I’m looking into whole Goethe Prize for Sibelius bit. Here’s what I can’t figure out: I understand for political reasons why, in 1942, Goebbels founded the German Sibelius Society, but why, in 1936, was he given the Goethe Prize? What was Hitler’s motive/rationale?

Any clues?

Thanks, Jimmy

“Aside from Dumézil’s scholarly writings, his personal opinions have received some criticism. Bruce Lincoln especially has leveled accusations of fascism against Dumézil.[1] Scholars like Momigliano, Ginzburg and Lincoln[2] have argued that Dumézil was in favor of a traditional hierarchical order in Europe, that his Indo-European dualism and tripartite ideology may be also related to Italian and French fascist ideas, and that he was in favor of French fascism (but not of German Nazism).[3] In the 1930s Dumézil supported the monarchist “Action française” and held Benito Mussolini in high regard.[4] Dumézil’s relations with de Benoist and Haudry were ambiguous[5], but among his “closest colleagues” were Otto Höfler (who was in the SS-Ahnenerbe), Jan de Vries (a Nazi collaborator) and Stig Wikander (who had an ambiguous relation to Nazism).[6]” – http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Dumezil#Criticism

Pointing out anti-Semitism pays, not only with money but with an elevated sense of moral self righteousness. Who cares if it defames and destroys a man’s reputation and blots his life’s work? It was the late George Orwell who explored anti-Semitism in Britain. Incredibly he discovered a latent anti-Semitic strain in Chaucer! He accused Belloc and Chesterson of being “jew baiters.” He went on to smear Shakespeare, Smollette, Thackery, Shaw, T. S. Elliot, and Aldous Huxley.

Wikipedia has this to say about Ingmar Bergman and Nazism:

“In 1934, at the age of 16, Bergman was sent to spend the summer vacation with family friends in Germany. He attended a Nazi rally in Weimar at which he saw Adolf Hitler. He later wrote in Laterna Magica (The Magic Lantern) about the visit to Germany, how the German family had put a portrait of Adolf Hitler on the wall by his bed, and that “for many years, I was on Hitler’s side, delighted by his success and saddened by his defeats”.”

But regarding a point in the article, I would be interested to find out how Ingmar Bergman was directly or indirectly linked to fascism and/or National Socialism? I haven’t ever read or heard anything about that before.

YELLOW TAXI Special Offer For xxxx Members
I wanted to make sure you knew about Yellow Taxi’s show this September as I feel it ties neatly into xxxx’s mission and would like to offer a group rate for your students.

Taking Sides is a play by British playwright Ronald Harwood that focuses on U.S. accusations against German conductor and composer Wilhelm Furtwängler of having served the Nazi regime. Our production will be the script’s area premiere. While many other artists fled the country when Hitler came to power, Furtwangler remained, conducting widely in Germany, and thus seemed to benefit from the Nazi regime. Using these facts as his premise, Harwood has worked an ethical debate into dramatic form. Does genius deserve respect for being genius? Can you separate an artist’s work from his life?

Playwright Ronald Harwood is well known for his interest in musicians and World War II. In addition to Taking Sides, his work includes The Dresser, Quartet, The Pianist (winner Academy Award Best Screenplay), Being Julia, and most recently The Diving Bell and the Butterfly. Harwood used a detailed diary kept by Furtwängler of his interrogation sessions in crafting Taking Sides. Although the investigation that is the focus of the play resulted in formal charges being brought against Furtwängler, he was eventually cleared by the tribunal. Harwood guides the audience on an exploration of whether the quality of an artist’s work can be evaluated independently of his actions and life choices.

I can offer xxxx a group rate of just $10/ticket for a group of 10 or more for the following performances: Friday, September 19 at 8pm, Saturday, September 20 at 4pm, or Sunday, September 21 at 4pm. I believe that this production will appeal to xxxx’s student body and hope that this group rate makes it possible for you to join us.

Best,
SD, Artistic Director

We need a xxxx Member to step forward and organize at least ten members to attend this play.
______________________________________________________
Response –

I’m the happy owner of several Wilhelm Furtwängler cd’s, in particular, Beethoven symphonies and overtures.

I also have a prized cd entitled Testament, which features the great Furtwängler conducting the great Yehudi Menuhin playing the great Beethoven’s Violin Concerto and Romances.

See this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2CDo6c6-Wt4 and http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z-iuSgXKUcw&feature=related

Here’s an interesting article–
Like Father, Like Son: A Tribute to Moshe and Yehudi Menuhin by Grace Halsell
http://www.washington-report.org/backissues/0796/9607018.htm

Why would anyone want to indulge Ronald (Horwitz) Harwood in his effort to tell people who or what they should listen to?

There is no debate. There are no ethics involved. People with ears and spirits that hear the beauty of Furtwängler’s performances will listen.

Mr. Harwood’s play sounds like an irrelevant contrivance.

/signed/

MOB
______________________________________________________________

No specific evidence of Jewishness, except for his special interests and fellow travelers (as per google hits).

He also heads up the Center for Schenkerian Studies at UNT.
(Jewish) Heinrich LSchenker http://www.schenkerdocumentsonline.org/colloquy/heinrich_schenker.html

Jackson’s analysis of Tchaikovsky’s Pathetique is here: http://catdir.loc.gov/catdir/samples/cam032/98039930.pdf

Skimming Jackson’s “Sibelius Studies” gives an idea of his work (too much interpretation for my taste):
http://books.google.com/books?id=6p9lAkbz7fAC&pg=PA242&lpg=PA242&dq=timothy+jackson+richard+strauss&source=bl&ots=ILdIS5T4YZ&sig=lbLmmMwiz-T5wTMrJYWVLM0nnUQ&hl=en&ei=4NoiS4OAGouXlAe2zpD5CQ&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=9&ved=0CB8Q6AEwCA#v=onepage&q=timothy%20jackson%20richard%20strauss&f=false

I thoroughly enjoyed your article; particularly the wry sarcasm you used to nail your points home with. Entertaining and enlightening.

Kind regards,

Robert