Recession and geopolitical tensions not to mention the small matter of a looming election join me Steve Clemons in conversation with leading voices on the bottom line you weekly take on u. S. Politics and society on aljazeera. He is one of the leading figures in the world of Classical Music hes conducted all the major orchestras and performed at some of the worlds most prestigious concert venues maestro Daniel Barenboim was born in argentina his 1st performance came at the age of 7 back in 1952 years later his family moved to salzburg and then to israel where he became passionate about politics and the palestinian israeli conflict. Barenboim has since had an Outstanding International career and is recognized for his humanitarian work in 1999 he created the west east and divan old history with Young Musicians from across the middle east to promote dialogue and peaceful coexistence. But barenboim has also faced controversy some of the musicians who played under his baton accuse him of being a bully in order to trash. Im james basic carney the hole in new york of course like almost every other music venue around the world its been closed for almost 3 months this week we connect with maestro barenboim in. As israels newly elected government threatens to amex parts of the west bank can peace in the region ever be achieved and can arts and culture play a new role in our lives after the proud and the general music director of the burton state opera and the stats compelled bergin Daniel Barenboim talks to aljazeera. Daniel barenboim thank you for talking to aljazeera you are one of the best known musicians in the world known as a workaholic you travel widely across the globe to perform and yet this year suddenly the world stopped how do you been coping in this lockdown. I was very happy and felt privileged as a conductor to be able to play an instrument because my conducting colleagues have not been able to make any music and that is really the main activity of a forming musician but i took the opportunity to practice. Probably a little more than usual. And enjoy spending 2 and a half months practically only playing the piano as far as music is concerned from that point of view i cannot say that i personally suffered too much from the virus i of course get sensitive like any human being about the suffering of so many people all over the word but personally i have to say i. Had actually a very quiet and for me very useful time the pearl in straight opera which your in charge of live streams during the pandemic a performance from an empty hole can you tell us about that unusual experience and also tell us how you think the world of Classical Music can potentially embrace this new Virtual World we had programmed whole series of performances of business oprah carmen and the virus came in the middle of that i think we had managed to do 2 regular performances and everybody the singers the chorus the orchestra and i were very grateful that we could. Streamed that and replayed the whole performance of carmen without public who if any shooting in added amount of excitement and dedication i was very happy and very proud of my orchestra and the singers so that was very positive however i have to say for the future. That. The development of the streaming activity wonderful as it is and it gave so much solace in pleasure to so many people bus not replace the live music because music takes place in in a room music sounds different when it is life and has been now for many many years i would say roughly a 100 years they are brilliant the to hear music in directly starting with the radio and then the records and then the long playing records and then to see these and these are all alternatives but the real thing must remain the Live Performance you are without doubt one of the big beasts of the classical world but there are so many members of all christers musicians other artists who struggle to make a living are you worried about some of those people who depend on performances for their living. I am very worried about that im very worried about Young Musicians who are at the beginning of the careers im in a different situation this year im 70 years on the stage so i need in no way compare myself. Im very worried about their future im very worried about the fia that they might develop not to be able to fulfill their talent and then visions. Im also extremely upset about the fact that so many orchestras all over the world dont realize that it is their responsibility to men paid in the condition for good livelihood of the orchestra musicians and that the fact that they cannot perform concerts or oprahs is something that is out of everybodys control but in europe the governments who support the orchestra and in the United States where it depends much more on private donations i can only remind everybody that it is duty for or those 6 who are financially responsible to see to it that musicians can continue living at the standard that they were used to you mentioned your 70 years almost stage this year you were born in one as ours as you say at the age of 7 was the 1st time you performed you were some would say a project chic how do you think that shaped the rest of your life. You know i did the sort of. I went through the process. There are wrong way around compared to other people you know because of course to be a musician you need so many qualities quite apart from the technical know how the technical level one needs so much culture music is part of culture one needs to know so much one needs to have Life Experience and of course child of 7 or 10 or 