One more reason, as if one was needed, to loath the Nazis

Despite their pretensions the Nazis were cultural vandals (yes, Furtwängler did a good job on Wagner but that's pretty small beer compared to what else happened under Hitler).

The nature of Nazi know-nothingness was illustrated by a radio program on NPR tonight: world premiers of music by Felix Mendelssohn.

Remarkable stuff -- almost like Bach but written by a 12 year old.

A vast quantity of Mendelssohn's music remained in manuscript unknown sitting in boxes in a library in Berlin. In the late 1930's the Nazis banned Mendelssohn and his manuscripts were disposed of.

Fortunately even in 1930's Germany people knew not to burn a handwritten score of Mendelssohn so much of the music survived in various unlikely places -- and it has been brought to remarkable life by performance.


James Morton
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