The fall of Muslim enclave Srebrenica on 11 July 1995 still occupies minds. On Saturday, July 11 next. commemorates the Democratic Europe Association the genocide of over seven thousand men who were under the protection of a Dutch UN battalion, with a symposium and a commissioned composition by Pablo Escande, The killer and the piano player.
Immediately after the shocking event, blackmail began, all the more so as a photo roll of a soldier present mysteriously disappeared. Even 20 years after the event, Srebrenica is still an open nerve, as witnessed also by the battle that widows and other female relatives continue to wage against the Dutch state. Recently, some of them were awarded compensation.
There is no such thing as a simple 'good' or 'evil'
Time and again, new facts and documents emerge, tilting the picture over and over again. While in peacetime it is difficult to determine the exact circumstances of any event, in stressful war situations it is even more difficult. It is simply impossible to interpret history with a simple 'good' or 'bad': things are complicated and our memory is clouded by interests and emotions.
The Democratic Europe Association is organising a symposium on this on Saturday 11 July at the Tolhuistuin, together with Access Europe. Led by Thomas van der Dunk, stakeholders, researchers, historians and representatives of the Bosnian and Serb communities in our country will discuss the question '20 years after Srebrenica: what lesson learned?' A laudable endeavour, but to ask the question is to answer it, as it is well known that we rarely learn anything from history.
Srebrenica Oratorio
In the evening, the world premiere of the 'Srebrenica oratorio' will be heard at Buiksloterkerk The killer and the piano player, which Argentine composer Pablo Escande composed especially for the occasion. The libretto is by Paul Kapteyn, president of the Democratic Europe Association and initiator of the project. The work will be performed by an occasional choir and musicians from the National Symphonic Chamber Orchestra conducted by Joost Schouten.
It is a pity that this commission was not awarded to a Serbian or Bosnian composer, and that no former Yugoslavs are seemingly involved in the performance either. That might have had a fraternising effect. Kapteyn chose Escande because his music is "melodious and modern, less contrived and more emotional than much other contemporary music, especially in the Netherlands".
We further read in the grant application that Escande, who lives in Japan today, did seek a connection to the theme: 'Escande drew inspiration for parts of this work from time-honoured Bosnian songs, some melodies of which he incorporated.'
Judging from Tolhuistuin programmer Jaïr Tchong's weblog, it will be a probing experience:
'The rehearsal I attended last night is already as curious as it is wistful - like no other art form, music proves capable of breaking through journalistic numbness. One could read endlessly on this issue, and The book The Battle of Srebrenica by Frank Westerman is really very moving, but I noticed for myself that only music can get beyond reason, and make the horror partly palpable. Partly, because no one can imagine the suffering of those involved.'
Postscript: the premiere of Srbrenica Oratorio was captured on video.
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