Klarinet Archive - Posting 000146.txt from 1998/12

From: "Dan Leeson: LEESON@-----.edu>
Subj: Re: [kl] Re: Wagner's Ring again
Date: Fri, 4 Dec 1998 14:05:29 -0500

> From: MX%"klarinet@-----.04
> Subj: Re: [kl] Re: Wagner's Ring again

> Thanks for your response, Dan. As you say, it's a tough problem.
>
> There's not much to add. Except when you say,
>
> > Those who deny the truth will continue to do so, and those who think
> > that the message in Wagner's music is so unspeakable that they will
> > not listen to it will also continue to think this way.
>
> ...those of us who wish to continue to listen may be able to do two
> things, without denying any truths.
>
> First we may say, a message that is not received by us is not a message.
> (And surely under any interpretation it would be too much to say that
> racism is *the* message of the Ring?) We may wish instead to give
> weight to the unequivocal message of what Wagner wrote in the extracts
> quoted by Cooke.
>
> The other thing that we may say is that if at least one such message is
> in the music, in the depiction of Mime; and that if Mahler, a Jew, was
> capable of responding as he did, in writing; then it shows that the
> matter had far less charge in those days than it (rightly) does now,
> given recent history.

Er, um, uh, I'm not trying to complicate the situation, but Gustav
Mahler, though he was born a Jew, became a Catholic. Now one might
argue that he did this to achieve social acceptance in the Viennese
milieu, but one could also argue that he converted because of a
sincere religious belief. Since no one really knows what he had
in mind, it might be best to presume that he did as he did because
of the latter reason, in which case using his response to Wagner's
bigotry is not helpful. Same thing with Mendelssohn. At the age
of 8 he was converted to Protestant Lutheranism. He was a serious
Lutheran and had no further contact with his former Jewishness.
So why is he, like Mahler, referred to as a Jew from time to time.

It is no good giving the views of Christians who were former Jews
as an apologia for the actions of Wagner.

>
> This position, whilst in no way condoning Wagner's racism, does frame it
> a little differently.
>
> Tony
> --
> _________ Tony Pay
> |ony:-) 79 Southmoor Rd Tony@-----.uk
> | |ay Oxford OX2 6RE
> tel/fax 01865 553339
>
> "...his playing soars so freely, one is aware of witchcraft without
> noticing a single magical gesture."
> (C.D.F.Schubart on the harpsichord playing of C.P.E.Bach)
>
> -------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
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Dan Leeson, Los Altos, California
leeson@-----.edu
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