Klarinet Archive - Posting 000136.txt from 2005/05

From: "Dee Flint" <deeflint01@-----.net>
Subj: Re: [kl] Possible racist views in music titles (was: Rubank Method: not all by Voxman)
Date: Fri, 06 May 2005 20:16:43 -0400


----- Original Message -----
From: "dnleeson" <dnleeson@-----.net>
To: <klarinet@-----.org>
Sent: Friday, May 06, 2005 12:31 PM
Subject: RE: [kl] Possible racist views in music titles (was: Rubank Method:
not all by Voxman)

> Margaret has brought up an interesting point in her note about
> the Rubank methods. It is one on which I have thought for a long
> time and her opening up of the topic allows me to comment on it.
>
> One of the things that Margaret points out is that a duet in the
> first Rubank book has the title "Danse Negre," or "Negro dance."
> And the problem with titles like that is that you either keep
> them, change them, or stop playing the music to avoid a
> perpetuation of a time in American history that continues to
> embarass us more and more and cultural maturity changes our
> society almost from minute to minute.
>

In this case it would be a non-issue as basically the translation of the
title could simply use whatever is the current, politically acceptable term
for black people. The title means nothing more and nothing less than "black
persons dance". There is no other way to title it in its original language.
It is primarily only in English that we have gone through such a range of
terms from the old plantation "darkie" through "Negro" to "black" and
whatever is acceptable today.

> I'm not really beating up on that particular title but rather a
> broader issues of facing up to racism in music or music titles.
> It is not an overwhelming issue, but it is not non trivial
> either.
>

Changing a title based on ever changing standards is as much a form of
bowdlerization as when Thomas Bowdler removed "unacceptable" scenes from
Shakespeare based on his personal ideas of what was proper. Titles, as well
as the music itself, must be judged in the context in which it was written.

> [snip]
> In the case of "Dance Negre," would "African/American Dance" do?
> I think not. It is not only clumsy but unsuited to a performance
> outside of the United States. (Are there African/Englishman in
> London? Are there African/Italians in Rome?) Would "Black Man's
> Dance" do? I also think not. If it is possible to measure these
> things, it's worse than "Dance Negre."
>

As I stated above, one has to look at things in context. In the language in
which it was written, it is not derogative. They have no other term to use.
I'd say leave it alone as a first choice. 2nd choice is to translate it
into the equivalent term in the target language. In English, the most
accurate would be somthing along the line of "black persons dance."
African/American would be a very incorrect translation.

> In the case of "Pictures at An Exhibition," the orchestral
> version of "Samuel Goldenburg and Schmuyle" has, to me at least,
> always been an embarassment to play. It's whining, nagging music
> is so very much a negative thought picture of the two men, even
> though program notes wash that out when they write about the
> movement. But our role, when we play, is talent in playing, not
> in asserting issues of political correctness. Or is that wrong?
>
> I pose all these points because some of them need to be
> confronted. When we see explicitly racist movies of the 30s (and
> even earlier silent film racism), we view Hollywood at a time
> when they were both ignorant and uncaring about what they were
> doing. Lord knows that Al Jolson, dressed in blackface and
> singing "Mammy" would be hooted off the stage today.
>
> I wonder if anything even bordering an ethic cleansing of music
> would be an enormous overkill for what may be only a very small
> problem. But if Margaret thinks that one of the reasons not to
> use Rubank 1 is the title of a small duet, that is the kind of
> thing that a publisher would take very seriously.
>

"Cleansing" the music amounts to bowdlerism. Either play it or don't but
leave it alone. In the future when people can look at the past less
emotionally, the music will stand on its merits or it will disappear for
good.

> It's not as easy a problem as it looks, but it may not be worth
> the solving.
>

The problem is viewing the past as if it were the present.

Dee D. Flint

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