Reiner Torheit

[Conchis]

Reading the above comments I did become interested in finding out a bit more about the bloke. One of the things I found was an RT TV interview where he rather uncontentiously chats about Russian tourism but you get to see what he looked like.

I only vaguely remember his contributions and was mainly curious about his Parsifal-alluding on-line name. It occupied me (but only slightly) that his online name in terms of German grammar was either dative (to pure folly) or genitive (of pure folly) and not the more neutral nominative which would be "reine Torheit". Also, the German forename he has borrowed is spelt "Rainer". (I do realise I am living up to my own online name and going on a bit.)

Hm. I knew he was a tourism tycoon, but I didn’t expect him to blow his aesthetic crediblity with his opening sentence. Tchaikovsky, the ‘high point’ of Russian music? In whose universe?

[vinteuil]

Tchaikovsky, the ‘high point’ of Russian music? In whose universe?

... o, in many people's view, I wd think. Just as there are those who see Elgar as the ne plus ultra of English music.

.

[kernelbogey]

De mortuis nil nisi bonum

I've never believed this to be a useful maxim. Others rarely please us all the time in life, and I do not understand why we should not remember them as they were, and look to unravel our puzzles about them - as eloquently demonstrated by the responses here.

[Conchis]

... o, in many people's view, I wd think. Just as there are those who see Elgar as the ne plus ultra of English music.

.

Yes, in ‘many peoples’’’. But Mr. McGowan, whatever one may have thought of him, was not ‘many people’ and would certainly have objected to being counted among them (the many).

It’s highly unusual for musicians, or people with a knowledge of music, to rate Tchaikovsky that highly, or even to rate him at all.

P.I.T.may be Russia’s ‘most famous’ composer but few would seriously argue he was its best.

[Bryn]

Yes, in ‘many peoples’’’. But Mr. McGowan, whatever one may have thought of him, was not ‘many people’ and would certainly have objected to being counted among them (the many).

It’s highly unusual for musicians, or people with a knowledge of music, to rate Tchaikovsky that highly, or even to rate him at all.

P.I.T.may be Russia’s ‘most famous’ composer but few would seriously argue he was its best.

What, musically ignorant people like Stravinsky, you mean?

[Ein Heldenleben]

Yes, in ‘many peoples’’’. But Mr. McGowan, whatever one may have thought of him, was not ‘many people’ and would certainly have objected to being counted among them (the many).

It’s highly unusual for musicians, or people with a knowledge of music, to rate Tchaikovsky that highly, or even to rate him at all.

P.I.T.may be Russia’s ‘most famous’ composer but few would seriously argue he was its best.

Hans Keller rated his symphonies highly...

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

Hans Keller rated his symphonies highly...

As did HC Robbins Landon. I would suggest that it's as much a mistake not to rate Tchaikovsky at all as it is to regard him as "the high point of Russian Music".

[Conchis]

I can understand why Stravinsky (who has a rather stronger claim to be Russia’s greatest compoer, though I.S.himself might have claimed to be American) would admire Tchaikovksy’s music, because it was so unlike his own. A case of someone thinking, ‘I like that because I could/would never do it.’

Somewhat surprised to read of Hans Keller’s admiration, though.


Wonder if either of them liked Verdi?

[MrGongGong]

As did HC Robbins Landon. I would suggest that it's as much a mistake not to rate Tchaikovsky at all as it is to regard him as "the high point of Russian Music".

It's only because he found it hard to spell Arkady Shilkloper's name correctly ?

[Conchis]

As did HC Robbins Landon. I would suggest that it's as much a mistake not to rate Tchaikovsky at all as it is to regard him as "the high point of Russian Music".

I think Mr. Pure Foolishness did like his Olympian statements.

[Conchis]

I seem to remember Reiner Torheit getting very hot under the collar whenever anyone criticised the practice of translating opera librettti into the English language. I belive he may have had something of a vested interest here, though.

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

It's only because he found it hard to spell Arkady Shilkloper's name correctly ?

"Ustvosk ... Utvolsk ... Utsvolk ... oh, sod it ... Cui"

[MrGongGong]

"Ustvosk ... Utvolsk ... Utsvolk ... oh, sod it ... Cui"

(That's what Frank would have said....)

[Ein Heldenleben]

I can understand why Stravinsky (who has a rather stronger claim to be Russia’s greatest compoer, though I.S.himself might have claimed to be American) would admire Tchaikovksy’s music, because it was so unlike his own. A case of someone thinking, ‘I like that because I could/would never do it.’

Somewhat surprised to read of Hans Keller’s admiration, though.


Wonder if either of them liked Verdi?

It is slightly surprising but HK was full of surprises. He wrote the PIT chapter in the Penguin Guide to the Symphony. I get the impression he rated him above Bruckner and Mahler ( but I might be going too far in inferring that ). Tschaikowsky has suffered from over exposure and a kind of prejudice against overly gifted melodists. But looking at the operas, the later symphonies , ballet scores , piano , chamber works and songs he was an all round master surely.

[Conchis]

It is slightly surprising but HK was full of surprises. He wrote the PIT chapter in the Penguin Guide to the Symphony. I get the impression he rated him above Bruckner and Mahler ( but I might be going too far in inferring that ). Tschaikowsky has suffered from over exposure and a kind of prejudice against overly gifted melodists. But looking at the operas, the later symphonies , ballet scores , piano , chamber works and songs he was an all round master surely.

He was, and i’m less offended by his melodicism (shall we call it his ‘McCartneyism’?) than some. But then, I’m not a musician so I don’t get hot under the collar about banal chord progressions, etc.

That said, I know doggerel when I heard it and the 1812 is doggerel (albeit profitable doggerel).

Sidebar to this: Tchiakovksy’s reactionary politics aren’t often discussed but he must surely have been the most right-wing composer who ever lived. Were he alive today, I can imagine him being all over Putin (Putin would have discouraged that naturallly!) and would have been strongly supportive of Putin’s anti-homosexual laws. He would also have been delighted with the President’s description of him as a ‘person without a family.’