Daniel Barenboim and the members of the West-Eastern Divan reunite in Buenos Aires for a residency at the city’s iconic Teatro Colón, the first of five cities the orchestra travels to on their 2014 summer tour. In addition to their annual workshop, which this year takes place in the Argentinian capital, the West-Eastern Divan performs at the Teatro Colón in a series of concerts–highlighted this season by esteemed guest artists and two world premieres–before setting out to the Lucerne Festival, BBC Proms, and Salzburg Festival. The Divan’s summer tour culminates once again at the Waldbühne Berlin, which hosts their spectacular concert on August 24.
Explore the summer concerts & residency here.
Founded 15 years ago in 1999 by pianist/conductor Daniel Barenboim and the Palestinian author/scholar Edward Said, the West-Eastern Divan Orchestra is comprised of musicians from Palestine, Israel, and other Arab countries – as well as musicians from Spain and Germany. In joining together to perform, the orchestra reaffirms its commitment to promote mutual understanding, non-violence, and reconciliation through music.
The Divan’s Teatro Colón residency opens August 3 with a concert performance of Beethoven’s First Piano Concerto with the esteemed Argentinian pianist Martha Argerich led by the orchestra’s co-founder Daniel Barenboim. The inaugural program features works by Maurice Ravel, whose music the Divan performs in concert in Buenos Aires (August 11 & 13), at the Lucerne Festival (August 18), BBC Proms (August 20), Salzburg Festival (August 22), and the Waldbühne, Berlin (August 24). As part of the orchestra’s residency, Martha Argerich joins the orchestra on August 9 for a unique concert that includes Stravinsky’s L’histoire du soldat and Saint-Saëns’ Le Carnaval des animaux, in collaboration with the comedy troupe Les Luthiers. The residency will also include a public symposium, with details forthcoming.
New Commissions: Ayal Adler & Kareem Roustom
In addition, the orchestra premieres two new works commissioned by the Divan: Syrian-born composer Kareem Roustom’s Ramal and Israeli composer Ayal Adler’s Resonating Sounds. The world premieres take place August 11 & 13 at the Teatro Colón. The Orchestra will also premiere Roustom’s and Adler’s new work at the Lucerne Festival on August 17, at the BBC Proms on August 20, and at the Salzburg Festival on August 22. Read the composers’ introductions to their new compositions.
Wagner: Tristan und Isolde
Throughout their summer tour, the Divan performs the Second Act and Liebestod to Wagner’s Tristan und Isolde in concert with a cast of operatic luminaries who include Peter Seiffert, Waltraud Meier, Ekaterina Gubanova, René Pape, and Stephan Rugämer (Salzburg). Performances take place August 4, 6, 10 & 12 in Buenos Aires, August 17 in Lucerne, and August 21 in Salzburg.
In keeping with their annual tradition, the orchestra’s summer activities culminate with their annual Waldbühnenkonzert, taking place this year on August 24. The orchestra’s co-founder Daniel Barenboim conducts and plays in Mozart’s Piano Concerto No. 27 in B-flat Major, KV 595 and also leads the Divan in Ravel’s Rapsodie espagnole, Albadora del gracioso, Pavane pour une infante defunte, and Bolero.
Reger and Bruckner with Wiener Philharmoniker at Salzburg Festival
Daniel Barenboim records complete Schubert Piano Sonatas on Deutsche Grammophon label