On Fri, Sep 12, 2014 at 7:48 PM, Platonist Guitar Cowboy < [email protected]> wrote: > > > Zero, even though they were all superstars and doing quite well for > themselves. Sure, there are examples of great selflessness in the name of > stepping forward together too, but this is rather exceptional. PGC >
One example that proves me wrong nicely and shows we can do without conveniently ignoring each other, even if we share similar lines of work: Little excursion: The relation between Gustav Mahler and Arnold Schönberg. In short brute form: Mahler championed the classical world, while Schönberg started to experiment with 12 tone music of 20th century. On many levels, one could think this is a parallel to the encounter of Einstein and Bohr, classicism versus quantum simultaneity, ancient Hellenic forms versus brave new world of incomprehensible peculiarities, God vs. a game of chance playing for truth. After a disastrous first dinner (the kind where Schönberg terminated the evening meal he was invited to at the Mahler House by storming out into the Vienna streets, after talking shop had become a bit too serious after some glasses of wine), Mahler would not only reverse his view on Schönberg's character, but in exemplary form simply acknowledge: "I don't really understand what he does, but my ears are growing old". He put everything where his mouth and songs were: Mahler would give Schönberg references as Musikdireketor in Vienna, help Schönberg's music get played/published, even insist with public verbal reprimand that the snobby Vienna elite stop screeching their chairs on the floor during a Schönberg performance, get physically involved in throwing out a rabble-rouser at another performance, and even financially support the young Schönberg. Mahler didn't "get" Schönberg's music, but he gave the provocateur that questioned the entire musical legacy he stood for and represented, benefit of the doubt. Imagine Einstein doing this for Bohr. In music however, Schönberg spearheading the new paradigm and school of thought would not stop him from becoming one of Mahler's most adoring fans which is evident from letters or his reaction to Mahler's 8th Symphony. There are countless other examples in which people rectify mistakes and get over violent/competitive histories. In the end Mahler's heart shines through the histories, the technical quagmires, and differing musical theologies and theories between the two. No need for this competitive posing around. It can be done. And where there are strong women and men, it is. PGC -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Everything List" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to [email protected]. To post to this group, send email to [email protected]. Visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/everything-list. For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout.
