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Date: | Thu, 27 Mar 2008 17:19:11 -0700 |
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Alan Carrier wrote:
> Poor old Pfitzner, he just never knew when to shut up. I look on him
>as more opportunistic than national socialist. The success of Strauss
>and even Mahler in comparison, these two contemporaries of Pfitzner -
>it just drove him mad.
The above caused me to review the pages in La Grange's volume 3 of
Mahler's biography. Mahler, after being disappointed with Pfitzner's
Der Rose vom Liebesgarten, especially the libretto, changed his mind
and promoted the work. And when Mahler backed something, he did it
whole-heartedly. That did not keep Pfitzner from blasting Mahler's music
to anyone who would listen. It also did not stop him from making advances
to Mahler's wife (I know, easy target; but apparently not successful in
this case). But Pfitzner's real enemy was Richard Strauss. Apparently
there was a concert where Ein Heldenleben was greeted with rapture whereas
an act of Der Rose fell flat. Pfitzner never forgave Strauss. In fact,
a mid-1930's biography of Pfitzner, in which the composer must have had
a hand, attacked Strauss relentlessly.
La Grange says his problem stemmed from the fact that Pfitzner considered
himself a marginal artist. He must have been very insecure and an even
more difficult person.
Mitch Friedfeld
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