On Wednesday, March 8, 2017 at 6:32:00 AM UTC-8, OW wrote:
On Tuesday, March 7, 2017 at 11:19:50 AM UTC-6, gggg...@gmail.com wrote:
On Tuesday, September 13, 2016 at 6:53:21 PM UTC-10, Fota wrote:
On Sunday, September 11, 2016 at 7:49:26 PM UTC-5, gggg...@gmail.com wrote:
https://books.google.com/books?id=vVUIAQAAMAAJ&q=%22Mahler%27s+music+is+fit+only+to+be+used+as+toilet+paper.%22&dq=%22Mahler%27s+music+is+fit+only+to+be+used+as+toilet+paper.%22&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwi80vywzYjPAhUBHGMKHR2ZCtYQ6AEIHDAA
Not surprising, given that they were bitter rivals as conductors.
According to the following recent article:
- There is a degree of ostentation in this music which would be funny if it were not so vulgar.
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/02/08/books/henry-louis-de-la-grange-dead-mahler-biographer.html?_r=0
Thanks for the article. Made me curious as to what Olin Downes meant by "vulgar", which seems to be a frequent charge aimed at Mahler over the years by those that dislike him. Here are the three definitions present when you pull the word up on Google:
1. lacking sophistication or good taste; unrefined:
"the vulgar trappings of wealth"
synonyms: tasteless · crass · tawdry · ostentatious · flamboyant · overdone · [more]
2. making explicit and offensive reference to sex or bodily functions; coarse and rude:
"a vulgar joke"
synonyms: rude · indecent · indelicate · offensive · distasteful · coarse · [more]
3. (dated)
characteristic of or belonging to the masses.
Obviously he was referring to 1 or 3, or both. It says 3 is a "dated" use of the word, which is interesting.
Wiki says that, in addition to being known as "Sibelius's Apostle" for his championing of the Finnish composer, Downes was a constant champion of Toscanini as well, which might explain his attitude towards Mahler.
Deafness and lack of musical taste are much simpler
explanations for Downes opinions about music and
composers. What is the point of dissecting idiocy
and imbecility?
dk
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