Klarinet Archive - Posting 001059.txt from 1998/09

From: "Steven J. Goldman M.D." <gpsc@-----.com>
Subj: RE: [kl] Re: The clarinet in literature
Date: Sun, 27 Sep 1998 17:04:25 -0400

An interesting fact I learned from the fascinating book “The Invisible Wall”
by Michael Blumenthal, about the historical relationship between German Jews
and other Germans by looking at the history of his rather impressive family
tree, was that the young, very much in debt Wagner came to Giacomo Meyerbeer
(how opposite can you get) asking for help in getting Der Fliegende
Holländer staged! Meyerbeer was a Jew who never tried to hide the fact (very
brave at the time). He was also very generous if insecure. He recognized the
young composer’s genius, and lent Wagner money, also using his great
influence to get the work performed. As soon as Wagner’s career was made, he
immediately turned on Meyerbeer in specific and the Jews in general.
Meyerbeer was very, very hurt by the vitriolic statements of the man he had
helped. Freudians could have a field day with that.
Being Jewish myself, I find it impossible to listen to or perform Wagner,
knowing his personal history. Other composers may have been anti-Semitic (or
anti Catholic, Protestant, or what have you) but none as mean spirited or
vocal or influential as Wagner. I am saddened by this because I do enjoy his
music, but an overwhelming emotional disgust for the man prevents me from
doing it.
PS: Hitler’s possible Jewish ancestry, while unlikely, is not impossible. In
any event, the scant records make the point moot as it will never be able to
be either proved or disproved.
Steve Goldman
Sjgoldman@-----.com

-----Original Message-----
From: Dan Leeson: LEESON@-----.edu]
<mailto:[mailto:leeson@-----.edu]>
Subject: [kl] Re: The clarinet in literature

I thank and compliment Lelia Loban on the thoroughness of her reexamination
of an old and almost certainly false tale about the ancestry of Adolf
Hitler. Lelia is clearly a person who takes a challenge very seriously.
And the way she writes is crisp, articulate, and to the point, too. I add
that the very accusation made about Hitler was also made about Richard
Wagner, though in his case the genealogy would have been much more present.
The argument is about Wagner’s father, not his grandfather. And the impact
of the argument is exactly as Lelia stated, namely, it does not matter what
the truth is but what Wagner (and Hitler) may have thought about that aspect
of their respective father and grandfather.
And now we are back on topic (or almost there) because Wagner is currently
under heavy criticism from some sources not only for his disgusting racial
theories, but for actually including them (though in disgused form) right in
the operas....

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