The first chords of Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony will be played on May 9th, at 6 pm, on the square in front of the Ruse Opera. The International “Elias Canetti” Society and State Opera greet the public with a recording that in a way carries the symbolism of the European idea. In order to comply with all the rules imposed by the state of emergency, a recording of the music will be played.

The record was made in 2012 during a concert at the Royal Albert Hall. The performance is by the West-Eastern Divan Orchestra, and the conductor is one of its founders – Daniel Barenboim. The orchestra was founded in 1999 by Daniel Barenboim and Academician Edward Said with the idea of promoting understanding between Israel and Palestine and paving the way for a peaceful and just solution to the Arab-Israeli conflict.

The musicians are gathered from different parts of the Middle East. They are of Egyptian, Iranian, Israeli, Jordanian, Lebanese, Palestinian, Syrian and Spanish descent. Barenboim himself speaks of the choice made as follows:

“The West-Eastern Divan Orchestra is not a love story and it is not a peaceful story. It is very flatteringly described as a peace project. No, it’s not. It won’t bring peace, whether you play well or not so well. The orchestra was conceived as a project against ignorance. It is a project about the fact that it is absolutely important for a person to get to know the other, to understand what the other thinks and feels, without necessarily agreeing with him.”

The concert features the National Youth Choir of Great Britain and the soloists Anna Samuel, Waltrude Meyer, Michael Koenig and Rene Pape.

Let Beethoven’s music unite us, albeit at a distance from each other, on Saturday, May 9th at 6 pm, in front of the Ruse Opera.