World Music in the Mozart Hall 2019/20
Foreign sounds in socio-political contexts
In today’s politically turbulent time of globalization, resurging nationalism, climate destruction, war, refugee crisis, and persecution based on background and creed, the declaration of human and civil rights by the French National Assembly in 1789 seems as relevant now as it was 230 years ago. The ideals of the French Revolution, “Liberty, Equality, Fraternity”, inspired Ludwig van Beethoven to write his “Eroica” symphony, which is the cornerstone of the 2019 Music Festival. However, long before the French Revolution, “Liberty, Equality, Fraternity” already had a strong foundation in the multicultural South of France: As early as the 12th and 13th centuries, satirical verses were sung in the Occitan language by the most famous Provençal poets. These troubadours voiced the opinions of the common people and took on the authorities in musical garb. Resistance against injustice and human rights violations and the demand for solidarity and equality, for freedom and human decency, which already resonated in Beethoven’s work, are the same topics found in many local music traditions across the globe today. These sonic expressions and themes are at the heart of the four upcoming world music concerts in the Mozart Hall.
