A report in Wednesday’s (11/10) Agence France Presse states, “The Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra returned to the Arab world for the first time in 42 years with a concert in Abu Dhabi. Under the baton of British conductor Sir Simon Rattle it performed classics by Joseph Haydn, Johannes Brahms, Alban Berg and contemporary composer Brett Dean at the Tuesday evening concert at the opulent Emirates Palace hotel. The last time the orchestra performed in an Arab country was at the 1968 Baalbek International Festival in Lebanon, where it was conducted by Herbert von Karajan. … The Abu Dhabi concert was part of the Symphonic Masterworks concert series which will include a January 28 performance by Staatskapelle Berlin with Daniel Barenboim conducting, and a March 3 concert by famed cellist Yo-Yo Ma. Abu Dhabi, the capital city and richest emirate of the United Arab Emirates federation, is aiming to establish itself as a regional cultural centre.”
Posted November 11, 2010
