Tuesday 20th of May 2025
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the wrong thoughts in the wrong building by a mistaken conductor...

It seems that, ever since taking office, Donald Trump and his Republican administration have been continuously berating Europe. But now, a different kind of US representative is visiting Germany: the Orchestra NOW (TŌN), a graduate program of Bard College, in the state of New York.

 

Directed by Leon Botstein, the ensemble is presenting works by Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy and Max Bruch. It is also delivering a clear message: culture and music are the true pillars of trans-Atlantic relations.

 A historically important location

The trip to Germany is the orchestra's first overseas trip, and the high point is a concert on May 8 commemorating the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II. The performance, entitled "Grant Us Peace," is taking place in the Nuremberg Congress Hall — part of a monumental complex built by the Nazis as the site of their party rallies.

The concert's location holds a lot of meaning for the orchestra's founder and conductor: Leon Botstein was born in 1946 in Zurich, Switzerland, to Jewish-Polish parents.

"It reminds us that it is possible to reckon with the past without erasing it," he told DW. TŌN's performance in this place sends a strong message, Botstein explained, especially because the orchestra is performing works by Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy, whose music was banned by the Nazis.

Botstein believes that it has rarely ever been more important to remember that the Nazis led "a morally and ethically criminal regime," even as they "were a legal German government at the time the Congress Hall was built." One must never stop warning "how easy it is to make radical evil acceptable and legal," he added.

 Bard: A liberal arts university with a reputation for free thinking

Botstein has been president of Bard College since 1975, and is one of the institution's driving figures — as a scholar, professor, festival director, and as the founder of TŌN.

Bard College, a liberal arts college in Annandale-on-Hudson, a roughly two-hour drive north of New York City, was founded in 1860 by John and Margaret Bard. Since its earliest days, it has had a reputation as a center of liberal thinking. Many musicians, writers, artists, politicians and journalists haev studied here.

Hannah Arendt was one of many European intellectuals who was a professor at Bard. She is buried in the college cemetery. Famed US-Canadian architect Frank Gehry admired the school and designed its new concert hall, which serves as the home of TŌN.

The young musicians who perform in TŌN are students in a three-year training program at Bard College. Most have already finished their conservatory training, and some even have positions in leading US orchestras. At Bard, they receive wide-ranging education that covers not only musical subjects, but also disciplines like philosophy and social sciences. The Germany trip is another component of their training.

 'A dangerous time for all of us'

Unlike other privately run universities like Harvard and Columbia, Bard College has yet to be directly impacted by the whims of the Republican administration in Washington. Botstein is nonetheless alarmed.

"It's a dangerous time for all of us, for democracy around the world, and at home, because this government is against science and truth," he said. " If you can no longer agree on what is a lie and what is the truth, then you'll eventually find yourself in a situation where you can't talk to each other anymore."

Botstein believes the Trump administration is acting increasingly autocratic and endangering the separation of powers — a foundational principle of democracy. "Misusing power leads to fear, and fear leads to self-censorship," Botstein said. "People start to limit their own freedom."

 

Democracy: an ongoing project

According to Botstein, American intellectual elites — himself included — bear at least partial responsibility for current developments. "We were too lazy, somehow, to truly recognize the danger and really start a conversation with our fellow citizens," he said, adding that this must now happen.

Botstein sees Europe, and particularly Germany, as an important ally in the fight for global democracy: "Germany has a lot of resources and is a central figure in things like the fight for democracy and freedom in Ukraine and resistance against [Russian President Vladimir] Putin, [Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor] Orban and [Turkish President Recep Tayyip] Erdogan." 

But it's the fight for the hearts and minds of one's own citizens that will prove decisive. "You have to understand that authoritarian rulers are always attractive for some reason. In contrast, democracy is difficult. Freedom requires constant work."

And music plays a key role in this work, according to Botstein. Works by Beethoven, Bach, Bruckner or Mendelssohn are not entertainment, he explains, but "instruction manuals for free thinking."

This article has been translated from German.

 

https://www.dw.com/en/conductor-leon-botstein-has-a-message-for-democracy/a-72479906

 

GUSNOTE: THE BATTLE FOR UKRAINE IS SKEWED BY WESTERN (DELIBERATE) MISUNDERSTANDING (AND RABID RUSSOPHOBIA) — AND BY LEON BOTSTEIN... THE NAZIS ARE IN KIEV, SUPPORTED BY THE EUROPEAN FASCISTS, DISGUISED AS DEFENDERS OF DEMOCRACY.... IN THE USA, JOE BIDEN WAS MORE FASCIST (AND CORRUPT) THAN DONALD TRUMP WHO IS TRYING TO MOP UP THE BIDEN DAMAGE, BY BEING AUTHORITARIAN, CRASS AND STUPID — WHILE STILL TRYING TO SNARE THE BEAR BY OFFERING POISONED LOLLIES... 

