When Swan Lake comes to Sarajevo (dedikált példány)

Fülszöveg

War is always with us, and so is peace. This book is about the peace that comes after a war. It is one woman's account of her experiences in the new country of Bosnia as guest conductor of a remarkable little orchestra, the Mostar Sinfonietta.
International violinist Ruth Waterman first met the musicians of the multi-ethnic ensemble in 2002, and since then has returned regularly to the region, teaching, conducting and performing, and listening to their stories. Here she describes the nuts and bolts of daily life - in turn frustrating, hilarious and touching: the putting together of concerts despite the odds; the rebuilding of bridges, towns, communities, lives; and how making music can connect us to our essential humanity and to each other.
Ruth Waterman's writing is humane and down-to-earth, perceptive and inspiring. Interspersed with her diaries and observations are the stories of war and peace by the Bosnians themselves, in their own voices, acts of witness that reveal their... Tovább

Fülszöveg

War is always with us, and so is peace. This book is about the peace that comes after a war. It is one woman's account of her experiences in the new country of Bosnia as guest conductor of a remarkable little orchestra, the Mostar Sinfonietta.
International violinist Ruth Waterman first met the musicians of the multi-ethnic ensemble in 2002, and since then has returned regularly to the region, teaching, conducting and performing, and listening to their stories. Here she describes the nuts and bolts of daily life - in turn frustrating, hilarious and touching: the putting together of concerts despite the odds; the rebuilding of bridges, towns, communities, lives; and how making music can connect us to our essential humanity and to each other.
Ruth Waterman's writing is humane and down-to-earth, perceptive and inspiring. Interspersed with her diaries and observations are the stories of war and peace by the Bosnians themselves, in their own voices, acts of witness that reveal their courage, despair, resilience and humour.
This intermingling of narrative and first-hand accounts builds a mosaic that provides a visceral introduction to an unfamiliar world where-people simply want to 'live a normal life'.
Ruth Waterman is listed in the latest edition of The Great Violinists. Her concerts have taken her from Carnegie Hall to the Royal Festival Hall to St Petersburg's Hermitage, and she is particularly noted for her performances of Bach, her lecture-recitals and broadcasts, and her work in Bosnia conducting the Mostar Sinfonietta. Her first visit to Mostar was described in a moving documentary she presented on BBC Radio 4 on Good Friday 2003. Her writings have included numerous articles about music in addition to poetry. Born in Leeds, she lived for many years in New York, and now makes her home in London.
Cover photography by Ruth Waterman Vissza