MMM – Daniel Barenboim and the WEDO in Ramallah

In 2005, the world looks to Ramallah: the West-Eastern Divan Orchestra and Daniel Barenboim travel to Palestine to play the concert of their lives. Broadcasted on 13 November, 17:40 CET.

It is a musical event under extreme conditions: For decades, violent clashes between Israeli soldiers and Palestinians have dominated life in the West Bank. Although an official ceasefire was in effect at the time of the concert, the Middle East conflict was by no means resolved - and it still is not.

The West-Eastern Divan Orchestra, founded by Daniel Barenboim and the now deceased Palestinian scholar Edward Said six years earlier, attracted international attention and became famous overnight.

With this performance, the orchestra set an example - not least through the selection of the program: Beethoven's "Fate Symphony" stands for a vision of reconciliation between people, while Mozart's "Sinfonia concertante" also impressively underscores that peaceful coexistence is possible through music, since the soloists on bassoon, horn, oboe and clarinet come from Israel, Syria and Egypt.

This great moment is not only shown in the legendary concert recording. Documentary passages about the creation of the orchestra and the interaction between the musicians, as well as images from the spectacular Ramallah trip, make musical history tangible. In newly filmed conversations, Daniel Barenboim, Mariam C. Said and selected musicians recall this memorable evening. Prominent friends of the orchestra such as actor Christoph Waltz, cellist Yo-Yo Ma and singer Waltraud Meier explore the question of what music can achieve in such a context.

English series title Magic Moments of Music
Duration 43 minutes
Director Anne-Kathrin Peitz
Producer Claus Wischmann
Executive Producer Christopher Janssen
Production year 2022
Production Company ZDF/ARTE, sounding images
Conductor Daniel Barenboim
Orchestra / Band West-Eastern Divan Orchestra