Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.2 9/5/84; site olivee.UUCP Path: utzoo!linus!philabs!cmcl2!seismo!lll-crg!dual!qantel!hplabs!oliveb!olivee!greg From: greg@olivee.UUCP (Greg Paley) Newsgroups: net.music.classical Subject: Re: Music and nazism Message-ID: <452@olivee.UUCP> Date: Mon, 12-Aug-85 13:01:22 EDT Article-I.D.: olivee.452 Posted: Mon Aug 12 13:01:22 1985 Date-Received: Sat, 17-Aug-85 06:37:07 EDT References: <1516@bbncca.ARPA> Organization: Olivetti ATC; Cupertino, Ca Lines: 83 > Kirsten Flagstad, deported from the US in late 30s for effusive > praise of nazism > Lawrence Melchior, deported along with Flagstad Blatantly false in both cases, as even the most minimal research would have shown. What did you do, read old Walter Winchell columns? Aside from the fact that I question the value of this "project" in the first place, the use of such sweeping statements would make me seriously question the reliability of any information gathered (and you talk about Karajan being a liar). Melchior continued to perform in the U.S. through the duration of World War II and after. There are broadcast performances available on record with Toscanini, and later from the Metropolitan opera which attest to this. Flagstad returned to Norway but was certainly not deported. Kirsten Flagstad was offered a contract by the Metropolitan in 1935, with very limited terms (nobody apparently dreamed that she would turn out to be the phenomenal success she was). She and her husband came for the duration of the contract, leaving home and family in Norway. As there had been no thought of a permanent move to the U.S., her husband's business was kept running in Norway and eventually required his return. Her successes here led to renewals of the contract and kept her occupied performing in the U.S. until 1941, at which time Norway was under Nazi occupation. By 1941, she had not seen her husband or family for over a year and they were not permitted to leave Norway. She gave in to unbearable homesickness and returned to wartime Norway. Not only was she not deported, but representatives of the U.S. state department tried to discourage her return, primarily out of concern for her personal safety during the return trip. She apparently also had the great misfortune to make a personal enemy of the Norwegian ambassador, Sundfor, which caused her unnecessary grief later. Where ambiguity arose in her case was in the fact that her husband, Henry Johanssen, had been a member of the Quisling party which aligned itself with the Nazi occupation forces. However, in 1942 he left the party, despite serious fears of Nazi retaliation and the possible loss of his business. Nonetheless, immediately after the war he was arrested for suspicion of collaboration and died in a prison hospital before coming to trial. Sundfor was able to obtain the appointment as prosecuting attorney, and managed to prevent Flagstad from leaving the country on the grounds that she could provide valuable evidence as to her husband's doings. It became apparent fairly soon that this was groundless and she was allowed to leave the country, after which she had no difficulty obtaining a U.S. visa and returning to performances in this country, as well as England. There had never been a legal case against her personally. Further, in attempting to discredit her as a means of implicating her husband, Sundfor was unable to produce a shred of proof that she had ever expressed pro-Nazi sentiments or provided pro-Nazi support. This did not prevent the likes of Walter Winchell and Hedda Hopper from labelling her as a Nazi and instigating demonstrations against her. This caused her to be harrassed for several years after her return to this country and led to stink-bomb throwings during concerts and more serious threats to opera managements (particularly in San Francisco). Those managements, however, refused to knuckle under and continued to support her. Furthermore, on taking charge of the Metropolitan opera in the early 50's, Rudolf Bing, who was Jewish and as vehement as anyone about barring Nazi performers (which was why he would not have Elisabeth Schwarzkopf for many years) insisted on Flagstad's immediate return to the Metropolitan opera. Flagstad's return to, and acceptance by operatic and concert management in this country as well as, of course, the granting of her visa are a matter of record and can be found easily in various musical chronicles which indicate who sang what where and when by anyone who is interested. Her own statements have been documented in an autobiography and are substantially corroborated by other documents of the time. There is no documentation to support the deportation that never happened and the only evidence of pro-Nazi sentiments on her part are to be found in rumor (the prominent one, which she vehemently denied, being that she once referred to Erich Leinsdorf as "that Jew") and gossip columns on the level of the "National Enquirer". As a matter of fact, the "National Enquirer" seems a more appropriate forum for this entire project. - Greg Paley