„Check against delivery”
Dear Anne-Sophie,
Ladies and gentlemen,
‘The heart of the heart of Europe was what Hugo von Hofmannsthal called the province of Salzburg in his founding manifesto for the Salzburg Festival. That was shortly after the end of the First World War, which had ripped such deep wounds into our continent. Hofmannsthal believed in Europes intellectual and cultural cohesion. He believed in a Europe that would grow together again through the unifying power of music, theatre and art. That was the driving force that led Hofmannsthal, along with Max Reinhardt and Richard Strauss, to found the Festival. In the city of Mozart, which speaks the language of music so fluently, and which continues to preserve and re-invent Europes cultural heritage. It is also the city in which you, Anne-Sophie, had your musical debut when you were 13 years old. What better place to honour you, celebrate you and thank you? Anne-Sophie Mutter – one of Europes most exceptional and influential musicians. For almost five decades now, you have shone as a cultural ambassador for Europe around the world. You have nurtured generations of outstanding musical talent. In your own unique way, you embody the intellectual and cultural power of our European homeland.
Dear Anne-Sophie,
Ladies and gentlemen,
I would like to offer a glimpse of what we find so fascinating about Anne-Sophie Mutter and what we can learn from her. And I would like to do this with reference to three concepts that I associate closely with her and which also hold a significance for Europe: community, solidarity and butterflies. Yes, butterflies. But more about that later.
First of all, community: Much has been said about the extraordinary talent that Anne-Sophie Mutter showed even as a young girl. That Herbert von Karajan, one of the most celebrated conductors of the 20th century, heard her play and became her mentor. That he was impressed by her ability to shape great works with an authority that went far beyond her years. And I dont need to mention the many outstanding milestones that marked her incredible path, or the many awards and accolades she received. But one of Anne-Sophies most distinguishing characteristics is her sense of community: She feels she is part of the community, a soloist who is a also team player, and music is her language. When Anne-Sophie Mutter speaks of her concerts, she says that she keeps one ear on her instrument and the orchestra, and the other on the audience. Speaking and listening at the same time. Music as a conversation. Or, as she herself once put it: ‘ an embracing of humanity. Music can build bridges where there are divides. Of course, music does not automatically make us better people. But someone who hates is not listening. And someone who is listening does not hate. Music can embrace humanity when it is brought to life, each time anew, by artists.
Ladies and gentlemen,
The Europe we live in is also a community. All too often, war has torn our continent apart. The war in Ukraine is the gaping, bleeding wound of Europe today. We can also sense rifts within our democratic societies. Community and togetherness are not to be taken for granted. We have to work for them. For people in Europe to feel that their traditions and characteristics are part of something shared. That, for all their differences in 27 Member States, they form our European identity. Herein lies our strength. And we are on the right path. Did you know that three quarters of people in Europe feel that they are citizens of the European Union? 15 years ago, it was only 62%. This underpins my firm conviction that we, as Europeans, are growing closer together. With all our differences and idiosyncrasies, but also as part of a community. And for that we need the power of music. As Austrian writer Stefan Zweig wrote in his essay about the intellectual unity of Europe: ‘Music is the one and only language that speaks to the souls of all. And you, dear Anne-Sophie, speak this language to a unique standard of excellence.
The second concept is solidarity. We are talking about Anne-Sophie Mutter, so I really dont know where to start: She plays charity concerts to raise funds for children or victims of war; during the COVID-19 pandemic, she stood up for artists; she served as President of the German Cancer Aid charity; she supports top young musicians with her foundation. Her foundation awards scholarships, helps young people in their careers, inspires and encourages them. For Anne-Sophie Mutter, it is not enough to create intense moments on the stage and share them with her audience. She wants to pay it forward. In the present, for tomorrow. When asked what inspired her, she said: ‘We must change the world. And we must work together. Thats my inspiration. When I depart this earth one day, I would like to know that I have touched lives and perhaps managed to improve the situation for a few people. Ladies and gentlemen, in the end, that is what we are all striving towards: working together to make life better. And music, theatre, art – all these make our lives better. Culture connects people and gives joy and happiness. It gives rise to new things. Culture is not a luxury. We need it – as a society, and as individuals. At a time when democracies are under so much pressure and authoritarianism is so much on the rise, we must be aware of this. That is why it is so important to promote culture in all its forms. Without artistic freedom, the Europe in which we live would not be conceivable. Because Europe was born out of the quest for freedom, and Europe today is the guardian of freedom.
Ladies and gentlemen,
Now we come to the third concept: butterflies. These enchanting creatures, so light, so fragile, so beautiful, are probably the most poetic illustration of metamorphosis – transformations, new beginnings. But lets be honest: transformations and new beginnings are often difficult. Separation and sorrow often precede a new beginning. As a young woman, Anne-Sophie Mutter worked on Krzysztof Pendereckis second violin concerto, which he had written for her. Its title was ‘Metamorphosen. During those months Anne-Sophies husband, Detlef Wunderlich, was battling cancer. In her own words, that work on ‘Metamorphosen was her ‘life-saver at the time. It gave her comfort and hope.
After the death of her husband, Anne-Sophie Mutter had to muster the strength to begin anew, and she did. I have rarely met a person who emits so much energy, so much passion, so much heart. And from a musical perspective, Anne-Sophie Mutter is constantly on the search for new beginnings – even after almost 50 years on the stage. She is full of curiosity for the new, always alert and ready to brave the unknown. Many great contemporary composers have written works for her, including John Williams, who composed music scores for the films ‘Star Wars, ‘E.T. and ‘Harry Potter. And the Iranian composer Aftab Darvishi who, with her music, commemorates the victims of Irans freedom movement in 2022. For Anne-Sophie, music is not an immutable legacy. It is constantly re-emerging.
Ladies and gentlemen,
In butterflies, metamorphosis is genetically programmed. We humans need to shape our own metamorphoses. Global power shifts, technological revolutions, climate change – they represent challenges we have not faced in a long time. But, time and again, Europe has mustered the strength to embrace, shape and be at the vanguard of change. This is also true today. And we will rise to the occasion.
There is a song by the Danish musician Kim Larsen that parents like to sing at their childrens graduation parties. It is a song about coming of age. It says the children ‘have broken free like playful butterflies on the very first day of summer. The song ends with the lyrics: ‘Oh, these beautiful young people. May they live a long time. Dear Anne-Sophie, you have contributed so much to our lives today and to the lives of the generation coming after us. Through your music and your work, you have made our shared European homeland so much richer.
I thank you. Congratulations on the Wolfgang Schüssel Award. Long live Europe.
