"Jewish Conversations: 'A Self-Portrait in Music History: Piano Trio by Johannes Brahms, Op. 18.'"
Description
The seventh installment of the "Jewish Conversations" series explores the question of self-portraiture in music. Specifically, this phenomenon exists only once in music history, namely in Johannes Brahms' Piano Trio, Op. 18. At the age of 56, the composer sought to revisit his early work and completely reworked the same material, as if offering well-intentioned advice to himself—that is, to the then 21-year-old novice—on how a young artist should realize their potential. Can we hear this? Have we ever engaged in such a dialogue with ourselves? Is it even conceivable that such a time machine exists?
Grigori Pantijelew, born in Moscow in 1958, holds a doctorate in musicology and is a conductor, writer, and has lived in Bremen since 1994. He is well-known there as a musician and university lecturer. For decades, he has represented the Jewish community in various committees. The idea for the "Jewish Conversations" format arose from discussions within the "Forum for the Promotion and Visibility of Jewish Life in Bremen." As moderator, Pantijelew aims to engage all listeners with humor as well as seriousness, and to involve them in the conversation.
The 8th installment of the "Jewish Conversations" series takes place on Wednesday, August 28, 2024 , and confronts us with the concept of evil demons in Jewish thought. The discussion focuses on the opening scene of the Coen brothers' magnificent film "A Serious Man" (2009). Is evil always external to humanity, or is it an inherent part of human nature? How do we deal with it? What does the Talmud say about it? How can we understand the film's portrayal of the dybbuk, the malevolent spirit of the dead in Jewish folklore? What happens to us when we watch this scene? In cooperation with the Jewish Community of Bremen.
Where and when
Wed, June 19, 2024 from 5:00 PMFree event