The end of the year is almost here, and that means that it’s not long before the city plunges headlong into consuming classical music and dance at the Margazhi festival. For those of you keen on catching up with some international art, however, the Goethe Institut’s packed November programme offers enough and more to quench your thirst for some world cinema and different genres of western music. Here’s the lowdown on the events planned for the month.
World Cinema & Jazz Music: Check Out This Month's Host Of Events By Goethe Institut
Classical Touch
Part of Goethe institut’s regular ‘digital concert hall’ series is this month’s event in which Sir Simon Rattle conducts Haydn’s Creation – Joseph Haydn’s masterpiece – in cooperation with the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra. The Creation is an oratorio that depicts and celebrates the creation of the world as described in the Book of Genesis, and is a series of picturesque descriptions of nature. Haydn represented the dispersal of all darkness by the first light — the piece, fittingly, is a grandiose and emotional one.
Where: Goethe Institut Auditorium
When: Friday, November 10
Time: 7pm
Of Mao & Music
When one artistic medium is used to explain and celebrate another, the result is usually quite moving. Director Paul Smaczny employs his lens to speak about music through his renowned movies. In the first screening to be presented, he tells the story of how Chinese classical pianist and teacher Xiao-Mei withstood the challenges of the Mao regime deriving solace and strength from Bach’s music, and how she returns to China as an internationally acclaimed interpreter of Bach’s music 35 years after leaving her home with the wounds of the Cultural Revolution still fresh in her memory and in Chinese society.
When: Thursday, November 16
Time: 7pm
The Life Of A Musician
John Cage – Journeys in Sound is a documentary that pays tribute to the fascinating American avant-garde composer John Cage. It premieres rare archival footage, excerpts of concerts and a series of interviews with famous contemporary musicians in an attempt to explore all facets of Cage’s life.
When: Friday, November 17
Time: 7pm
Finding Refuge
In association with the Indo Cine Appreciation Foundation, Goethe Institut presents, as part of its Film Series On Migration, the movie Kaddish for a Friend, a tragic story about friendship, trust and the art of forgiveness. Follow the journey of a young boy who lives in a Palestinian refugee camp, escapes Lebanon, and ends up in Berlin-Kreuzberg where he struggles to fit in.
When: Friday, November 24
Time: 7pm
All That Jazz
If you’re a jazz lover, you’ll probably enjoy listening to the new-age jazz-inspired music of C.A.R, originally a quintet playing wild experimental jazz music and now experimenting with kraut-like arrangements infused with electronic and jazz sounds. Their music is often described as meditative and gentle, and the band is often commended as having their own, unique sound.
When: Sunday, November 26
Time: 7pm
