Racsist Pieces

[rubinsteinmad]

OK, well here's my list:

The Banjo (Gottschalk)
Chinese Dance (Tchaikovsky)

Q: What else?

[ahinton]

OK, well here's my list:

The Banjo (Gottschalk)
Chinese Dance (Tchaikovsky)

Q: What else?

First define "Racsist"...

Best,

Alistair

[cbreemer]

The Little Negro, obviously

[mjames]

So employing and being inspired by folk elements from foreign cultures is now seen as racist? So I guess I'm now a racist for writing a piece called gypsy step?



The titles and forms of music aren't enough to call a piece of music racist...it's the intentions of the composer that matters. If a composer wrote a piece of music in order to demonstrate or illustrate as to why an ethnic group or race is "lesser" then you can call it racist. However, titles like "negro dance" or " Chinese fireworks" aren't racist. try harder...and instead of just posting titles...gives info about he composers mentality and what he wished to convey through his music. Only then will you have enough information to call a piece of music racist.

[swagmaster420x]

First define "Racsist"...

Best,

Alistair

Context Clues

[hardy_practice]

All those pieces called Coon this or Coon that - it was always a pejorative term.  Then of course there's Rule, Britannia!

[pianoman53]

The Black Mass by Scriabin would probably be named African-American mass, if it was written today... So I guess that means it's racist?

[rubinsteinmad]

OK, so maybve The Banjo is not racsist, because it sounds pretty. But these are racsist:

Petit Negro (Debussy)
Chinese DAnce (Tchaikovsky)
Black Mass Sonata (Scriabin)

[iansinclair]

Racism is not a thing.  It is a way of thinking.  It can come either in the form of intent; deliberate slurs, statements, or actions aimed at belittling or insulting some definable group of people (just now people of colour seem to be fashionable; in other times and places it might have Gypsies, or Jews, or Scots, or First Nations, or... "other").  Regrettably that does happen.  None of the pieces of music so far mentioned fall into that category.

The other half -- the mirror image -- is the mindset which sees certain -- or perhaps any -- reference to a definable group of people (same list) as insulting or belittling.  Regrettably, that is all too common these days.

There is one, and only one, solution to all this -- on the part of the first way of thinking, remember that all men and women are worthy and refrain from saying or writing or painting or whatever things which you intend to deliberately insult or belittle some other group of people.  Just don't do it.  On the part of the second mindset, again remember that all men and women are worthy; if you feel that someone has insulted or belittled you or your group, forgive them (yes, I know that that is very hard to do) and, if the chance offers, help them see that you and your group are, in fact, worthy.

And last, but not least, never ever consider or think that race is the first cause of some action or other -- that is the only working definition of racist.

Peace be with you.

[hardy_practice]

But these are racist:

Petit Negro (Debussy)
Chinese DAnce (Tchaikovsky)
Black Mass Sonata (Scriabin)

I wouldn't say so unless you think the Clog Dance from La Fille Mal Gardee racist?

[thalbergmad]

My banjos are not racist.

Thal

[outin]

My banjos are not racist.

Thal

But are they all white?

[thalbergmad]

One has black strings.

[outin]

One has black strings.

That's cool...

[pianoman53]

on the other hand... We're not racist, since we abuse both blacks and whites...

[ahinton]

"Racsist" has yet to be defined (and it seems not to identify Rachmaninov's sister)....

Best,

Alistair

[torandrekongelf]

That Etude by Chopin which goes on the black keys.

[torandrekongelf]

And I assume every C Major and A minor piece that never modulates to any other key. Since they avoid all the black keys.

[adodd81802]

This whole thread is just ridiculous to be honest and I find a waste of time. Racism is perceptively ignorant by both the offender and the offended in my opinion.

Debussy composed a piece called Golliwoggs Cakewalk. At the time of composition "Golliwogg"  was nothing more then a popular black doll. Some ignorant idiot then referred to a black person as a Golliwogg and now you can get arrested in the UK for displaying them in a shop window because people find them offensive...

Because one ignorant idiot deemed a made up word derogatory and another ignorant idiot got offended by it.

