James Zehm responds to me:

>>Hitler may have liked Beethoven, but Beethoven assuredly would not have
>>liked Hitler.
>
>How can you know? Traveled in timemachine?
>
>From what I know of his values, having studied his life and letters.
>I gave two reasons for thinking this in a previous post.
>
>Beethoven was also an antisemit[e],

If true, that would undercut my assertion distressingly, but I don't
recall any evidence of antisemitism in his correspondence, where I assume
he would have expressed such sentiments if he held them.  It has been
a long time since I read his letters, and perhaps I failed to notice
something like that when I did, but since this is such a serious charge,
and not a "well known fact," (as in Wagner's case) you really need to
document the basis for your claim, or at least recall for us the origin
of your belief.  Even posthumous reputations are valuable, and since
the deceased cannot defend themselves it is all the more important to
be careful about what we call people.  Otherwise, the next thing you
know, some folks will refuse to listen to Beethoven's music the way
they do Wagner's!

Jim Tobin