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15. Sex And Race, Russian Style

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On Russian Music
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Unless we take the proper steps, the New York City Opera’s new productionof Alexander Borodin’s Prince Igor,that baggy monster of hormone-enrichedRussian cabaret, that steamy borscht of harem girls, church bells, high na-tionalism and basso profundo, could get us thinking. For along with thepretty tunes that Broadway stole (for Kismet) and the sweaty male dances thatmade Parisian ladies swoon, the opera broaches some matters that havegrown touchy since the innocent days (or so we may imagine them) when itwas new, 100 years ago.Don’t worry, be happy, some critics advise. “Suspension of moral indig-nation,” one has even gone so far as to suggest, is a necessary part of operaappreciation. Almost needless to say, he was defending Wagner. “Never for-get,” he says, in case of dismay at Wagner’s Jewification of his villains andbuffoons, “that in 1850 anti-Semitism was perfectly normal to the politicsof Christian Europe.” Don’t let “our current ecumenism” or “our new-found urge after justice for all” get in the way of having a good time, hesoothes, using the hospital nurse’s version of the first-person plural. Politi-cal and social ideals, however good or bad, are fly-by-night. A good tune isforever.Fear not. We won’t forget that anti-Semitism was perfectly normal in theEurope of 1850, or 1950. But what are the implications? The chief one, asbest I can make out, is that great music sanitizes anything it touches, includ-ing us. Is that so? Is music sanitary? Or is music persuasive, an engulfing forcethat lessens resistance to whatever words or images it carries to our mindsand hearts?15Sex and Race, Russian Style184Originally published in the New York Times,4 September 1994. Copyright © 2008 The New YorkTimes Company. Reprinted by permission.
© 2019 University of California Press, Berkeley

Unless we take the proper steps, the New York City Opera’s new productionof Alexander Borodin’s Prince Igor,that baggy monster of hormone-enrichedRussian cabaret, that steamy borscht of harem girls, church bells, high na-tionalism and basso profundo, could get us thinking. For along with thepretty tunes that Broadway stole (for Kismet) and the sweaty male dances thatmade Parisian ladies swoon, the opera broaches some matters that havegrown touchy since the innocent days (or so we may imagine them) when itwas new, 100 years ago.Don’t worry, be happy, some critics advise. “Suspension of moral indig-nation,” one has even gone so far as to suggest, is a necessary part of operaappreciation. Almost needless to say, he was defending Wagner. “Never for-get,” he says, in case of dismay at Wagner’s Jewification of his villains andbuffoons, “that in 1850 anti-Semitism was perfectly normal to the politicsof Christian Europe.” Don’t let “our current ecumenism” or “our new-found urge after justice for all” get in the way of having a good time, hesoothes, using the hospital nurse’s version of the first-person plural. Politi-cal and social ideals, however good or bad, are fly-by-night. A good tune isforever.Fear not. We won’t forget that anti-Semitism was perfectly normal in theEurope of 1850, or 1950. But what are the implications? The chief one, asbest I can make out, is that great music sanitizes anything it touches, includ-ing us. Is that so? Is music sanitary? Or is music persuasive, an engulfing forcethat lessens resistance to whatever words or images it carries to our mindsand hearts?15Sex and Race, Russian Style184Originally published in the New York Times,4 September 1994. Copyright © 2008 The New YorkTimes Company. Reprinted by permission.
© 2019 University of California Press, Berkeley