Its the madness of society at its best and it's rubbish such as this that fuels that ignorance.

I am not suggesting for one moment racism does not happen, but I dont honestly believe it comes in the form of music or words.

[lhb_]

Some of Wagners music makes me want to invade Poland, but I can't remember any classical piece that has inherently racist traits.

[swagmaster420x]

This piece of musci may be considerd as crude, I dno't know about racsist though.

[rubinsteinmad]

Would any Muslims be offended if someone played Islamey?

[rubinsteinmad]

Another one is Ah Viene lo Chino (Here comes the Chinaman) by Lecuona

[rubinsteinmad]

Also I think Schostakovich's Vilolin Concerto is racsist.

[rubinsteinmad]

And Wagner's Parsifal.

[dogperson]

Another one is Ah Viene lo Chino (Here comes the Chinaman) by Lecuona

I'm not understanding how you label this as racist as it is part of Lecuono's cuban dances.. intended as a tribute to the varied cultures of Cuba.  It is a stunning piece of music, written with a positive intent.  What is the basis for your statement... the title??

[ahinton]

Some of Wagners music makes me want to invade Poland

That's a Woody Allen crib.

Best,

Alistair

[swagmaster420x]

That's a Woody Allen crib.

Best,

Alistair

Woody Allen invades cribs

[fnork]

One thing that came to mind was that Beethoven sonata with the dedication "Sonata mulattica composta per il mulatto Brischdauer [Bridgetower], gran pazzo e compositore mulattico" (Mulatto Sonata composed for the mulatto Brischdauer, great fool mulatto composer)....

[ahinton]

Woody Allen invades cribs

Not my problem and not in any case the kind of "crib" to which I referred...

Best,

Alistair

[ahinton]

Also I think Schostakovich's Vilolin Concerto is racsist.

Really? What is "racsist"? (i.e. what does that mean?) and to which of Shostakovich's two violin concertos do you refer?

Best,

Alistair

[ronde_des_sylphes]

One thing that came to mind was that Beethoven sonata with the dedication "Sonata mulattica composta per il mulatto Brischdauer [Bridgetower], gran pazzo e compositore mulattico" (Mulatto Sonata composed for the mulatto Brischdauer, great fool mulatto composer)....

Aha, didn't Bridgetower get some woman Beethoven fancied though, probably hence the insults?

[swagmaster420x]

It's funny how there's still one person frequenting this thread who doesn't know the intended meaning of racsist 

[hardy_practice]

It's funny how there's still one person frequenting this thread who doesn't know the intended meaning of racsist 

Is there any way you could actually spell that correctly?

[swagmaster420x]

Is there any way you could actually spell that correctly?

that

[swagmaster420x]

Is there any way you could actually spell that correctly?

Also if I spelled what you are referring to by "that" any differently, the statement would possibly (probably) be false.

[lhb_]

That's a Woody Allen crib.

That's where it's from. I remembered hearing it somewhere else before.

[ahinton]

Also if I spelled what you are referring to by "that" any differently, the statement would possibly (probably) be false.

Not so much false as meaningless, I suggest, "racsist" not appearing in any English dictionary with which I am familiar; however, the mis-spelling originated with the OP.

Best,

Alistair

[visitor]

music dealing with a race (animal or vehicle, or against another person)

[visitor]

More race music, here's a traditional one

[visitor]

and here is music about a great race

[visitor]

this immediately brings race to mind when i hear it

[swagmaster420x]

Ride of the Valks

[hardy_practice]

Race records

[rubinsteinmad]

music dealing with a race (animal or vehicle, or against another person)

I love that piece! But it sounds horrible with piano, so sorry Lang Lang, only an orchestra can accompany this piece.

[vansh]

Liszt's Hungarian Rhapsodies. Clearly making fun of people who don't have enough food.

[swagmaster420x]

I love that piece! But it sounds horrible with piano, so sorry Lang Lang, only an orchestra can accompany this piece.

Wow that dude on that hammer shaped violin issuch a beaszt!

[lmpianist]

Ping Pang Pong, Turandot, by today's standards perhaps.