Klarinet Archive - Posting 000112.txt from 2005/11

From: "Ken Wolman" <kwolman@-----.com>
Subj: Re: [kl] The Vienna Philharmonic and Women -- Bad News
Date: Tue, 08 Nov 2005 09:14:28 -0500

Fred Jacobowitz wrote:

> Joseph,
> I appreciate the tone of your reply and agree with you but do you
> think you could do without the 'F' word (and other profanity, of
> course)? TIA.
>
> Fred Jacobowitz

Delurking.

Of course the "F-word" is crass and vulgar: but in this context it hit
me like a well-aimed brick (call me Krazy Kat), and I applaud the
courage of the person who wrote the posting. Blanket bans of "bad
language" are preposterous and, anomalous for a music list, show a tin
ear to nuance. To describe the peculiar Teutonic/time warp attitude
toward women, it is perfect and probably even too mild. I have
questions about whether Austria ever graduated from the Nazi era, a time
when aesthetically appealing women AND men were considered appropriate
breeding stock and everyone else...well, difficult to say.

To put the Austrian/Germanic attitude in perspective, would you suggest
that cattle or horses "make love"?

Sorry, I'm off a run of reading Art Spiegelman again....

I have the same problem with the Vienna Philharmonic I have withWagner.
Three years ago I saw/heard the VP in Carnegie Hall. I bought the
tickets. I went for the music, not the politics which are nevertheless
deplorable. One of the works was Mahler's Titan Symphony (No. 1). It
was a colossal performance. Viennese orchestra, no women in sight
unless they brought along the harpist, Jewish composer. "Dr. Laura,
I've got a moral dilemma"...sort of like Otto Klemperer or Daniel
Barenboim conducting Wagner.

Short answer: I know the failings, I love the music. Where do I draw
the line at where politics overcomes aesthetics? Hans Pfitzner.

Ken

--
Kenneth Wolman
Proposal Development Department
Room SW334
Sarnoff Corporation
609-734-2538

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