Re: Arnold Schoenberg: The Composer as Jew

[robert wiener <wiener...>]

Eliott:

I've heard that "Moses und Aron" is spelled just that way (rather than
the "correct" Aaron) because of Schoenberg's superstition.  (Not a
very Jewish superstition at that.  In fact, the same superstition
resulted in a war (of words) with my mother-in-law just before our
wedding.)

Bob

I haven't bought a ticket yet for the Met, but if I do I'll let you
know for when.  (For all I know I'll try to get standing room -- after
all, it's only 2 acts.)  Maybe there will be more than one of us there
at the same time.
-----Original Message-----
From: elkahn (at) JTSA(dot)EDU <elkahn (at) JTSA(dot)EDU>
To: World music from a Jewish slant. <jewish-music (at) shamash(dot)org>
Date: Thursday, December 31, 1998 10:05 AM
Subject: Re: Arnold Schoenberg: The Composer as Jew


>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
>> >
>>
>>
>