Arts & International Affairs: Vol. 3, No. 2, Summer/Autumn 2018 | Page 50

THE BARENBOIM CASE: HOW TO LINK MUSIC AND DIPLOMACY STUDIES
manently interconnected; the act of making music is a process of the integration of all
its inherent elements” (Barenboim 2008a:13). The latter generates a more open-minded
view of relationships because “through music it is possible to imagine an alternative social
model” (Barenboim 2008a:55). Barenboim strongly emphasizes this aspect when
articulating his musical career with politics. In his highly controversial statement to the
Knesset in 2004, he expressed himself as follows:
Music is the art of the imaginary par excellence, an art free of all limits
imposed by words, an art that touches the depth of human existence,
and art of sounds that crosses all borders. As such, music can take the
feelings and imagination of Israelis and Palestinians to new unimaginable
spheres.
And he adds, “when politics transcends the limits of the present existence and ascents to
the higher sphere of the possible, it can be joined there by music” (Barenboim 2004b).
While philosophers focus on movement in order to link music and politics as Gilles
Deleuze does for instance 4 (Deleuze 1988; Nesbitt and Hulse 2010), Barenboim proposes
an alternative direction: music as a source of imagination for another future. It is one
of his central language elements that “there can be no military solution” for the Israel–
Palestine question: instead, Barenboim sees the “need for a mutual feeling of empathy
[ ... ]. In this conflict, we are all losers. We can only overcome this sad state if we finally
begin to accept the other side’s suffering and their rights. Only from this understanding
can we attempt to build a future together” (Barenboim 2014). This is at the heart of the
symbolic action pursued. In other words, when Barenboim speaks about “the political,”
he refers to the form of a polity rather than politics as an agonistic sphere where competition
between actors is organized.
2. A Symbolic Project
The Divan is not a love story, and it is not a peace story. It has very flatteringly
been described as a project for peace. It isn't. It's not going to
bring peace, whether you play well or not so well. The Divan was conceived
as a project against ignorance. ( ... ) I'm trying to create a platform
where the two sides can disagree and not resort to knives. (Barenboim
quoted in Vulliamy 2008)
By refusing the designation as a “peacemaker,” Barenboim extends the idea of empowerment
from politics: he does not consider himself a negotiator but rather a
societal facilitator. This function must be distinguished from the idea of good offices
4 As Gilles Deleuze reflects, “la musique fait et nous fait faire le mouvement. [ ... ] elle nous rappelle que
la raison n’a pas pour fonction de représenter, mais d’actualiser la puissance, c’est-à-dire d’instaurer des
rapports humains dans une matière (sonore)” (1988:26).
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