Klarinet Archive - Posting 000176.txt from 2005/11

From: Adam Michlin <amichlin@-----.com>
Subj: RE: [kl] Conversion
Date: Wed, 09 Nov 2005 20:20:33 -0500

Exactly. We know Mahler converted, we do not know why.

It is clear that Mahler was of Jewish heritage, though. It is also clear
that for a large portion of is life he practiced the religion of Judaism.

For both those reasons, it seems appropriate (or, at least, arguably
appropriate) to refer to Mahler as Jewish. That is, if we are to refer to
the sum of his life as opposed to his particular status at time of death.
On the other hand, Mahler died a Catholic, so I guess we have to assume he
would have preferred to be referred to as a Catholic barring any further
evidence.

But I'm not sure that this makes the statement "Mahler was Jewish" entirely
invalid, either.

Black, white, meet grey.

-Adam

At 04:35 PM 11/9/2005 -0800, you wrote:
>Weak analogy. I don't know what Mozart meant. I only know what
>he did. And it is no interest to me to speculate what he might
>have done. I don't know and I don't care. I'm concentrating on
>what he did.
>
>Same thing with Mahler. I know what the history was at the time,
>and I think I know what pressures were exerted on Mahler. And I'm
>not critical of his actions. I am critical only when he is
>referred to as something that he was not.

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