Fragile Klänge, fragile Humanitäten: Visionen musikalischer Humanität in der transatlantischen Welt seit dem Zweiten Weltkrieg
Abstract
Dieser Abschnitt bietet eine kritische Reflexion der historischen Genese, des Wandels und der Problematik der Fragilität des Begriffs "Menschlichkeit" in der transatlantischen Welt mit besonderem Blick auf die musikalische Darstellung. Indem wir den Fokus von politischen Akteuren, Rechtsexperten und Aktivisten auf die kulturelle Repräsentation verlagern, wollen wir den Begriff der "Menschlichkeit" in der internationalen Musikarena untersuchen, einschließlich der Amnesty International Festivals, der Menschenrechtsgalas und der UNESCO-Konzerte.
Wir argumentieren, dass Begriffe wie "Menschlichkeit" häufig Netzwerke von musikalischen Akteuren und Praktiken inspirierten. Ihre Bedeutungen entwickelten sich und wurden im Einklang mit soziopolitischen Prozessen und Institutionen wie Rassismus, Nationalismus, Illiberalismus, kolonialem Expansionismus und autoritären Regimen sowie mit supranationaler Zusammenarbeit (UNO, UNESCO), transnationalem Aktivismus und internationalen kulturellen Ereignissen angefochten. Infolgedessen waren die Auffassungen von 'Menschlichkeit' stets fragil und umstritten, haben sich gewandelt und sind in bemerkenswerter Weise aufeinandergeprallt.
Musik und musikalischer Aktivismus haben diese Spannungen auf nicht-textliche Weise verdeutlicht. Gleichzeitig wollen die Podiumsteilnehmer aufzeigen, inwieweit kulturelle Akteure ihre eigenen Visionen von "Menschlichkeit" entwickelt haben, die von einer viel umstrittenen Vision bei UN-Menschenrechtskonzerten seit 1949 bis hin zu einem Aufruf zu internationalem Handeln, Sanktionen und Hilfe für eine Krisenregion reichen. Damit will das Panel den Dialog zwischen internationaler Geschichte und Kulturgeschichte vertiefen.
The presentation examines the human rights concerts organized by UNESCO, since the first anniversary of the Declaration of Human Rights, in 1949. It kicked off with the first anniversary, held in New York’s Carnegie Hall and staffed by a melée of international celebrities straight out of a Who’s Who in film, music, and politics, including Leonard Bernstein and Sir Laurence Olivier. Designed to hail unity and justice, profile and contours of these concerts changed considerably over time reflecting the fragility and internal conflicts over the meaning of this annual event among organizers and the UN at large. How do we make sense of this story in the context of human rights, music and international relations?
With his faith in a musical humanism that transcended borders, his fascination for India, and the success of the West Meets East album he recorded with the
sitarist Ravi Shankar, world-class violinist Yehudi Menuhin may be considered as the perfect example of a liberal utopian, who saw music as a vehicle for universal harmony. Yet, his commitment to music and peace was founded on a confrontation with the harshness of the world, experienced by many during the Second World War II, and an awareness of the strategic stakes of the Cold War and the connection between a sense of duty and personal ambition. Drawing on archival materials from the Foyle Menuhin Archive at the Royal Academy of Music, the UNESCO and the US National Archives, this chapter explores Menuhin’s reflections on music and diplomacy and retraces his action at the head of the International Music Council between 1969 and 1975.
In recent years, musical practices have gained some historians‘ attention as an important dimension of soft power and international relations. But how can we account for the meaning of music when performed in contexts that are characterized by extreme moral and political issues, such as the military dictatorships in Latin America? Does a piece of instrumental music have political meaning in such situations? Does the notion of a political meaning of music make sense when applied to works without words, program, quotes of national tunes, or other explicit political signifiers? Is the notion of « fragile fact » relevant for understanding them? This paper will explore these topics by discussing a specific performance under a military dictatorship known for its violations of human rights, namely Mahler’s Fifth Symphony, performed in Buenos Aires in 1980 by Daniel Baremboim and the Orchestre de Paris.
The paper examines various charity songs that were created in response to the 1980s African famines. I argue that they offer insight into the self-image of a society and allow us to grasp the cultural construction of competing visions of humanity. During the crisis, humanity became a normative and powerful, albeit vague social value, which encouraged and impelled musicians to participate in fundraising efforts and civilians to help the starving. It had both a purportedly objective meaning of a shared existence between all people and a normative call to action to help one’s fellow human predicated on that common bond.
