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I'm in no way a classical music snob, but I enjoy listening to WRTI, Philadelphia's classical station every weekday morning. I love Bach, Beethoven, Schubert, Liszt, and the list goes on. Never was a Richard Wagner fan, although "Ride of the Valkyries" is catchy.
If, on the other hand, the issue is indeed anti-Semitism, and that WQXR’s dismissal of [classical DJ] is purportedly to somehow protect its listenership from being tainted by any suggestion thereof, then one could contend that WQXR should no longer broadcast the music of such composers as Wagner, of course, but also Beethoven, Schubert, Schumann, Brahms, Chopin, Liszt, Rachmaninoff, Mussorgsky, and even Bach, all of whom have been alleged to either be anti-Semitic or to have held attitudes of hostility toward Jews. While it can rationally and logically be argued, and I would agree with the argument, that even if the allegations had validity, such personal views have little or no bearing upon their musical output, WQXR cannot afford to make such a case without exposing as hypocritical its position vis-à -vis [classical DJ], whose comments, whatever they may have been, were made not on the air but in private. You cannot have it both ways.
How do you feel about the Canon of Classical Music? I like their music and haven't really looked into their feelings on subjects because most of these composers lived 150-300 years ago... in the sense of history, their feelings wouldn't be a surprise. Yet, should they be taken off air? Can we still enjoy?
This brings up a very sticky point -- do we judge works by artist. Is there guilt by creative association. Can we watch Mel Gibson movies, or read poetry by Ezra Pound? Do we have to vet all our professionals by their politics and avoid the ones who harbor ill towards us as Jews? Are we encouraging or even somehow stoking an acceptable hatred by patronizing those who would rather we disappear?
I'm not sure. I like classical music. I used to put my kids to sleep by putting WQXR on the radio and letting them listen to Midge Woolsey. I also know that many composers were products of societies that didn't like Jews (it is difficult to know what an individual thinks and whether that individual's feelings are products of upbringing and surroundings or an independent opinion).
This then begs an even bigger question within the community -- what if a rabbinic voice belongs to someone whose other behaviors are abhorrent? Do we teach his texts and rulings (as they might be cogent and proper) or do we throw the baby out with the bathwater and cancel everything about him? Both sides have merit and I'm sure there is no simple answer.
In the WQXR case, there is one other factor -- if this person actually said something anti-semitic within earshot of a co-worker, then by retaining him, the station runs the risk of a later accusation of tolerating the existence of an uncomfortable workplace for some other employee. This gets us off the hook in a limited sense. The bigger questions do remain but we can ignore them and listen to Schubert for a while longer.
This brings up a very sticky point -- do we judge works by artist. Is there guilt by creative association. Can we watch Mel Gibson movies, or read poetry by Ezra Pound? Do we have to vet all our professionals by their politics and avoid the ones who harbor ill towards us as Jews? Are we encouraging or even somehow stoking an acceptable hatred by patronizing those who would rather we disappear?
I'm not sure. I like classical music. I used to put my kids to sleep by putting WQXR on the radio and letting them listen to Midge Woolsey. I also know that many composers were products of societies that didn't like Jews (it is difficult to know what an individual thinks and whether that individual's feelings are products of upbringing and surroundings or an independent opinion).
This then begs an even bigger question within the community -- what if a rabbinic voice belongs to someone whose other behaviors are abhorrent? Do we teach his texts and rulings (as they might be cogent and proper) or do we throw the baby out with the bathwater and cancel everything about him? Both sides have merit and I'm sure there is no simple answer.
In the WQXR case, there is one other factor -- if this person actually said something anti-semitic within earshot of a co-worker, then by retaining him, the station runs the risk of a later accusation of tolerating the existence of an uncomfortable workplace for some other employee. This gets us off the hook in a limited sense. The bigger questions do remain but we can ignore them and listen to Schubert for a while longer.
(Just an aside note, Gregg used to be a DJ for WRTI, he "retired" last month without announcement and fanfare. I believe something similar happened to him at WRTI. When I saw this blog post, I wanted to share it with the group. Gregg is my favourite DJ. He knows his stuff.)
I agree with you, rosends. I think we're getting into this debate with Black history, white history, and everything else. Honestly, I don't believe anything should be censored because I believe everything is a teaching/learning moment. I also believe history is important and if we fail to learn history, we are doomed to repeat it.
I also don't like being the thought police and bringing to life 1984 ideas. I was always taught growing up, "we all have feelings. Some of them are our own personal feelings, but others are from the society we live in. If they don't harm others and they don't bother you, you can disagree with the feelings, but they're still a decent person." That's how I operate with music, books, movies, companies, etc. As long as these entities aren't funding anti-Semitic causes, I'll listen, read, and watch.
Yet, great works come from these composers and I think it would be foolish to erase these works. These works have inspired Jewish composers, and these Jewish composers continue to inspire young people. I'll be curious to see how long we'll have before they start taking these composers off-air and start playing more "diverse" classical. WRTI has started to already.
