New year's tango with Barenboim
2007-01-03 08:16
Buenos Aires - Israeli and Palestine ambassadors sat side by side in the final hours of 2006 in a show of unity at a concert led by renowned Argentine-born conductor Daniel Barenboim, a prominent advocate for peace in the Middle East.
On Sunday night, Barenboim departed from his usual repertoire of classical music, instead wowed the audience gathered at the foot of the famed obelisk monument with selections from Buenos Aires' signature genre: tango.
The audience cheered as Barenboim directed the Buenos Aires Philharmonic Orchestra through tango classics such as El dia que me quieras (The Day You Love Me), Mi Buenos Aires querido (My Beloved Buenos Aires), and Cuesta abajo (Going Downhill).
About 10 000 people attended the event, authorities said.
Barenboim, conductor of the Berlin Staatsoper opera house and a former director of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, was born in Argentina and holds Israeli citizenship. He is also a guest conductor of La Scala opera house in Milan.
Barenboim has been recognised for fostering tolerance by bringing together Israeli and Arab musicians. Ambassadors Rafael Eldad of Israel and Suhail Hani Daher Akel of the Palestine Authority sat in the front row at the concert, along with Buenos Aires regional governor Jorge Telerman.
Conducting a tango concert should not be seen as strange, Barenboim said.
"I'm happy with this repertoire of tangos since I prefer a concert of music that can be widely understood," he said.
- AP