Ridiculing Daniel Barenboim and Edward Said

[Homo Aestheticus]

Peter Conrad of  The Guardian  has written a review of two books by Barenboim and Said where he ridicules some of their ideas about the function of music.. (i.e. 'the moral responsibility of the ear')

Here are two funny examples:

"When Edward Said attempts to describe what happens when Barenboim conducts, all he can say is that his friend gives music 'the density and complexity of life itself, life elaborating itself into pattern, structure, order, energy and, not least, surprise and joy'. That hardly helps; Said's sentence has the vacuous agitation of a middle-aged man playing air guitar...."

"Barenboim, who says that he reads Spinoza in his dressing room during intervals, worries about 'musical ethics' and fusses over 'the moral responsibility of the ear'. I'm not sure that a sense organ can carry such a burden; we don't ask our penises to possess a conscience..."

You can read the whole thing here:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/2008/aug/17/music

[jochanaan]

It's petty to ridicule a musician like Barenboim without referring to his musical abilities.  Barenboim may have some odd ideas, but he does draw some uniquely great performances out of his orchestras.

[david johnson]

I do not recall having any performances by a Pete Conrad in my collection.
Was he the pianist for those Beethoven recordings led by Klemperer? ...no, that was some someone named Barenboim.
Maybe Pete conducted the CSO for several years...nah, DB again.
Tough luck, Pete.

dj

[Josquin des Prez]

I don't think Barenboim deserves ridicule, even tough i've never been too keen to his conducting, but i do agree that description is a bit ridiculous.