Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.2 9/5/84; site psuvax1.UUCP Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!burl!ulysses!gamma!epsilon!zeta!sabre!petrus!bellcore!decvax!genrad!panda!talcott!harvard!seismo!rochester!cmu-cs-pt!cadre!psuvax1!simon From: simon@psuvax1.UUCP (Janos Simon) Newsgroups: net.music.classical Subject: Re: music and nazism Message-ID: <1689@psuvax1.UUCP> Date: Mon, 19-Aug-85 23:42:10 EDT Article-I.D.: psuvax1.1689 Posted: Mon Aug 19 23:42:10 1985 Date-Received: Sat, 24-Aug-85 16:11:39 EDT References: <152@vice.UUCP> Reply-To: simon@psuvax1.UUCP (Janos Simon) Distribution: net Organization: Pennsylvania State Univ. Lines: 18 Summary:it wasn't always Deutschland Ueber Alles - Haydn wasn't a bum The tune referred to may or may not be original Haydn (it may have been an Austrian folk song). In any case, Haydn popularized it, in a song, in piano variations, and in the slow movement of a string quartet. It became the Austrian national anthem, with words that mean "God save the Emperor" - not a Nazi hymn. Like the old sanscrit symbol swastika, it was stolen by the Nazis. Unlike the swastika, the tune is still beautiful, and has not been used since WWII as a Nazi symbol (neo-Nazis may not be musical enough) so as the generation that heard it in its Nazi context dies off, it will, hopefully lose its modern connotations and become again just a nice piece of music. Haydn wasn't a bum - in fact he was a neat and gutsy fellow. People who make stupid and groundless accusations are bums. As for the original query, I think there is some interest in exploring how great artists could become nazis - not necessarily to condemn, but to understand and possibly to avoid similar traps. I recommend very strongly a work of fiction that does this beautifully: the novel Mephisto by Klaus Mann. (There is also a film version - the book is better). js