Re: Wagner and Liszt´s anti-Semitism

[Alex Jacobowitz <alexbjacobowitz...>]

B"H Munich

well, this is where things get particularly
ugly. I´m sure that most of the people here
already know that Wagner married Liszt´s daughter
Cosima, who is reputed to have been an even
bigger anti-Semite than Wagner.

There´s a story that Wagner presented a copy of 
his treatise on "Jewry in Music" to Liszt 
sometime in 1850. At the time, Wagner
didn´t have the testicular fortitude to sign
his own name to the anti-Semitic essay, but
instead signed it K. Freidenker (Free Thinker).
Liszt looked it over. "Did you write this?",
Franz asked Richard over breakfast.

In 1859, Liszt, reputedly Hungarian, published an
essay, "Gypsy music in Hungary", which served as an
embarrassment to all concerned, especially because
it showed how poor Ferencz´s knowledge was of the
music of his own country. But it got worse when
Carolyne, who took over Liszt´s revisions, added
her own take on things, especially the negative
role of Jews.

Now, Liszt´s relations with the Jews were always
cordial, and he counted many Jews among his colleagues
and friends. There´s nothing in Liszt´s correspondence
or personal life that would support a charge of
anti-Semitism, except the later revisions of "Gypsy
music in Hungary". He published retractions, but
it was too late, and Liszt, who had taken minor
orders in the Catholic church, became known as
an anti-Semite. To his great regret.

There are currently a number of scholars who
point out the close relationship of the two men,
but make the distinction that Papa Liszt was 
almost as pro-Semitic as Ricardo was anti.

(Let this be a warning to those of you who let others
hack at your manuscripts!)

Alex Jacobowitz

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