Duets for Tuba and other instruments?

[TubaRay]

I'd hate to think of all the music that would go unplayed if composers' personal lives were taken in account. I'm sure you could dig up a little dirt on every one of them if you tried.

I can certainly agree that there would probably be a little dirt for most everyone, however I'm not sure I would catagorize being a Nazi as a "little dirt."

[finnbogi]

As to Koetsier work, it has come out on this forum, along with a couple of other places, that he was either sympathetic with, or engaged in open complicity with, the German Nazi machinery of the 1930s & 40s. I never met the guy, or knew anyone who directly did. Doubtless such involvement would be categorically denied in the inevitable cover-your-butt after-the-fact scramble.

BUT, even the POSSIBILITY that it might have been true could offend sizable portions of the audience. It offends me. And as programmers, we also have a moral obligation to screen people whose reprehensible alliances color our art and statements of intent in a less-than-noble way.

Personally speaking, I avoid the guy's work, as I would anyone whose oeuvre was tainted by personal worldly alliances founded in some kind of overt or implied hatred.

I am not sure what exactly Koetsier is supposed to have done during the war, but I am not comfortable with judging him and refusing to play his works because of his connections with the Nazi party, since to my knowledge he wasn't what one would call a war criminal.

Don't forget that many German and European musicians were members or sympathisers of the NSDAP, including Herbert von Karajan, Elisabeth Schwarzkopf and about half of the Wiener Philharmoniker, and although he wasn't a member of the party, Richard Strauss was Göbbels' Reichskammermusiker.

In most cases, we do not know whether it was out of necessity or principle, so where do we draw the line? And what about other nasty causes? Would we not play Edward Elgar since he may have been a supporter of English colonialism or Stephen Foster because he wrote "blackface" music?

[Alex C]

As to Koetsier work, it has come out on this forum, along with a couple of other places, that he was either sympathetic with, or engaged in open complicity with, the German Nazi machinery of the 1930s & 40s.
...

Aren't you adopting a "guilty until proven innocent" approach? Why not do some real research and find out if your attitude is justified. Don't depend on a forum for this kind of information.

With this approach we also be opposed to the performing of the works of Richard Wagner, definitely anti-Semitic. Wilhelm Furtwangler continued to conduct for the Nazi's in WWII, don't listen to his recordings.

I think it was common in Bach's time to consider followers of the Jewish faith very unkindly. I'm sure he was a bigot in that regard. Don't listen to Bach. There's more, I'm sure.

Well, I'm taking it a bit far, aren't I? All excess was in the pursuit of making intellectual fun of ourselves. But before we are too critical in our positions, we ought to be sure of the ground we stand on.

[sc_curtis]

I can understand that if you have such strong feelings about certain individuals, you can program whatever you want. I just don't see somebody in the audience being offended. Even if they KNEW what you know and got upset, so what? Should we always cater to everyone's personal views at all times?

After all, if you put on a recital, you should be able to play what you want to, just as they have the right to not like it.

I have performed a piece by Koetsier in BQ before, and nobody seemed bothered by it. At least, I didn't notice it if they were.

BTW, Koetsier's quintet stuff is really fun to play, and its even fun to LISTEN to...!

[Craig Garner]

You can try out my Boston Suite (a duet for Tuba and a Friend). The duet is dedicated to a friend and teacher, Peter Lancto. It is a baroque-inspired duet in 4 movements. Originally conceived for Tuba & Euphonium, the Euph. part comes transposed for instruments in C, F, Eb & Bb, so you can play it with almost anybody. It is available through online retailers such as Robert King and Solid Brass Music.

You can check out a sample of the score at www.dorm40music.com