Re: Harmonica family Jewish ?

[Sandra Layman <sandralayman...>]

> Remember also, that the greatest German-speaking musical enemy of the
> accordion was Theodor Adorno

This is truly shocking news, particularly for those of us who spent good
money & time to get bachelor's degrees, and yet whose political theory
classes never included this essential information.

Sandra


----- Original Message -----
From: "Joshua Horowitz" <horowitz (at) budowitz(dot)com>
To: "World music from a Jewish slant" <jewish-music (at) shamash(dot)org>
Sent: Sunday, February 17, 2002 5:57 PM
Subject: Re: Harmonica family Jewish ?


> The star depicted on the Hohner harmonica is inded a six-point star, but
it
> lacks the intersecting lines which define the star as being two
> interconnecting triangles. This star stamped in the metal of the harmonica
> looks more like a Christmas cookie than a Mogen David. Stars of this kind
> are still commonly found among the straw folk art of Alpine farmers
(called
> Bastlerkunst) and their cookies anc cakes. They still adorn Christmas
trees
> and are hung on wreaths all over. is this the only style of star found, or
> is there a type which we can definitely call a Mogen David (with
> interlocking triangles), or does the line-less version qualify?
>
> If there is any proof that the Nazis actually forced Hohner to dispense
with
> the star at all, do let us know where to find this. The Nazis themselves
> used the star of David to mark Jews as targets (armbands, frocks and
painted
> windows). Why then did they not use the Hohner family as parade examples,
or
> then stamp the instrument as irrevocably "Jewish" or "corrupt." They
called
> Jewish music, Jazz, and many forms of popular music "Negermusik" or
> "Judenmusik" or "entartete Musik" (degenerate music). Why then was the
> instrument not given the same designation?
>
> Remember also, that the greatest German-speaking musical enemy of the
> accordion was Theodor Adorno, a Jewish music theoretician who fled Nazi
> Germany and who still has a paradoxic fanatic following in Austria and
> Germany (I myself had to contend with dogmatic disciples of his before
being
> fired from the University in Graz, Austria). Incidentally, Adorno resided
in
> Berkeley (my oh my what a coincidence).
>
> I wouldn't say there is no substance to the claims of Nazi prohibitions of
> stars and instruments and all, but before we advance this beyond urban
> legend, lets see the proof. There are many contradictions here. Of course,
> proving that the Nazis actually did make Hohner remove the star would
> certainly help to convince people that Nazis are bad, wouldn't it? Josh

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