 

MAKE A DEAL PRONTO BEFORE THE SHIT HITS THE FAN:

NO NATO IN "UKRAINE" (WHAT'S LEFT OF IT)

THE DONBASS REPUBLICS ARE NOW BACK IN THE RUSSIAN FOLD — AS THEY USED TO BE PRIOR 1922. THE RUSSIANS WON'T ABANDON THESE AGAIN.

THESE WILL ALSO INCLUDE ODESSA, KHERSON AND KHARKIV.....

CRIMEA IS RUSSIAN — AS IT USED TO BE PRIOR 1954

TRANSNISTRIA WILL BE PART OF THE RUSSIAN FEDERATION.

A MEMORANDUM OF NON-AGGRESSION BETWEEN RUSSIA AND THE USA.

 

EASY.

 

THE WEST KNOWS IT.

 

YOURDEMOCRACY.NET RECORDS HISTORY AS IT SHOULD BE — NOT AS THE WESTERN MEDIA WRONGLY REPORTS IT.

 

         Gus Leonisky

         POLITICAL CARTOONIST SINCE 1951.

impenetrable....

Russia has always been an “impenetrable barrier” to Nazism, Russophobia, and anti-Semitism, and will continue to fight against them, President Vladimir Putin has said, addressing the annual military parade in Moscow. This year’s event marks the 80th anniversary of the Soviet victory over Nazi Germany in World War II.

“Russia has been and will remain an impenetrable barrier to Nazism, Russophobia, and anti-Semitism,”Putin stated. “We will continue to fight the atrocities committed by those who promote these destructive ideas. Truth and justice are on our side,” he added. He went on to say that the entire country supports the troops taking part in the military operation against the Kiev regime, which Moscow has long accused of adhering to Nazi ideology.

Putin noted that Russia remembers the lessons of World War II, and will not allow the atrocities committed during those years to be repeated.

“We are all united by feelings of joy and sorrow, pride and gratitude, admiration for the generation that defeated Nazism at the cost of millions of lives and won freedom and peace for all mankind,” he stated. “We faithfully preserve the memory of these triumphant events and, like our ancestors, celebrate the holiday as our own – the most important for the entire nation.”

We remember the lessons of World War II and will never accept the distortion of its events, nor attempts to justify the executioners and slander the true victors.

The Russian president said those who fought Nazism during World War II “saved the Fatherland and entrusted us to defend it,” which includes “remaining united and standing firmly for our national interests, our thousand-year history, culture, and values.” He vowed that the country will continue to uphold these principles.

READ MORE: Fyodor Lukyanov: The West is dismantling the foundations of 1945

According to the Russian Defense Ministry, more than 11,500 troops from the ministry and other agencies – including the FSB, Emergency Situations Ministry, and National Guard – are taking part in the military parade in Moscow. Units from 13 countries, including China, Belarus, Egypt, Vietnam, and Kazakhstan, are also marching on Red Square.

Leaders from 29 countries are attending the event. World War II veterans from Armenia, Israel, Mongolia, the US, and other nations are also attending as guests of honor.

https://www.rt.com/russia/617127-russia-against-nazism-russophobia-anti-semitism-putin/

 

READ FROM TOP.

 

YOURDEMOCRACY.NET RECORDS HISTORY AS IT SHOULD BE — NOT AS THE WESTERN MEDIA WRONGLY REPORTS IT.

 

         Gus Leonisky

         POLITICAL CARTOONIST SINCE 1951.

 

reports....

A great many foreign journalists have arrived in Moscow for the vaunted military parade celebrating the 80th anniversary of victory in the Great Patriotic War of 1941-1945, part of World War II.

Weighing in on Russia’s Victory Day parade on Moscow’s Red Square, foreign journalists shared their excitement and tremendous sense of honor to be a part of the events.

Here’s what they told Sputnik:

 

“It’s important to be here,” said Spanish journalist Albert Sort Creus from Barcelona, who is in Moscow for the first time.

 

“This is a big moment for Russia, but also for the whole world," commented Chinese journalist Yang Sheng, who shared his expectations to see Russia’s advanced weapons and how the country celebrates Victory Day.

'A BIG MOMENT FOR RUSSIA — AND THE WHOLE WORLD' - Chinese journalist Yang Sheng on Victory Day pic.twitter.com/xHILYYldCF

— Sputnik (@SputnikInt) May 9, 2025

 

It is “an important experience for me and my country” to celebrate the day the USSR defeated the Germans in WWII, a journalist from Zimbabwe noted.

 

“This is a great ceremony – not only for Russia, but for people around the world. I’m really glad we have the chance to cover the story of the Russian people and their nation,” Aung Pyiet Oo, a journalist from Myanmar, said.

 

Russia’s "one of a kind" victory parade is a patriotic wake-up call for America, underscored independent US journalist and blogger Tofurious Maximus Crane. People in the West need to be educated on the TRUTH about Russia, a nation that knows how to be patriotic – “something we’ve lost in America,” he said.

 

https://sputnikglobe.com/20250509/patriotism-lesson-for-the-west-foreign-journalists-weigh-in-on-russias-victory-day--1122010762.html

 

READ FROM TOP.

