Founded in 1999 by conductor Daniel Barenboim and scholar Edward Said, the West-Eastern Divan Orchestra primarily consists of young Israeli and Palestinian musicians who promote peace and understanding through their internationally acclaimed concerts and summer workshops. Since this ensemble was conceived with idealistic intentions, it is perhaps natural that Ludwig van Beethoven's Symphony No. 9 in D minor, "Choral," Op. 125, should be a prominent work in its repertoire because of the work's theme of world brotherhood. As ...
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Founded in 1999 by conductor Daniel Barenboim and scholar Edward Said, the West-Eastern Divan Orchestra primarily consists of young Israeli and Palestinian musicians who promote peace and understanding through their internationally acclaimed concerts and summer workshops. Since this ensemble was conceived with idealistic intentions, it is perhaps natural that Ludwig van Beethoven's Symphony No. 9 in D minor, "Choral," Op. 125, should be a prominent work in its repertoire because of the work's theme of world brotherhood. As far as intentions go, this live 2006 performance is high-minded and serious, and for some it may be a moving listening experience; yet for others, it will seem overly reverent and stodgy and a bit heavy-handed and tedious. One may be tempted to blame this on the less than ideal abilities of the musicians or the relative inexperience of the group, as compared to long-established, virtuoso orchestras; but the sluggishness of this performance seems due mostly to Barenboim's old-school,...
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