Klarinet Archive - Posting 000209.txt from 1996/11

From: "Dan Leeson: LEESON@-----.EDU>
Subj: Re R. Tennenbaum's comment on Meyerbeer
Date: Sat, 9 Nov 1996 16:41:34 -0500

The suggestion is made that, were it not for Wagner, the big cheese of
the epoch would have been Meyerbeer.

Hard to say.

I went out of my way when I lived in Paris to go to everything of
Meyerbeer that was being produced. I went to see Hugonots and
l'Africaine, and Le Cid. I found the music so incredibly vulgar
and bloated that it is difficult for me to conclude that he would
have lasted beyond his lifetime. But the comments made during
his lifetime were nothing if not glorious. He was considered the
cat's meow.

Wagner todied to him, kissed his backside (in an attempt to get
Meyerbeer's help in producing his [Wagner's] operas), and
flattered the man half to death. But behind his back he referred
to him as "that damn Jew." But that was Wagner. A pig of a man.

I think that the only reason that Meyerbeer is remembered is
because of his relationship with Wagner, which is somewhat
the opposite of what you said.

And who knows. Maybe someday he will have a rebirth. I played
his aria "Pleurez Mes Yeux" from Le Cid a couple of times because
it has a BIG basset horn part and there is a pretty little piece
for clarinet, voice and piano called "Shepherd's Song."

But what have you done for me lately?

====================================
Dan Leeson, Los Altos, California
(leeson@-----.edu)
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