Klarinet Archive - Posting 000748.txt from 2003/06

From: "LARISA DUFFY & DAVID DOW" <DUFFYL@-----.CA>
Subj: Re: [kl] What is Music about?
Date: Sun, 22 Jun 2003 19:30:08 -0400

Karajan withdrew from the Party in 42. Most Germans were members of the
Party.

How are you going to prove to us he used his Membership to further his
career when in most certain terms his Music career actually developed
previous to the war, or after the war or during the War.

Furtwanger was Hitler's favorite conductor, yet time has been more kind to
his memory.

----- Original Message -----
From: "Matthew Lloyd" <Matthew@-----.uk>
Subject: [kl] What is Music about?

> I disagree strongly. I think that the fact that von Karajan was an
> enthusiastic member of the Nazi Party - and used it to help his career -
> lessens him as a man and therefore as a musician.
>
> You mention Elisabeth Schwarzkopf. Another one who used her membership
> of the party to further her career - not that either she or Karajan
> needed to ultimately.
>
> But you know what - I don't think either manages to get to the real
> heart of the music as reliably as Toscanini. Something about Toscanini
> is life affirming and passionate... I would venture to suggest that
> relates to his "politics". To hear him conduct Beethoven IX is to hear
> something that demonstrates a profound belief in the human spirit - that
> very spirit that Hitler et al sought to crush. How can the two not be
> connected?
>
> The idea that in America you can be what you want to be is, I'm afraid,
> nonsense. Am I right in thinking that you will not even give entry to a
> person who is or has been a communist? Is that freedom of speech? Look
> at the reaction of American society to anyone who suggests - even for a
> moment - that the attack on the world trade centre was explicable in
> terms of American foreign policy and you have another example. There is
> (in the overwhelming majority of Americans) an assumption that to
> consider that suggesting that the attack is explicable (which I believe
> it was) equates to suggesting that it was justified (which of course it
> was not and could never be).
>
> There has already been mention of those at Aspen who are almost proud of
> their total ignorance of the outside world and I would echo the
> condemnation of this pride. There has also been mention of the lack of
> originality and spontaneity in a lot of modern recordings. I'm not as
> well placed to judge this as I probably hear more live music than
> recorded music, but certainly the advent of recording has brought a
> desire for accuracy that, in my mind and I think in those of others, is
> often at the expense of musicality. With a live performance you can
> almost risk more, and therefore the potential high points are so much
> higher.
>
> So how does all this pertain to Klarinet? I think the answer is that we
> need to question why we play the clarinet and why indeed we say we love
> music. If the answers are along the lines of enjoyment of some nice
> tunes, then I readily concede that your interest in the above in terms
> of your music is likely to be little. But I think it is more than that -
> as I have said before music is genuinely important. I will never be able
> to play Mozart as I would wish (does anyone - even supreme Mozartians
> such as Brain or Curzon?) but I can strive. And it makes a difference to
> me. This is really a metaphysical position I know, but to me music is a
> way to that which is beyond mere corporeal reality. I'm an atheist, so I
> suppose that it is in essence as near to religious an experience as I am
> likely to have. But that is the analogy that I would make. My road to
> Damascus was when I was 17, listening to K488 with Geza Anda, and
> something about that piece - which is of course one of the greatest
> pieces of music ever written - at that time that opened new ways of
> seeing. In a similar vein hearing a rehearsal of the St. Matthew Passion
> in York Minster one Easter Saturday was beyond anything I had heard
> before.
>
> Matthew Lloyd
>
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: LARISA DUFFY & DAVID DOW [mailto:DUFFYL@-----.CA]
> Sent: 21 June 2003 19:07
> To: klarinet@-----.org
> Subject: Re: [kl] Political postings - ON topic?
>
> Does the fact Reshigi remained in Italy during the Fascist Regime there
> detract from his greatness as a composer?..... No. As a man maybe..
>
> .Does the fact Richard Strauss remained in germany during the Hitler
> years
> detract from his music...no...
>
> Does the fact Prokofiev returned to Marxist Russia under Stalin lessen
> his
> music? No.
>
> In fact, I really think that if one looks at this political postings
> boards
> a really strange convoluted lack of thought remains.....
>
> Does the Israel Phil play Wagner
>
> No. Its there loss.
>
> I think political correctness has gone to a point where everyone is
> judged....GREAT MUSIC IS GREAT MUSIC.....
>
> Reminds me of the story of when the great operatic soprano Elisabeth
> Schwartzkopf came to the US(from Germany on tour) in the 40s and went on
> bus
> ride. She had never seen blacks before. The driver told her it was
> best to
> sit at the front of the bus "because the back is for F------ Niggers".
>
> Things in the world have changed but how much? We have equal rights and
> finally in North America a person can be what they want to be. Before
> we
> assume we live in the promised land one has to look at the problems in
> our
> own culture before we become cultural imperialists....AND EXPORT A BRAND
> OF
> MORALS THAT IS EMPTY....
>
> Politically
> Original Message ----
> From: "Patricia A. Smith" <patricia@-----.net>
> To: <klarinet@-----.org>
> Sent: Friday, June 20, 2003 4:59 PM
> Subject: Re: [kl] Political postings - ON topic?
>
>
> >
> >
> > DAVID DOW wrote:
> >
> > >We could bomb them with 40 Eb clarinets playing Stranger on the Shore
> and
> win in 5 minutes....
> > >
> > Hey, I think that would be more effective than Aerosmith 24/7. Anyone
> > got an eefer they want to sell? ;-)
> >
> > Patricia Smith
> >
> >
> >
> > ---------------------------------------------------------------------
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> >
>
>
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>
>
>
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