear message: culture and music are the real pillars of transatlantic relationships.
A Historically Important Place
The trip to Germany is the orchestra’s first trip overseas, and the highlight is a concert on May 8 on the 80th anniversary of the end of the Second World War. The performance, entitled "Grant Us Peace," takes place in the Nuremberg Congress Hall, a monumental complex built by the Nazis as a place for their party rallies. The location of the concert is of great importance for the founder and conductor of the orchestra, Leon Botstein, who was born in 1946 in Zurich, Switzerland, to Jewish-Polish parents.
Remembering the Past
The performance at this location sends a strong message, Botstein explained, especially because the orchestra performs works by Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy, whose music was banned by the Nazis. Botstein believes that it is rarely more important to remember that the Nazis managed "a moral and ethical criminal regime," even when they were "a legal German government when the congress hall was built." One should never stop warning "how easy it is to make radical evil acceptable and legal," he added.
Bard College: A University of Free Arts
Botstein has been President of Bard College since 1975 and is one of the driving forces behind the institution. Bard College, a college for free arts in Annandale-on-Hudson, was founded in 1860 by John and Margaret Bard. Since its earliest days, it has been a center of liberal thinking, and many musicians, writers, artists, politicians, and journalists have studied there. The young musicians who perform in the orchestra are students in a three-year training program at Bard College, receiving comprehensive training that covers not only musical topics but also disciplines such as philosophy and social sciences.
A Dangerous Time for Democracy
In contrast to other privately managed universities, Bard College does not yet have to be directly influenced by the moods of the Republican administration in Washington. Botstein is still alarmed, stating that "it is a dangerous time for all of us, for democracy around the world and at home, because this government is against science and truth." He believes that the Trump government is increasingly autocratic and that the separation of powers, a fundamental principle of democracy, is being abused.
Democracy: An Ongoing Project
According to Botstein, the American intellectual elites are at least partially responsible for current developments. "We were somehow too lazy to really recognize the danger and really start a conversation with our fellow citizens," he said. Botstein sees Europe and especially Germany as an important ally in the struggle for global democracy. He believes that music plays a key role in this work, stating that works by Beethoven, Bach, Bruckner, or Mendelssohn are not entertainment but "instructions for free thinking."
