I agree with Michael but not for entirely the same reasons. Hope, I’m afraid
I see your interdiction as symptomatic of the extent to which political
correctness has paralysed American academia. You are basically saying: “Let’
s not discuss this topic IN CASE anyone says something contentious”. For
once music intersects with real life – at the hard end, too -- and we’re not
allowed to talk about it? It strikes me that your students might actively
expect you to have some views on the subject, and if they don’t, you ought
to be asking the questions that start them thinking. Sweep issues like this
under the carpet and you are in dereliction of duty.
Cheers
Martin
Martin Anderson
Toccata Press
www.drakeint.co.uk/toccata-press
-----Original Message-----
From: owner-mlist@ucdavis.edu [mailto:owner-mlist@ucdavis.edu]On Behalf Of
Michael Morse
Sent: Thursday, 07 March 2002 02:49
To: Musicology List
Subject: Re: Sharon vs. Barenboim
Dear Hope
There is more than one version of this story. .
It seems to me that this matter may not be an appropriate topic for MLIST.
This list has never before discussed the politics of the Middle East -- an
extremely divisive issue having NOTHING to do with musicology, and one on
which MANY people have extremely strong feelings.
I hope sincerely that I'm not playing advocatus diaboli here, but your
(unquoted) conclusion that we should eschew discussing the Middle East per
se -- with which I entirely agree -- does not follow from the precise
premises you proffer. In particular, it seems to me hyperbolic or inaccurate
to suggest that this incident has *nothing* to do with musicology. The
conditions under which musicians must perform concern us, I should say. Have
we not discussed issues wagnerian, including the WWF smackdown on the green
hill in recent years? And the Israeli ban on Wagner? If not, could we not do
so?
Perhaps that's the most important question. Quite understandably, I think
you're invoking a slippery slope. Once the topic is raised, it must of its
own inertia lead to an a-musicological donnybrook. It is exactly that which
I would like to contest. I say "like to" advisedly, since I'm not sure that
I can. In part, as American philosopher Doris Day once pointed out in a
slightly different context, "the future's not our to see." But, too, I think
the issue that by now hangs over virtually any open-forum scholarly
discussion is, paraphrasing a slightly earlier songbird, the spectre of
politics haunting musicology.
I'm both a fatalist and an optimist on this score. The former, because
music scholars who can't focus on music deserve exposure. The latter,
because I should think the great majority of musicologists, very much
including participants in this list, have, as the vernacular has it, had it
up to here with bellicose digressions.
All of which, a convoluted but sincere way of saying I truly hope your
fears are unfounded.
Cheers & Best,
Michael
"Froh aber Fafner"
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