12 doesnt have the possibility to have that i dont like that or minority of child prodigy i say i didnt ever never felt it child prodigy i felt that music was the most natural thing for me and outside of the music i led a perfectly normal. Life of a child but my father who was my teacher and who was often criticised for allowing me to play for instance late beethoven sonatas were which require great maturity and great amount of Life Experience hes defense was to say simply 1st of 4 age he is not no guarantee for maturity the lot of grown ups and old people who are still immature and if i had. Any chance to become a good musician the earlier i start. To have contact with all these works the better chance for me to eventually achieve this maturity. The more the years go by the most grateful i am to him for having had this idea your family moved to israel when you were 10 years old israel then was just 4 years old id like you to recall that time and also ask you at that time what did you know about palestinians my family moved as you correctly say would never stay in 1952. It was. Personally not that easy for me because i left when osiris with my parents where i was born and spoke only spanish and i arrived in israel when immediately to school i had to learn not only a new language but a new alphabet and to be thrown into that was not very easy i have to say ira i remember that the palestinian issue unfortunately was not really discussed there was very little to find out i didnt go to cities where there was a mixed population like nazareth i was not aware that there were so many palestinians in the territories. And. That of course. Influence very much my thinking when i grew up because i started asking questions and one of the most negative declaration i heard from a former israeli Prime Minister was madame golda meir who are in 1970 said what do you mean palestinians there are no palestinians we are the palestinians of today and of course that was not true. And this is part of the of the of the program the Israeli Palestinian conflict is not a conflict a political conflict a political conflict is a conflict between 2 states about war about frontin years but here we have a Human Conflict therefore the Israeli Palestinian conflict cannot be solved politically and cannot be solved militarily he can only be solved humanly you became the 1st person to be an israeli and a palestinian citizen and you also talk about your greatest achievement the orchestra you found it tell us about that well you know why does the orchestra function how come. Israelis and arabs from lebanon syria egypt iran. Egyptians how come they can play Music Together hes not only the magic of the music that of course and the fact that they have a common passion but they have Something Else they have the quality. There are not checkpoints in there or this there is not one that controls and the other that is controlled this total equality equality not of only of right but of responsibility that is much more important i have thiel one doesnt talk enough about human rights but one does ignore completely one ignores human responsibilities and this is why when they are playing well they are making music not only they share a passion of course that is. Primary condition but they have equal rights and equal responsibilities and the day the nonmusicians of israel and the palace then we have equality of rights and equality of responsibilities they will be able to get together im sure of that let me ask you about recent developments and 1st recalling an interview that you did almost 7 years ago here on out of syria with david frost you said at the time were close to the end of a 2 state solution the only government that can save it is the United States let me now ask you about the recent decisions of the United States donald trump the president of the United States put his son in law jared cushion or in charge he came up with a plan what do you make of that plan maybe it could work economically but otherwise it is a disaster it is a disaster for israel and it is a disaster for the president and. The authority if you want of america in the world has diminished i think considerably and. I dont want to make the process of mr trump today but he like all of us will be gone one day and then there will be a backlash of blind support of israeli exaggerated political views after 3 back to back elections in israel Benjamin Netanyahu is once again the Prime Minister in your view how will history judge him now im afraid not very well im afraid not very well he has tremendous qualities as a speaker hes very convincing hes able to present his case is at beer every particular this is. Totally impossible hes managed to. Lead it is very politics develop in a sense that does not take into chris consideration not only the relations with the palestinians but the quality of their own lives. I have to say i am extremely disappointed about all that israel is now threatening to annex parts of the west bank can i ask you again the question david frost asked you 7 years ago do you think a 2 state solution is now dead 1st they have to agree to accept the existence of the other. Its not important whether it is in one big National State or in 2 states in n. Not its not important but its not the moment to discuss now that now the important thing is the acceptance of that which equal rights and there has to be justice for the palestinians and security for israel and only they can do that no american or european or other foreigner can do that for them i repeat it is a Human Conflict its not a political