Klarinet Archive - Posting 000372.txt from 2004/01

From: Dan Leeson <leeson0@-----.net>
Subj: Re: [kl] Wagner
Date: Tue, 13 Jan 2004 09:09:56 -0500

rien stein wrote:

> Dan Leeson wrote:
>
> <<
> When I was playing Wagner ...
>
>
> Dan,
>
> I thought you never played Wagner because of his anti-Semitic views? You
> once were so kind to send me a long article you once published on this
> subject.
>
> Rien
>
I did not say I never played Wagner. What I said was that when I became
aware of the racist contents of a number of his operas (The Ring cycle,
Meistersinger, Flying Dutchman, and Parsifal, for example), that I
stopped playing and even listening to Wagner's music.

I believe the incident I was referring to in my recent clarinet posting
occured in the 1960s. But, except by accident, I have not heard a
single thing of that man's music in close to 20 or more years. I have
turned down reviewing opportunities because his music was on the
program, and I have discarded all recordings which contain Wagner's
music, though I am friendly with his great grandson who is a very decent
human being. I would never have become so antagonistic to Wagner's music
simply because he was a bigotted racist pig. It was when I realized how
deeply ingrained his antisemitic crap was a part and parcel of his
compositions that I turned my back on him and his music.

Did you really think that, as a performing musician, I never played
Wagner, or were you simply trying to show that I am a hypocrite on the
subject; i.e., saying one thing and doing another?

--
Dan Leeson
leeson0@-----.net

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