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Why is the image of beauty and perfection almost always associated with art, fantasy and the
creative powers of our great poets, writers and musicians or with the thousands of nameless
artisans, but hardly ever with politics, trade and human relations?
How can we adore the venerable great creator of life, love and wisdom, “Our Lord Jesus”, and
the saints, prophets and incarnations of God, and pay tribute to philosophers and noble statesmen,
and even to good-willed cellists and violininsts, whilst we look upon bleeding humanity, to whom
is denied all respite, a decent life for our children, ever under the threat of fearful punishment at
the hands of Nature? It is as if we acknowledge good, yet consent to evil.
Why are we honoured when we have achieved so little? Why are we steeped in accolades when
mankind, each one of us, has learnt so little from our saints, poets, artists and musicians? I would
like to believe that a function, perhaps the least reprehensible of all functions, is being honoured;
for as musicians it is for us to seek inspiration and pardon rather than punishment. Conferring
Awards on us expresses a need that fulfils man’s profound desire to please and also to confess.
Slava and I are neither high priests nor saints. However, maybe we are somewhat more aware
of our mission to mankind than others, and we have had the opportunity to put this mission into
practice in conditions and situations when people can hear a voice, recognize a symbol that they
can dream of, aspire to or suffer for but which they cannot achieve.
Maybe Slava and I are links towards a new man who will be capable of spending the required
time, thought and creative imagination to foster the artist that exist in our children, in every
child, in such a way that our relations be acknowledged as living structures of art. Maybe we are
links towards a new day when we will place as much importance on the creative organic life of
our children and our relationships of responsibility towards other cultures as the importance
we now place on the phenomenal inorganic breakthroughs in technology, communications, the
exploration of space and arms.
We are moving from a freedom that can conquer and subjugate to an understanding of the
increasing responsibilities we take on in relation to freedom of expression, for all freedom is
bounded by obligation, and the essence of pure freedom only exists when we subjugate ourselves
in art or in the mastery of a skill and when we confer upon others the freedom to be themselves,
to give and to help.
We must be determined and brave in the defence of the rights of the defenceless, as we should
equally be when we ask those responsible to justify their actions in line with man’s law, which
should be applied by independent courts. If we can kindle and foster the creative spark that exists
in each and every one of us, if we can be the voice of the silent voices of unfortunate children from
oppressed cultures —as our dearly loved Europe tried to do— if we manage to spawn and inculcate
a sense of responsibility amongst those who exert influence, give the orders and decide policies,
then I believe that I can end by stating that the positive feelings that this great honour inspires in
me probably justifies the trust that was placed in the two instrumentalists who have won the Award
for Concord.
Yehudi Menuhin
—
Prince of Asturias Award
for Concord
1997
Excerpt from the speech given on
the occasion of receiving the Prince
of Asturias Award for Concord on
24/10/1997.
24
th
O
ctober
1997
