Twenty-five years ago, a minor miracle happened in Weimar. Initiated by Argentine-Israeli conductor Daniel Barenboim and Palestinian-American academic Edward Said, a group of Israeli, Palestinian and other Arab musicians came together for a workshop, where they put aside ideological differences to seek common ground in music. The result was the formation of the West-Eastern Divan Orchestra. A quarter of a century later, the orchestra continues to thrive under Barenboim’s leadership as they made their first BBC Proms appearance in five years. If ever their optimism for the future of the Middle East was needed, it’s now, during the most turbulent period in the region since the orchestra’s inception.
Barenboim has been an integral part of London’s concert life for almost seven decades. Diagnosed two years ago with a serious neurological condition, he shuffled his way onto the podium with violinist Anne-Sophie Mutter, as she took his hand and helped him to his seat. Despite his frailty, glimpses of the old Barenboim magic still shone through. His cues were subtle, his gestures minimal – this orchestra’s trust in him is absolute. Barenboim’s chamber-like approach to Brahms’ Violin Concerto in D major was fascinating to hear unfold, even if orchestral balance was at times misjudged.
Mutter was on sparkling form. Athletic trills and fearsome triple-stopping gripped, while she breathed new life into Joseph Joachim’s virtuosic cadenza. Her high notes soared in the Adagio, embellishing the oboe’s sinuous lines far beyond Brahms’ own characterisation of the movement as “paltry”. Her finale had plenty of giocoso spirit, as fabulous runs and fast-moving triplets brought the work hurtling to its end. An ASM signature encore followed – the Sarabande from Bach’s D minor Partita – which she offered with touching simplicity as a “prayer for lasting peace in the Middle East”.
The effect of Schubert’s Symphony no. 9 in C major was less immediate. More Brucknerian than breakneck, Barenboim took the introduction at a glacial pace which sagged further under the weight of the brass. The rest of the movement fared better, but was little more than cohesive. The Andante con moto, however, was a different matter: it flowered from somewhere deep within Barenboim’s soul. Beautiful woodwinds and clockwork string pizzicati made for a performance of unusual intensity. A rallentando at its dissonant climax bordered on the perverse but rose to epic heights. This was Barenboim as he was in his prime.
There was clear drive to the Scherzo, with an exquisitely shaped Trio as winds once again stole the show. The finale – on the slower side, but measured – was marked by a sense of shared triumph. Barenboim ensured there was no mistaking Schubert’s surprise Beethoven 9 quote. Taking his left hand off the railing, he delivered a coda full of verve and blazing orchestral Cs.