 

YOURDEMOCRACY.NET RECORDS HISTORY AS IT SHOULD BE — NOT AS THE WESTERN MEDIA WRONGLY REPORTS IT.

 

         Gus Leonisky

         POLITICAL CARTOONIST SINCE 1951.

russian evening....

As the world celebrates the 80th anniversary of the defeat of the Nazi Germany by the Red Army and its allies, there is a little-known story waiting to come to light about music masterpiece that helped raise funds in Africa for Soviet Russia during the Second World War.

On 9 July 1944, Dmitri Shostakovich’s Seventh Symphony, a work that became a music manifesto of resistance to Nazism, was premiered at the Metro Theatre of Johannesburg, South Africa. In a concert hall filled to capacity, conductor Jeremy Schulman raised his baton, and the orchestra began playing the opening theme: a mechanical march that exemplified the stomping sound of Nazi boots.

That’s how South Africa joined the world premiere of a symphony written during the siege of Leningrad (presently – St. Petersburg, Russia’s northern capital), which lasted almost 900 days: from 8 September 1941 up to 27 January of 1944.

A symphony born in hell

By the time of its South African debut, the Leningrad Symphony had already acquired the status of a legend. Shostakovich began to compose it in September 1941 when the Germans were about to encircle Leningrad. He finished the first three parts under Nazi shelling, completing the score after evacuation from the city.

The premiere took place on 5 March 1942 in the city of Kuibyshev (now Samara), and on 9 August of the same year – in Leningrad itself. Musicians had to be urgently rotated from the frontline to perform in the besieged city; some of them died of exhaustion and malnutrition.

The symphony was not only a work of art – it was also an act of psychological warfare. German and Finnish soldiers deployed on the outskirts of the city realized: it is impossible to crush Leningrad’s will for resistance.

 

Premiere under the African sky: “stirring and fascinating”

The musical score was brought to South Africa via Iran and Egypt as a part of cultural diplomacy of the USSR. Solomon ‘Solly’ Aronowsky, a Russian Empire-born Jewish violinist, helped to organize the concert. He saw the symphony as an instrument for uniting the voices of millions fighting for freedom. Eventually, the symphonic masterpiece was performed in Johannesburg and Cape Town.

Johannesburg, 9 July 1944. The concert opened with the first performance of the symphony in Africa. Jeremy Schulman conducted the orchestra. One of South African newspapers described it this way:

“The first movement is the most outstanding, with its stirring and fascinating intermingling of themes, expressive of battle clashes and warm human suffering, and the exaltant determination to beat back the ominous threat of tyranny. The second and third movements are more subdued, but the fourth recaptures the spirit of triumphant resurrection.”

The program also included arias from Rimsky-Korsakov and Tchaikovsky operas sung by soprano Xenia Belmas. The proceeds from the ticket sales were donated to the Medical Aid for Russia, a prominent South African charity.

Two month later, on 11 September 1944, the Cape Town Municipal Orchestra conducted by Dr William Pickerill played the symphony at the Cape Town City Hall.

The controversies around

Organizing such events turned out to be a challenge for South African society, then divided by racial and ideological contradictions. At that time the Non-European majority was raising its voice through resistance campaigns and trade unions, while everyday life remained riven by degrading segregationist laws that excluded most black Africans, Indians, and Coloureds from fair land ownership, political representation, and public education. Such policy of racial discrimination laid the foundations of the apartheid regime that lasted in South Africa until 1994.

Who supported the premiere? The Friends of the Soviet Union (FSU), a left-leaning formation of white intellectuals and black activists, that used the symphony to promote anti-fascist ideas. FSU pamphlets calling for solidarity with Soviet Russia were distributed at the concerts.

Who opposed it? The National Party of South Africa. Its leaders called the symphony ‘communist propaganda.’

However, despite these disputes, all shows were sold out. In Cape Town, during the celebration of Russian national day on 7 November 1944, the City Hall was full.

After the German capitulation, the symphony did not lose its relevance. In 1945, it was included in the program of a concert to raise funds for a hospital in Stalingrad. The Cape Town Municipal Orchestra performed the first part, and violinist Ralph Koorland captivated the audience with Tchaikovsky’s ‘Serenade’. In January 1946, the symphony was performed again as part of the ‘Russian Evening’ in Johannesburg.

Thus, Shostakovich sent a message to the post-war world: even though the war is over, the ideas of Nazism may still be smoldering.

By Dmitry Astashkin, Senior Fellow at the St. Petersburg Institute of History of the Russian Academy of Sciences and the Museum of the Defense and Siege of Leningrad

 

https://www.rt.com/africa/616425-shostakovichs-leningrad-symphony-in-sa/

 

READ FROM TOP.

 

YOURDEMOCRACY.NET RECORDS HISTORY AS IT SHOULD BE — NOT AS THE WESTERN MEDIA WRONGLY REPORTS IT.

 

         Gus Leonisky

         POLITICAL CARTOONIST SINCE 1951.