Klarinet Archive - Posting 000101.txt from 2001/11

From: Tony@-----.uk (Tony Pay)
Subj: [kl] Wittgenstein on the clarinet
Date: Fri, 2 Nov 2001 14:32:55 -0500

In the 1920's, the famous philosopher Ludwig Wittgenstein chose to
become an elementary schoolteacher in Trattenbach, south of Vienna.

"The villagers (including some of his own colleagues) were, in any case,
disposed to take a dislike to this aristocratic and eccentric stranger,
whose odd behaviour sometimes amused and sometimes alarmed them.
Anecdotes about his 'fremdheit' [strangeness] were told and retold,
until he became a kind of village legend.

"There is the story, for example, of how he once got together with two
of his colleagues to play a Mozart trio -- himself on clarinet, Georg
Berger playing the viola part on a violin and the headmaster, Rupert
Koellner, playing the piano part. Berger recalls:

> Again and again we had to start from the beginning, Wittgenstein not
> tiring at all. Finally, we were given a break! The headmaster,
> Rupert Koellner, and I were then so unintentionally inconsiderate as
> to play by heart some dance tune. Wittgenstein reacted angrily:
> "Krautsalat! Krautsalat!" he cried. He then packed up and went."

(From 'Ludwig Wittgenstein -- The Duty of Genius', by Ray Monk)

Tony
--
_________ Tony Pay
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