The result of my Wednesday Wagner crisis is in The Independent today. Read it online here. The commission began rumbling on Tuesday, was confirmed Wednesday morning & I had to get it finished that day by 5.30. Voila...
Yesterday more nutcases tried to set off bombs on the London underground - thank heavens they didn't kill anyone this time. This morning the pictures are on the front page of the Indy. In the top right-hand corner, however, is a little picture of Wagner. This feels extremely weird.
26 comments:
Jessica, your writing leaves us in speechless, reverent awe. Thank you for putting into words an experience, for recreating an exceptional musical experience for those of us who were unfortunate enough to be unable to attend.
Thank you also for giving such a concise yet detailed and fair account of the history and politics of Wagner.
Aw, shucks.... :-)
Very fine article, Jessica. I'm neither a Wagnerian/Wagnerite nor an anti-, but I think you caught a lot about what is important about him and about the reaction many people have towards him..
that's certainly a wonderfully written article, which is probably the next best alternative to attending the performance.
now, it makes me feel a little sad for we don't have a reporter of your knowledge and calibre on music events here in our country.
A Brava! to you for this first-rate Independent piece (which I've just linked).
One small correction for future reference: Wagner's idiot rant, "Das Judenthum in Musik", is more accurately translated as "Jewishness in Music", which is not at all the same thing as "Jews in Music". It's in fact quite a bit worse.
Regards,
ACD
P.S. Would have communicated the above via eMail, but can't find your eMail address.
Oops
Gave a slightly incorrect title for Wagner's original prose work. The correct full title is: "Das Judenthum in der Musik".
Also, another more appropriate English translation of that title would be, "Judaism in Music". Means the same as my suggested translation, "Jewishness in Music", but is more literate.
ACD
What a hot button issue! My father, who lived in Graz, Austria through the entirety of WWII as a pre-teen and teen, avoiding the Hitler Youth by singing (Wagner and other composers) in the childrens’ opera chorus might have an interesting insight. For now, I’ll stick to what I know and just put on my linguist cap here.
ACD, your translations are very nice, but let’s look it up, okay? In on-line German dictionaries, as well as my own (admittedly rusty) knowledge of the language I’ve got das Judentum (the th is an old fashioned spelling) as variously (1) Jewry or the Jews, (2) Judaism, and (3) Jewishness. So, he means the group of people, the religion or the quality of being Jewish.
Yikes! This means that we could actually legitimately even go as far as to translate das Judentum as "the Jewish race" and certainly Hitler used that word in that sense, relentlessly. The real question is, what did Wagner intend?
I’ve not read the work, in the original or in any respected translation, so at this point I’ll take off my linguist cap and turn this conversation over to someone who has…
The real question is, what did Wagner intend?
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Your #'s 2 and 3, which for him were the same. Except near the very end of his life (around 1882 or so when he went a little dotty on the subject, influenced by the racist writings of Count Gobineau), Wagner didn't think in terms of race, but of a people as a group. His "Das Judenthum in der Musik" is a wild-eyed rant on (imagined) Jewish influences in German music.
ACD
Oops
My, "...but of a people as a group" should have read, "...but of a people as a cultural group."
ACD
Thanks to everyone for your very kind, helpful and illuminating comments! Since I had to write that article in one day flat, if the only mistake was a slight mistranslation of that title, things can't be looking too bad overall......
As I understand it, Wagner's antisemitic rant was inspired mainly by his loathing of Meyerbeer, who was Jewish and had the temerity to be extremely popular in Paris, where Wagner couldn't get his operas off the ground.
Wow, this is SO interesting! The personal, the political, the musical, the social issues - seems to me these are all woven into his music. Most composers' music, I guess.
GOTTA LOVE THIS BLOG!
Jessica, a really fabulous piece!
Andrea B, I was wondering if I might ask you a question about Graz during the war, and about your father's memories of that time. I have quite a bit about Graz in a book I'm writing, a history of 20th-century music. Please contact me at axlroth @ hotmail.com ...
Alex Ross
I'm feeling quite overwhelmed by all these wonderful messages! ACD might like to know that the caption the Indy put on one batch of photos in the printed version was "Sounds and fury" - and thanks for the link!
