Gidon Kremer is proceeding apace with his protest concert against Putin's Russia. Or rather, as he puts it, a concert for Russia--which is putting a positive spin on what is clearly intended to send a forceful message about civil liberties. In fact, the concert is called "To Russia with Love." Of course, the Ian Fleming 007 novel on which that title is a play mainly involves James Bond duffing up or shooting various Russian spies, but the concert name genuinely does not seem to be ironic.
And the artists joining Kremer to send their musical valentines have now been announced, at least some of them. Martha Argerich, no pianist more respected than she, will be there. So will Daniel Barenboim. King of the flautists, Emmanuel Pahud, also joins the line-up, as do trumpeter Sergei Nakariakov, pianist Khata Buniatishvili, composer Giya Kancheli, cellist Nicolas Altstaedt, bayan player Elsbeth Moser, the Ukrainian children's choir Shchedryk, conductor Roman Kofman and Kremer's own Kremerata Baltica.
The concert will take place on October 7, at the chamber music hall of the Berliner Philharmonie. Several non-governmental organizations will take part in a pre-concert debate entitled, "We Will Not be Intimidated: Russia's Civil Society Under Pressure." NGO's involved include Amnesty International, the Foundation Human Rights, Memorial Germany, the German-Russian Exchange, Reporters Without Borders, the Lev Kopelev Forum and Osteuropa magazine.
It is a pretty impressive series of names, and this is the first overtly political concert of this nature--and at this profile level--for some time. The repertoire has yet to be announced, though it will be interesting to see whether music is picked that somehow has a resonance for Russia's current politics.
Will it have any impact on Russia? President Putin is known to be a lover of classical music...
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