I grew up watching the Young People's Concerts series on PBS, conducted by Leonard Bernstein. (I had a serious crush on him as a kid.) You couldn't get more Jewier than Lenny, and he had no problem with the music of Richard Wagner. I was fortunate to be introduced to this music through these televised concerts and thereby able to appreciate and separate the art from politics.
On the other hand, members of my family refused to purchase any car manufactured by Ford. I didn't consider that any great loss.
I grew up watching the Young People's Concerts series on PBS, conducted by Leonard Bernstein. (I had a serious crush on him as a kid.) You couldn't get more Jewier than Lenny, and he had no problem with the music of Richard Wagner. I was fortunate to be introduced to this music through these televised concerts and thereby able to appreciate and separate the art from politics.
On the other hand, members of my family refused to purchase any car manufactured by Ford. I didn't consider that any great loss.
I love Lenny! I also love Gershwin for the same reason. They're both fun.
I'll admit, I wasn't raised on classical. Neither of my parents care for it, so I listened to rock, hip-hop, r&b, later rap, heavy metal, country, and everything in between. I didn't start listening to classical until I was a teenager, and then later as a young woman in her mid-20s. I can't get enough of it now.
I appreciate that too, Rachel! I like when people keep arts and politics separate. As an English major, we had these debates with literature and I can argue the same thing about literature. Please keep politics separate!
Nah, you didn't miss out. Dad was a trained mechanic in high school and when he graduated from high school in 1973, he worked as a mechanic for 3 years before he said, "enough" and went back to school for law enforcement. He refused to buy Fords because they just aren't good cars.
I love Lenny! I also love Gershwin for the same reason. They're both fun.
I'll admit, I wasn't raised on classical. Neither of my parents care for it, so I listened to rock, hip-hop, r&b, later rap, heavy metal, country, and everything in between. I didn't start listening to classical until I was a teenager, and then later as a young woman in her mid-20s. I can't get enough of it now.
I like practically all forms of music. Diversity in music, art, and literature serves to enrich us.
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I appreciate that too, Rachel! I like when people keep arts and politics separate. As an English major, we had these debates with literature and I can argue the same thing about literature. Please keep politics separate!
When politics mix with art you wind up with propaganda, which doesn't enrich any of us.
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Nah, you didn't miss out. Dad was a trained mechanic in high school and when he graduated from high school in 1973, he worked as a mechanic for 3 years before he said, "enough" and went back to school for law enforcement. He refused to buy Fords because they just aren't good cars.
I don't know whether the cars were any good, but I didn't think Henry Ford's active involvement in antisemitic activities and Nazi propaganda were any recommendation for buying his cars -- especially seeing as how the profits from those car sales helped to fund those activities.
I like practically all forms of music. Diversity in music, art, and literature serves to enrich us.
When politics mix with art you wind up with propaganda, which doesn't enrich any of us.
I don't know whether the cars were any good, but I didn't think Henry Ford's active involvement in antisemitic activities and Nazi propaganda were any recommendation for buying his cars -- especially seeing as how the profits from those car sales helped to fund those activities.
I agree with your above sentiments!
I never knew that about Henry Ford, I just learned something new. I read the first twenty pages of Mein Kampf in high school and couldn't finish. Hitler's thoughts were too distracting for me and too rambling and angry. I wouldn't buy Ford either. I don't drive, but I always loved VW bugs (hippie vans!) and now I'm getting a weird association with that too.
I never knew that about Henry Ford, I just learned something new. I read the first twenty pages of Mein Kampf in high school and couldn't finish. Hitler's thoughts were too distracting for me and too rambling and angry. I wouldn't buy Ford either. I don't drive, but I always loved VW bugs (hippie vans!) and now I'm getting a weird association with that too.
I posted this link in my first post in this thread. Here it is again: Henry Ford. It's an eye-opener, to say the least.
Back to the original comments about Jews and classical music. The relationship between Leonard Bernstein and post-War Vienna was not always easy. Despite the Nazi background of some of the musicians and the branding of Jewish composers as degenerate (especially Mahler), Bernstein overcame his hesitancy and embraced the music.
"Still, the connection between Bernstein, Mahler and musical Vienna is worthy of a monument. None of these three can be defined today without mentioning the others. More than any other conductor, Bernstein is credited with reviving Mahler’s opus, through performances, broadcasts, recordings and films made with the Wiener Philharmoniker (Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra – VPO), who, as a result, atoned for their earlier wrongs against Mahler during his lifetime, if never quite shedding the history of their Nazi era shame."
I had once read, but cannot now find the reference, that Bernstein insisted that the Vienna Philharmonic play Mahler. This was just after the war that had purged all the Jewish musicians from their positions and banned Jewish composers. He told them to face what they had done and they should embrace and celebrate Mahler as one of their own. I have many recording of Mahler's Fifth Symphony, but the best one is by the Vienna Philharmonic being conducted by Bernstein.
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