Discord at Proms over pianist’s ‘Ode to EU’
PERHAPS the European Union flag he had pinned to his jacket was a clue of what was to come, but when pianist Igor Levit struck up the EU anthem on the opening night of the Proms it struck a discordant note with many in the audience and beyond.
The 30-year-old German performed Beethoven’s Ode To Joy during an encore at the Royal Albert Hall, prompting some to accuse him of attempting to hijack the event for propaganda purposes.
Arron Banks, Ukip’s former millionaire backer, said Mr Levit’s performance of the piece, used by the EU as its anthem, was “disrespectful”. It comes a year after Mr Banks paid £5,000 for 10,000 Union flags to be handed out to those attending the concert.
Jacob Rees-Mogg, the Leave supporting MP, criticised the BBC for allowing it but said it came as no surprise.
“The Proms seems an appropriate place to play Beethoven’s 9th Symphony which has become the institutional anthem of the BBC among others,” he said. “The BBC has become the EU’s Ministry of Information, so what would anyone expect?”
Stephen Hough, the British classical pianist, said Ode To Joy is a message of “universal brotherhood”. He added: “I would say if Ode to Joy is political it is so with the lightest possible touch.”
Former Remain campaigners tweeted their support, with Seb Dance MEP saying: “This is beautiful. And a nice reply by @igorpianist to those who dismiss European unity as a purely bureaucratic project: it’s emotional too.”
Barbara Hoefling, conductor of the German Choir of London, wrote: “Thank you so much Igor from the Germans in London! Unser Superstar!”
Andrew Norton-Thorne said: “@igorpianist have just watched your encore from last night … you are my new #Brexit hero. Please help us stop this leaving madness!” The BBC said it had been aware of Levit’s intention to play Ode To Joy in advance but saw it “an artistic choice”.
A spokesperson said: “Artists choose their encores for artistic reasons and Igor chose to play a well-known Liszt transcription of Beethoven’s Ode to Joy to complement his Beethoven programme.”
It is a far cry from three years ago when the BBC went to great lengths to prevent the Proms being used to make political statements during the Scottish Referendum. In 2014, Finnish conduc-
tor Sakari Oramo wore a Union Flag waistcoat and bow tie as members of the choir accessorised their outfits with Union Flag bow ties despite the BBC trying to ban presenters, singers and conductors from using the event to express a political opinion on the refer- endum. Last year, the Last Night of the Proms was turned into a battlefield in a show of support for the European Union after it was announced that antiBrexit campaigners would be handing out EU flags in a show of “solidarity with the European Union”. The move- ment was backed by the Musicians’ Union, which represents more than 90 per cent of members of the BBC Symphony Orchestra playing on the night.
The Proms run until Sept 9.