conflict and is not a conflict that can be solved through only economical needs you hold Israeli Palestinian spanish an argentinean passports you travel all over the world and yet in the past 30 years you spent the majority of your time in germany i find that interesting when i read that when you 1st were asked to perform in germany as a very Young Musician your father said that you shouldnt go to germany of course that you had a very recent nazi past i must say you know too much about me im not sure im so comfortable with that. But the next time i was invited i was 21020 in there remember talking to my parents and saying i had this invitation what do you think and but both my parents told me this is something that only you can decide for yourself and they said yes i will try and i came for the 1st time to germany. In 1963 i was 20 was early 63 and they played in munich and in berlin and i have to say i had the feeling then and this feeling has been strengthened. Over the years that the majority of the germans had made their accounts with the past and only because i had that feeling was i able to decide to live in germany of course i have a wonderful orchestra ask a player berlin hes one of the great orchestras of the world and i have been 28 years with them and therefore i feel part of them and they feel part of me if you werent so that of course is a. Great help and this is why now in the last couple of years i became more and more worried about the rise of anti semitism in germany are saying this is very dangerous because under semitism for me of course is a negative. Idea in any case but because of the history it is that much disturbing in germany and it seems to be at a time when nationalism is roy using not just in germany not just in europe but around the world i think people forget to examine the difference between nationalism and peter teasin patriotism is a very positive feeling where you are proud of your country nationalism basically say is we whoever we are are better than the us and that is very dangerous. Weve talked about all of your achievements come out bring up a mega to be a shoo last year allegations of bullying against you now its worth saying that the Berlin State Court concluded none of the legally relevant accusations could be confirmed that was what was the statement but would you agree that you are a tough taskmaster im not a tough task tough thus bicester. But i have a position of responsibility its inevitable that. Every decision every single this musical decision i take. Can not be approved with equal enthusiasts by a 136 musicians so those who feel that way might feel a hard taskmaster i personally dont feel that at all but i dont believe in fake democracy as it is so often. Seen today everybody has a right to say whatever they want this social media in this respect has played a very very negative influence very negative attitude because now it is accepted that anybody anybody has the right to say whatever he wants about anything he wants just imagine if i would start making statements about biology of which i know nothing or economy which i know nothing. But now it is accepted that everybody every single human being has the right to say what he thinks and this comes back to the point i was mentioning earlier that we have to think of the responsibility every time you Say Something publicly you also have a responsibility. You have the right to say provided you have the sense of responsibility with your false knowledge of Classical Music people who dont possess that knowledge what would you recommend that people listen to to get through that dr days and nights i dont think its possible to give a recommendation a thing people. In these dark days and nights have to listen to music that gives them pleasure i would like maybe to add one sentence or 2 or what we have talked about you know music is not a profession music is a way of life music is a period. Activity the spirituality of music is the most important part and this is something that we all need to remember and spirituality means asking questions and this is why i hope that will be we will be allowed to ask the spiritual questions as soon as possible all over the world. Maestro Daniel Barenboim thank you for talking to al jazeera. Thank you very much. Against it is on the cusp of a new chapter in its history. As the u. S. And the taliban signed an agreement to pave the way for the withdrawal of the national troops. The high cost was paid to get to this point. Over the past few years the us is increasingly conducted its part of the war from the sky with more bombs dropped last year than any other year in the past decade. 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Isolating times the listening post cuts through the noise leave the looking at another side of the story not some of the information around the outbreak but the misinformation separating propaganda from fact look its reality and you have to reject the law exposing the old ticks triad for manipulating rhetoric and blame but they cannot manipulate the fire listening post your inside guide to the media on aljazeera. We understand the differences and similarities of cultures across the wound so no matter how you take a aljazeera were bringing you the news and Current Affairs that matter to you. Down to 0. Does the mind play tricks a vampire is always parked right there they really out there and youve passed the family by like to pull up a monster and where you can see her act like theyre in the car a filmmaker takes the f. B. I. 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