Chapters in this book

  1. Frontmatter i
  2. Contents vii
  3. Introduction Taking It Personally 1
  4. 1. Some Thoughts On The History And Historiography Of Russian Music 27
  5. 2. For Ukraine, He’S A Native Son, Regardless 53
  6. 3. “Classicism” À La Russe 58
  7. 4. A Wonderful Beginning 63
  8. 5. Dargomïzhsky And His Stone Guest 70
  9. 6. Pathetic Symphonist Chaikovsky, Russia, Sexuality, And The Study Of Music 76
  10. 7. Chaikovsky And The Literary Folk A Study In Misplaced Derision 105
  11. 8. The Great Symbolist Opera 114
  12. 9. Chaikovsky As Symphonist 125
  13. 10. Russian Originals, De- And Re-Edited 139
  14. 11. A New, New Boris? 151
  15. 12. Christian Themes In Russian Opera A Millennial Essay 156
  16. 13. The Case For Rimsky-Korsakov 166
  17. 14. Kitezh Religious Art Of An Atheist 179
  18. 15. Sex And Race, Russian Style 184
  19. 16. Yevreyi And Zhidy A Memoir, A Survey, And A Plea 190
  20. 17. The Antiliterary Man Diaghilev And Music 202
  21. 18. From Fairy Tale To Opera In Four Moves 214
  22. 19. To Cross That Sacred Edge Notes On A Fiery Angel 223
  23. 20. Prokofieff’S Return 233
  24. 21. Tone, Style, And Form In Prokofieff’S Soviet Operas 246
  25. 22. Great Artists Serving Stalin Like A Dog 270
  26. 23. Stalin Lives On In The Concert Hall, But Why? 277
  27. 24. The Last Symphony? 283
  28. 25. For Russian Music Mavens, A Fabled Beast Is Bagged 288
  29. 26. Restoring Comrade Roslavets 294
  30. 27. When Serious Music Mattered 299
  31. 28. Casting A Great Composer As A Fictional Hero 322
  32. 29. Shostakovich’S Bach A Pill To Purge Stalinism 329
  33. 30. Five Operas And A Symphony 334
  34. 31. Hearing Cycles 340
  35. 32. Of Mice And Mendelssohn 357
  36. 33. Current Chronicle Molchanov’S The Dawns Are Quiet Here 366
  37. 34. The Rising Soviet Mists Yield Up Another Voice 376
  38. 35. Where Is Russia’S New Music? Iowa, That’S Where 380
  39. 36. North (Europe) By Northwest (America) 386
  40. Index 393
Readers are also interested in:
https://doi.org/10.1525/9780520942806-017

Chapters in this book

  1. Frontmatter i
  2. Contents vii
  3. Introduction Taking It Personally 1
  4. 1. Some Thoughts On The History And Historiography Of Russian Music 27
  5. 2. For Ukraine, He’S A Native Son, Regardless 53
  6. 3. “Classicism” À La Russe 58
  7. 4. A Wonderful Beginning 63
  8. 5. Dargomïzhsky And His Stone Guest 70
  9. 6. Pathetic Symphonist Chaikovsky, Russia, Sexuality, And The Study Of Music 76
  10. 7. Chaikovsky And The Literary Folk A Study In Misplaced Derision 105
  11. 8. The Great Symbolist Opera 114
  12. 9. Chaikovsky As Symphonist 125
  13. 10. Russian Originals, De- And Re-Edited 139
  14. 11. A New, New Boris? 151
  15. 12. Christian Themes In Russian Opera A Millennial Essay 156
  16. 13. The Case For Rimsky-Korsakov 166
  17. 14. Kitezh Religious Art Of An Atheist 179
  18. 15. Sex And Race, Russian Style 184
  19. 16. Yevreyi And Zhidy A Memoir, A Survey, And A Plea 190
  20. 17. The Antiliterary Man Diaghilev And Music 202
  21. 18. From Fairy Tale To Opera In Four Moves 214
  22. 19. To Cross That Sacred Edge Notes On A Fiery Angel 223
  23. 20. Prokofieff’S Return 233
  24. 21. Tone, Style, And Form In Prokofieff’S Soviet Operas 246
  25. 22. Great Artists Serving Stalin Like A Dog 270
  26. 23. Stalin Lives On In The Concert Hall, But Why? 277
  27. 24. The Last Symphony? 283
  28. 25. For Russian Music Mavens, A Fabled Beast Is Bagged 288
  29. 26. Restoring Comrade Roslavets 294
  30. 27. When Serious Music Mattered 299
  31. 28. Casting A Great Composer As A Fictional Hero 322
  32. 29. Shostakovich’S Bach A Pill To Purge Stalinism 329
  33. 30. Five Operas And A Symphony 334
  34. 31. Hearing Cycles 340
  35. 32. Of Mice And Mendelssohn 357
  36. 33. Current Chronicle Molchanov’S The Dawns Are Quiet Here 366
  37. 34. The Rising Soviet Mists Yield Up Another Voice 376
  38. 35. Where Is Russia’S New Music? Iowa, That’S Where 380
  39. 36. North (Europe) By Northwest (America) 386
  40. Index 393
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