Re: Wagner anyone?

[moshe denburg <denburg...>]

On Wed, 14 Feb 1996 08:54:56 EST, Dan Kazez wrote:

>I'm curious...  Do you listen to Wagner?  Is it possible to disassociate
>a composer's music from his personal beliefs and prejudices?

It may all depend on usage. For instance, if you take a Wagner tune and try
to put it in the Synagogue, the association (if it is known) would be
non-conducive to the purposes of being in the Synagogue. In the concert hall
a different purpose is served - musicians carry out the reconstruction of a
sound-blueprint; they are not there in the room with Wagner - all they have
is his score. 

This question of Wagner represents, to me, a truth about the nature of
knowledge. Music's building blocks may be known - but like all knowledge
placed in the hands of humanity, it can be utilized for good or ill. The
final effect of Wagner's music is not clear to me - it's hard to get by his
negative, self-worshipping personality. Lucky for Wagner, other musicians do
the work of co-operation that leads to a realization of his score.

Debussy said about Wagner: "Wagner was a beautiful sunset that was mistaken
for a sunrise."  (from: Composers on Composers, by John L. Holmes; Greenwood
Press, 1990).

Moshe Denburg