From: "Hartwin Alfred Gebhardt" <hag-AT-iafrica.com> Date: Mon, 6 Nov 1995 22:01:01 +0200 Subject: Re: Music, Nietzsche, Rhythm John Morgan writes: > Besides, Nietzsche's musical tastes were rather bizarre and of questionable > taste...when trying to come up with a style of music with which to combat the > rising Wagnerianism of his day, he suggested Bizet's "Carmen". While this is a > delightful piece, Nietzsche may be the only music critic ever to put Bizet and > Wagner in the same sentence. It's rather like opposing Benjamin Britten > or Philip Glass with 'Les Miserables' and 'Miss Saigon'. George Bernard > Shaw, in an essay on Nietzsche, said (not exact): "When attempting to oppose > Wagner, what work did Nietzsche hold up as the highest achievement to which all > other musicians should aspire? Verdi? Mozart's 'Don Giovanni'? No. 'Carmen'. > That's right: Bizet's 'Carmen'. What can one expect of such a man?" > I see what Nietzsche was trying to say...opposing Bizet's lightness and > humor to Wagner's darkness and brooding. But he comes off seeming pretty > silly to anyone who knows music. Maybe this says more about N's views on what music should _do_, rather than his 'knowledge' of music? (Music should facillitate dancing, life, etc., rather than become some 'heavy' artform in and for itself. No matter whether a song is forgotten tomorrow, if it moves our feet today, that is enough.) > I have asked this before, almost completely in vain, but I ask again: does > anyone else on the list know the music of Wagner? I can't see how one could > completely understand Nietzsche's work without AT LEAST a knowledge of > Wagner's major works, considering how much of N.'s writing refers to Wagner. I agree that 'knowing' Wagner would be helpful, but as to "completely understand Nietzsches work", I'm not so sure. (I refer to B Babich's comment re. this). Personally, with only a little exposure to classical music (I have some Bizet, Rossini, Chopin, Mozart, Beethoven, and that's it) I have to admit that especially opera holds no special interest. I stand to be enlightened, but Wagner's (neo?)baroque kitsch seems more the rule than the exception to me. the happy Philistine hg hag-AT-iafrica.com --- from list nietzsche-AT-jefferson.village.virginia.edu --- ------------------
Display software: ArchTracker © Malgosia Askanas, 2000-2005