Evening star., 1947-04-13
|Flagstad Return
Is Typical of
Future Cases
By Alice Eversmon

10 this country and to the concert
stage has aroused considerable agi.
Itation among the public. One fac.
tion is all for letting bygones be by.
cones and the other FOR boycotttng
all these musicians under suspicion
tof Nazi sympathy. What is amounts
I to Is that stand viii have to be
taken definitely but on well thought
out and reasonable grounds. There
is much more to be considered than
whether there should be q forgiving
or an unforgiving attitude and
whether musicians should be cons
sidered solely from what they con.
tribute to art independent Of their
views On honor or patriotism.
At present 1t would seem that
Flagstad's case is more Of sins Of
omission than Of commission. Al
least the latter remains 10 be
proved. But she Is the first to como
back to these lucrative shores to
try to pick up her career where
she left 1t at such o crucial time
Others will be trying the same thing.
Since the war, the concert public
|of this country has been showing
its sympathy for those. like Maryla
Jonas, who suffered terribly and
barely escaped with their lives.
While doing that. is 1t proper or
logical to welcome others who, either
through personal conviction or
through avarice, sided with the
Nazis?
Some Held Trust Sacred.
There were countless artists who
suffered untold miseries rather than
prostitute their art by giving 1t to
the Nazis. They were not poll
ticians or anything more spectacu~
lar than patriots and men Of honor.
Music was so sacred to them that
they would not curry favor with the
oppressors by allowing them to enjoy
it. Life meant so little that they
were willing to starve and suffer
rather than sacrifice their integrity
for the easy living they might have
had. The story Of all their sacrifice
and all their suffering has not yet
been told. Only individual cases
give us glimpses of 1t.
While the special horrors Of this
war were being perpetuated, other
musicians lived In luxury, continu-
ing their public careers, receiving
homage for their performances.
They we're not hungry or hunted.
They we're earning money and they
were following the type Of life they
liked. This was bought very sirn~
ply. All they had to do was to shut
their eyes and hearts to the infanly
around them and throw in their lot
with the unscrupulous ones.
There is no evil in music, but there
is evil In her interpreters. Can We
forget what these musicians have
done when we listen to them again?
Can we experience spiritual uplift
from the music they will present.
knowing that they, personally, have
no concept of the virtues of which
music speaks? Are we to be strength
ened in the right by men and women
who are blind to the rightP
Gifted Youth Must Wait.
The good days of the Nazis are
over. But there remains the rich
and kindly America, always co,lrl-
try to grow enthusiastic and to pay
well for what 1t likes. All that is
necessary is to say II am sorry" or
"I didn't understand" and all will
be we'll. In the meantime, the GIFT
ed youth of America, the talented
artists and the honest. struggling
musicians will be given another set
back because the field Is too crowded
with big names and box Office at
fractions. These public favorites
will not even carry citizenship
papers.
All the musician -collaborators can
bring back to us Is their technique
and their superficial musicianship.
They cannot bring their souls. Is
that the kind of music we have
worked so hard to make part OF
community living In this country
This past week, music has been q
part of all church services, 1t Is
taught to children In the schools,
families make sacrifices so that their
young ones may know the beauty
Of music, symphonies and concerts
are supported from limited means.
Are these things done so that peo-
pie may prosper who have forgotten
the meaning Of honor? Millions
find solace and courage In music
because 1t embodies ideals. It will
be sorry day when 1t can exist
without It's interpreters knowing
what thev mean