Music sans frontières
From Leon Kriez
Sir: Roger Scruton’s moving description of music’s inherent cosmopolitanism (‘The sound of silence’, 20 August) could not have been more poignantly illustrated than by Sunday’s Ramallah concert, directed by Daniel Barenboim. What Volker Hartung’s Young Cologne Philharmonic and Barenboim’s West–Eastern Divan Orchestra have in common is talent, mastery and political independence. Hartung’s performances are among my most cherished music experiences; his combination of artistic genius and entrepreneurial independence is a vibrant counter-example to the sterility of state cultures. Mr Scruton is to be complimented for reminding religious, cultural and political institutions of their unique role as protectors against sectarian jealousy and hatred and violence.
Leon Kriez Luxembourg
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