Music for peace
October 23rd, 2006
I want to call attention to the wonderful web site of classical pianist Robert Rivard: Concerts for Peace. There you can, for a modest fee, download his wonderful performances of The Music of Wilhelm Furtwangler: Selected Piano Compositions. I’m listening to his Fantasie II right now. The last three piano sonatas of Beethoven will be released soon. As Robert says:
In these times of war with its terrorism and senseless violence and in these times of unbelievable natural disasters, we need now more than ever to gather together as a community to listen to Beethoven’s message of hope, consolation, and peace. A message he has so selflessly given us. All we need do is sit quietly together and accept with open hearts his timeless gift of peace.
Entry Filed under: Culture, Music, Uncategorized
2 Comments Add your own
1. Valtin | October 23rd, 2006 at 4:53 pm
How ironic that Furtwangler should be chosen to promote peace, as he was a prominent conductor in Germany during the Nazi years. To prove I’m not a hypocite (or perhaps that I am), I own some recordings of Furtwangler conducting Wagner, and they are wonderful, with Furtwangler’s interpretations bringing out more the weirdness in Wagner than his bombast.
There are many of these German musicians and composers (or conductors — von Karajan is another) who were compromised by their work under the Nazi regime, or by association with them. (Wagner carries the stigma of the latter, although he died before Hitler was even born.) Richard Strauss also stayed in Germany through the Nazi and war years. I listen to and enjoy Strauss immensely, but I can understand if there were others who found the associations of these individuals to preempt any enjoyment of their work.
2. Psyche, Science, and Soci&hellip | October 23rd, 2006 at 8:13 pm
[...] In response to my post Music for peace this morning, Daily Kos diarist Valtin commented [see comments to that post]: How ironic that Furtwangler should be chosen to promote peace, as he was a prominent conductor in Germany during the Nazi years. To prove I’m not a hypocite (or perhaps that I am), I own some recordings of Furtwangler conducting Wagner, and they are wonderful, with Furtwangler’s interpretations bringing out more the weirdness in Wagner than his bombast. [...]
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