Re: Arnold Schoenberg: The Composer as Jew

[elkahn <elkahn...>]

Bob:

I'm hoping to go to MOSES UND AARON if I can get the cash together.

RE: Alexander Ringer's book: There was some cutting edge research in there
re: Schoenberg's eventual conversion to Judaism in Paris, 1933. 

It seems the genesis for MOSES UND AARON began when he and his family were
asked to leave an "exclusive" (read: no Jews allowed) resort around 1921.
Ringer introduces excerpts of translations from Schoenberg's libretto DER
BIBLISCHE WEG (The Path of the Bible) which he wrote before MOSES UND
AARON. It has do to with saving the Jewish people through a secret weapon,
if I recall correctly. Music was never written for this work but its
prophetic nature appears to have been the forerunner to the 2 act opera
MOSES UND AARON. (THe third act was never completed).

You may read a decent encapsulation of Ringer's findings in Peter
Gradenwitz's 2nd edition of THE MUSIC OF ISRAEL.

Two gems that Ringer introduces are 1. A translated confidential letter
written by a prominent Berlin professor re: Schoenberg's appointment to
teach at the Hochschule in Berlin. It gives one a clear idea of the
antisemitism prevalent within German universities at the time (and
before).

2.: Is a letter from Schoenberg to Rabbi Stephen S. Wise in America
proposing that he would give everything up just to be the prophet to lead
the Jews out of Europe. Schoenberg's predictions about the immense dangers
that the Nazis posed were -- pardon the expression -- dead on. He railed
against the Jewish communities of Europe and America for underestimating
the virulence of antisemitism.

Schoenberg -- like many other German yidn in the arts -- was a WWI vet.
He was a staunch supporter of Zeb Jabotinsky and wasn't averse to using
any means neccessary to protect himself, his family or his people. 

It would seem that Jeffrey Schanzer did indeed hear something "Jewish" in
MOSES UND AARON. Yet there probably is no "Jewish" melodic, harmonic or
rhythmic elements in there. Anyone care to comment then if it is indeed
"Jewish music?"

Happy Secular New Year to All,

Eliott Kahn



On Thu, 31 Dec 1998, robert wiener wrote:

> "Moses und Aron" is at the Metropolitan Opera in NYC in February.
> Anyone going?
> 
> Bob
> -----Original Message-----
> From: JeffSchan (at) aol(dot)com <JeffSchan (at) aol(dot)com>
> To: World music from a Jewish slant. <jewish-music (at) shamash(dot)org>
> Date: Thursday, December 31, 1998 2:54 AM
> Subject: Arnold Schoenberg: The Composer as Jew
> 
> 
> >I was always a bit dubious about Schoenberg's "Jewish content" until
> I heard
> >his opera "Moses und Aron."  Although the 12-tone style doesn't
> exactly lend
> >itself to traditional Jewish music, there was something deeply Jewish
> about
> >that work, something that I can't really describe in words.
> >
> >And let's not forget that the Nazis denounced the entire 12-tone
> system as
> >"Jewish degenerate art."  Certainly, we should not use the Nazis as a
> criteria
> >for what is Jewish music or not, but to me there is something very
> Jewish
> >about being radically innovative.
> >
> >Jeffrey Schanzer
> >
> 
>