Plácido Domingo makes special statement about the Rhine Valley on the occasion of his concert on the Loreley Rock
World-renowned opera singer Plácido Domingo made a special statement about the Upper Middle Rhine Valley, a 65km-stretch in central-western Germany classified as World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 2000, on the occasion of his concert on the Loreley, the legendary rock lying at the heart of this valley, which drew an audience of 6000 people on the evening of 30 June. The President of Europa Nostra and UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador expressed his particular joy at having the opportunity to perform in such “a place of outstanding natural beauty” and highlighted the importance of cultural and natural heritage both as an element of social integration and as a source of sustainable growth in Europe.
Plácido Domingo with Europa Nostra’s Vice-President Alexander Furst zu Sayn Wittgenstein Sayn and his wife Gabriela after the concert at the Loreley Rock.
“As President of Europa Nostra, the Voice of Cultural Heritage in Europe, I wish to stress the European significance of the Loreley Rock and of this part of the Rhine Valley, with its many castles and historic towns, as symbols of Romanticism in Germany and the whole of Europe. They are important elements of Europe’s shared cultural heritage which is essential for our sense of belonging to a wider European family.
As a Goodwill Ambassador of UNESCO, I am delighted that this marvellous section of the Rhine Valley features on the World Heritage List which requires the highest level of protection from all the public and private bodies concerned.
It is important for Europe and for the world that proper care is taken of places like the Loreley Rock and that their beauty, authenticity and integrity is not sacrificed for short-term goals but rather used as a key resource for long-term and sustainable development.
Today, when the future of Europe is challenged by a deep economic and financial crisis, we must indeed promote the power of our shared culture and heritage as a unifying force among European citizens. Only together shall we be able to overcome the current crisis and start a new renaissance in Europe, based on our culture and heritage as prime resources.”
This statement was published as a preface on the programme of this exceptional concert, during which Plácido Domingo shared the stage with the sopranos Angel Blue and Micaëla Oeste, as well as the Baden-Baden Philharmonic, conducted by Eugene Kohn.
