Sunday, June 17

“All my bags are packed … “. The famous line from the John Denver song pops into my head. Sitting on my suitcase and waiting for the flight to leave. Off to China, this late afternoon from Frankfurt, on LH 728. So exciting. Years ago when I started the initiative WagnerWorldWide I was not sure where this would be heading. I did send out many emails to a lot of people all over the world asking: Are you interested in a collaborative academic project on Wagner for the anniversary 2013? I got many answers. But not all of the email conversations would go on. Some did. With Professor Yang Yandi and Shanghai Conservatory for Music the communication will be taken to the next level now. Which is wonderful. I will meet with him and all the people who prepared for this trip and I have been emailing with over the last months tomorrow. Finally. In China, a country which seems so far away. I kept saying to my friends: It feels more like going to a different planet. Having no clue about the language (which just looks so beautiful), never been there before, and not knowing too much about Chinese culture anyway. As somebody who academically specializes in European Music and Opera, I realize how narrow our perspectives are. On the other hand: How much information and stimulation are we able to consume and to work with in these times of endless knowledge and communication through phones, the internet, travel etc.? Anyhow. One goal – for sure – of this project is to extend our horizon in times where cultures are growing closer together. Richard Wagner, composer, writer, philosopher and traveller, the phenomenon we are dealing with in this project, gains the quality of a medium, a medium to stimulate communication. Between Bayreuth and China. I guess, I do know one thing about Chinese culture: This language must be so very very difficult to learn. Fortunately we will be having English, which is great.  Still, I was taught my first Chinese lesson yesterday. My Chinese friend Changfeng who lives in Germany taught me one expression: SUI YI. That’s what people say when they toast to each other. The expression implies that you are not supposed to finish your drink, and meaning: Follow your thoughts. That is nice. Sitting on my suitcase, getting hungry, I am starting to look forward to my Asian vegetarian dinner in LH-coach, combining this with a nice little bottle of German air white, taking little sips and let my thoughts wander: SUI YI…