There are many reasons why a Russian work may not have been
selected. Prokofiev had many tensions with the Russian goverment, so
that may have prevented it. One could make a case for various works by
Tchaikovsky or Borodin, but I think the answer is probably much
simpler:
I suspect that when a country has gone through something as
horrendous as what the Russians went through in the Second World War,
its perpective changes on a lot of things. I think that in the face of
20,000,000 people dead, things such as governments and flags and
national identities probably seem rather frivolous, or even stupid, in
comparison.
Traumerei is a very profound expression of the longing for the
idyllic and innocent days of youth. I think to have it at a memorial
for war dead makes a profound and yet simple statement about the
tragedy of losing so many young lives. These expressions are far above
the concerns of nationalism or politics. In fact, I think that
selecting a German piece is a significant admission that the Second
World War was a tragedy borne not just by Russians, but by all of
humanity.
These are the reasons that I suspect Traumerei was selected. From
a purely musical standpoint, I can think of few pieces as appropriate
for this use. If anyone knows any definite facts about why it was
selected I'd be interested in hearing...
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William B. Guerin
Dartmouth College
pas...@dartmouth.edu
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I would respond by saying that great composers are not
usually limited by the boundaries of their native countries.
Although Schumann may have been born in Germany, I would
not say that the music to Traumerei (Dreams) is more representative
of German dreams than any other kind.
To me Schumann is a composer of imagination, dreams, fantasy,
emotion, romance, idealism, naivete that make him a composer
who speaks to the soul of anyone and that free him from
particular national identification.
Another thought is that the pianist I most identify with Traumerei
is Vladimir Horowitz, who, I believe, also used that piece
in his famous concert in Moscow as music of reconciliation
and peace.
Richard
Jon,
ja...@virginia.edu
"In all our dreaming..."