Comrades, This isn't strictly about opera but my chancing upon the citations below, regarding the orchestra and conductor, led to the fissure between myself and Marx (and by that with Leninism of all sorts) and I appended anarcho- to my self description which became ‘anarcho-Marxist’ :
“ On the one hand, all labour in which many individuals co-operate necessarily requires a commanding will to co- ordinate and unify the process, and functions which apply not to partial operations but to the total activity of the workshop, much as that of an orchestra conductor. This is a productive job, which must be performed in every combined mode of production.” Karl Marx. “Capital”. Vol 3. Chap XXIII. p 383. International Publishers. New York. 1967. www.marxists.org\archive\marx\works\1894-c3\ch23.htm. This is actually a re-phrasing of the same idea as put forth in Vol 1 Chap XIII. Pp 330-1: “All combined labour on a large scale requires, more or less, a directing authority, in order to secure the harmonious working of the individual activities, and to perform the general functions that have their origin in the action of the combined organism, as distinguished from theaction of its separate organs. A single violin player is his own conductor; an orchestra requires a separate one.” ( http://marxists.org/archive/marx/works/1867-c1/ch13.htm ) http://marxists.org/archive/marx/works/1867-c1/ch13.htm I found that (those) quotes following a study group with the Socialist Labor Party in the early '70's during which I encountered this : “ The Socialist, in the brilliant simile of Karl Marx, sees that a lone fiddler in his room needs no director; he can rap himself to order, with his fiddle to his shoulder, and start his dancing tune, and stop whenever he likes. But just as soon as you have an orchestra, you must also have an orchestra director — a central directing authority. If you don't, you may have a Salvation Army powwow, you may have a Louisiana Negro breakdown; you may have an orthodox Jewish synagogue, where every man sings in whatever key he likes, but you won't have harmony – impossible.” Daniel DeLeon. “Reform or Revolution” @ www.marxists.org\archive\deleon\works\960126.htm ( http://www.marxists.org\archive\deleon\works\960126.htm ) Re ally? Regarding the Mladi Chamber Orchestra , the playbill dated 8-6- 20 05 reads in part: “Los Angeles’ own conductorless chamber orchestra returns…This self-governing orchestra acts on the principle that all members are mutual artistic leaders and collaborators.” New York City’s Orpheus has a similar approach. Sejong conductorless orchestra ( http://www.internationalsejongsoloists.org/ ) http://www.internationalsejongsoloists.org/ And as for DeLeon’s comment about a “Louisiana Negro breakdown”: sure there is no leader, no ‘conductor' but--having grown up black and in the South I know that--if any participant falls out of rhythm, the others know instantly that he is no longer acting in concert (NPI) with the group. JAI -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- Groups.io Links: You receive all messages sent to this group. View/Reply Online (#3476): https://groups.io/g/marxmail/message/3476 Mute This Topic: https://groups.io/mt/78228789/21656 -=-=- POSTING RULES & NOTES #1 YOU MUST clip all extraneous text when replying to a message. #2 This mail-list, like most, is publicly & permanently archived. #3 Subscribe and post under an alias if #2 is a concern. -=-=- Group Owner: [email protected] Unsubscribe: https://groups.io/g/marxmail/leave/8674936/1316126222/xyzzy [[email protected]] -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
