A special ensemble
The inaugural season at the Pierre Boulez Saal in Berlin presents a bold mix of classical, contemporary and Arab music. Jussef Eisa and Aline Khouri talk about their work in an intercultural ensemble.
Germany. An emphasis on Schubert, contemporary works and Arab music: the opening season at the new Pierre Boulez concert hall in Berlin is not afraid of making unusual combinations in its programme. The recently founded Boulez Ensemble even goes a step further: different musicians from the Staatskapelle Berlin and the West-Eastern Divan Orchestra, professors at the Barenboim-Said Akademie and visiting artists come together to play at each performance. Their stage is no less original: seating an audience of roughly 700, the Boulez Saal was designed by two stars in this field, US architect Frank O. Gehry and Japanese acoustics expert Yasuhisa Toyota. The seemingly weightless elliptical space with its rounded stage area is something special – just like the idea behind the project itself. Founded by Daniel Barenboim, the Boulez Ensemble considers understanding between musicians from different cultures at least as important as the music itself. The famous pianist and conductor was also co-founder of the West-Eastern Divan Orchestra and the Barenboim-Said Akademie, which commenced work in autumn 2016 and follows the same principle: musicians with Arab and Israeli roots study and make music together.
The new Pierre Boulez Saal forms the heart of the impressive building on the site of the former depot of the Staatsoper Berlin, where the Barenboim-Said Akademie also has its seminar rooms. The Boulez Ensemble will open its inaugural season at the Boulez Saal on 4 March 2017.
Deutschland.de spoke with two young musicians from the Boulez Ensemble.
Jussef Eisa, 31, clarinettist
Clarinettist Jussef Eisa has a Palestinian father and a German mother; he was born and grew up in Germany. He has played in the West-Eastern Divan Orchestra since 2009 and will also play in the Boulez Ensemble in the future. He values the idea behind the musical projects. “Playing in these orchestras is a great honour for me,” says Eisa. “Lots of interesting musicians will come together in the Boulez Ensemble in the future – this collaboration is an exciting and intense task!” In his opinion, the different cultural backgrounds and identities enrich the work. “It is not about where you come from, but the fact that we are all human beings.” Working with the different musicians makes you more open, he says, and as a result of the diverse cultural backgrounds you learn to be diplomatic and how to listen to one another. “Being part of this project is very important to me. It is a contribution to cultural understanding that we musicians can make and that can change society,” says Eisa.
Aline Khouri, 31, harpist
There are several reasons why harpist Aline Khouri has now played in the West-Eastern Divan Orchestra for some years and will also play in the Boulez Ensemble in the future. “My passion is the music of the 20th and 21st centuries. That fits in well with the focus of the Boulez Ensemble.” Another reason is the idea behind the two orchestras of seeking to encourage intercultural dialogue through music. Aline Khouri’s father has Palestinian forefathers and grew up in Lebanon, while her mother came from Crimea. Aline Khouri holds a German and a Lebanese passport. “The subject that the orchestra and Daniel Barenboim deal with is very relevant to me,” she says. The intensive rehearsal phases lasting several weeks during which the musicians work and live together give the musicians an opportunity to come to terms not only with one another, but also with their own origins and biographies. “It is then not a matter of major conflicts like the one in the Middle East. You notice that it is about you and me and the question of how we can and want to treat one another. That is fertile ground for constructive discussion and debate and for rethinking your own views.”
Opening concert of the Boulez Ensemble & Daniel Barenboim on 4 March 2017
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