Hildegard with red roses
Three red roses: symbol for the young woman, water: symbol for nature, wine glasses: symbol for fragility and the one-handed flute: symbol for ancient music. They are the tools for the composition “Hildegard in Kabul”. When you play a one-handed flute, you have your second hand free. This allows you to play the flute, beat the drum and play the glass harmonica at the same time. Afghan women have neither a flute nor freedom.
The medieval music specialist Gaby Bultmann is an active supporter of Afghan women in addition to her work. She gave me the idea of linking Hildegard von Bingen with Afghan women.
In the composition, Hildegard von Bingen’s wonderfully positive expressions of sexuality between man and woman contrast with the Afghans’ thoughts that destroy women.
