Klarinet Archive - Posting 000037.txt from 2007/05

From: "Rien Stein" <rstein@-----.nl>
Subj: [kl] Orff, Wagner and Nazi's
Date: Sun, 06 May 2007 18:37:11 -0400

My father was a great admirer of Carl Orff's music, especially the Carmina
Burana. He was half Jewish, and did not know mauch about Orff. My
grandfather was an (amateur) expert on Wagner: after three notes he
recognized him, which opera, in which scene, and as far as I know was always
correct, even if it concerned such an (at least in the first half of the
previous century) unknown work as say Rienzi. My grandfather possessed the
complete writngs of Richard Wagner, and that includes not only his opera
texts, but also what he wrote else on theoretical issues and so on. Writings
I felt troubled of. Thanks to Dan Leeson I now understand it was the
antisemitical background of this man. To me that was a good enough reason to
become interested in the attitude of many German and Austrian composers
towards Hitler and his bent.

I decided not to listen to, nor to play, music composed by some composers:
Wagner and the in my opinion much lesser composer Orff. Strauss indeed was a
stupid fellow, not really understanding what was going on, but Orff was
aware off it all! He was not the composer of such really badly intended
trash as Horst Wessel wrote, but he should have known better! Actually he
knew better, but was indifferent to it, as far as I know.

I assume Dan Leeson refused to play music written by Wagner and Orff, and
some other composers as well?

Rien

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