Wow! Yes, of course, Alex, I will contact you.
He certainly has a wealth of personal experience and insights to share, and, as a bonus, my mother is a Harvard PhD historian.
I hope our family can be of help you with your book!
Hee hee hee - I think by asking for my family's input, Alex just doubled the size of his book!
Speaking of books, by strange coincidence, I was just going to throw myself on Jessica's mercy and ask her to recommend a really good Wagner biography.
Jessica, which one should we read?
Jessica: I've just been informed by Denis Dutton, editor of the celebrated website, Arts & Letters Daily, that, at my suggestion, he's added a link to your Indy piece to A&LD's Nota Bene section.
And a worthy addition it is, too.
ACD
ACD -
With all due respect, I am confused by your website blog comments about our new conductor here in Baltimore.
Can you please summarize, in 25 words or fewer, exactly what your particular grievance is with the Baltimore Symphony choosing Marin Alsop as the new conductor?
I have some thoughts of my own on the subject, of course, but I want to make sure I understand your position first...
With all due respect, I am confused by your website blog comments about our new conductor here in Baltimore.
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And with all due respect, I'm confused by your above comment.
I made NO comments about "[your] new conductor ... in Baltimore." I commented solely on the process involved in choosing her. I can make no comments at all regarding Ms. Alsop herself, as I've no experience of her work.
ACD
Okay, AC, that helps a bit. So it's the process itself that you have an issue with, then.
I just got lost in the length of your argument, and, again, am trying to understand you, before I try to respond.
Could you please briefly summarize your point of contention?
I just got lost in the length of your argument.... Could you please briefly summarize your point of contention?
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Excuse me? My argument is exactly 131 words in length. How anyone could get lost reading 131 crystal-clear words is beyond my comprehension.
You don't need a "summar[y]" of what I wrote. You simply need to reread those 131 words.
And I might also suggest at this point that this comments section to a post on Wagner is hardly the place to discuss the matter of the BSO's appointment of a new conductor. Wouldn't you agree?
ACD
Just to return to Wagner...quite honestly I'm not very sure which biography of him to choose. What I can do is recommend the single most illuminating book I've ever read about him: Wagner and Philosophy by Bryan Magee. He shows in the most lucid way exactly what made Wagner tick.
I'd be interested to know which Wagner books all of you have enjoyed, if you'd like to recommend some?
Last but not least, a few little rules (normally unspoken) about these things called blogs. We try, as far as possible, to stick to the topic; we don't slag each other off (anyone who attempts 'fisticuffs' on this blog will have Solti the ginger cat to deal with, which I don't recommend!); and there are certain people whom one just doesn't mess with, notably 'ACD' !!!
Jessica, my deepest apologies. ACD, I guess you win here.
In my own defense, this line of discussion started when in the absence of an e-mail address, I had urgently requested Jessica's opinion of Ms. Alsop's qualifications as a professional music colleague, in the days just before the symphony's announcement.
Remember that I live in Baltimore, know musicians here and the BSO is our orchestra.
I invited ACD into the discussion here because I read his opinion, had a BIG disagreement with it but wanted to make sure I understood his position clearly before commenting, and I hoped along the way Jessica might also participate.
I was was hoping for a summary from ACD, ie How dare the BSO administration hire a conductor over the objections of the players?!! - that's 14 words - but alas, ACD wanted to take issue with my simple request.
I believe I was asking respectfully, if persistently, however, if my respectful persistence went awry, I apologize.
This topic of the BSO and Marin Alsop has hereby been moved to MY OWN blog musictoliveby.blogspot). Anyone who has the courage of their own convictions on this topic is welcome to comment there.
Peace, already!
My take on the Marin Alsop controversy in Baltimore is over at Andrea's blog, Music to Live By.
Thank you, for commenting there, Jessica - and I agree 100%.
But I never said or implied that the orchestra musicians were the right people to be making this decision! I think that was our friend you know who making that argument. See my blog for a new post and a response to yours …
In Terra Pax Hominibus Bonae Voluntatis!
Sorry! Getting twisted brain syndrome! Maybe it's down to too much Wagner!?!?!
Bon voyage, wise Master Raro. Florestan and I have gone to our respective corners ...
Can't wait to read more after your return.
Eusebius
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