Yehudi Menuhin, Fritz Kreisler and Arthur Schnabel, are among the world famous artists who have refused the invitation extended them by Wilhelm Furtwangler, noted German conductor, to give concerts in Germany, it was revealed here by the violinist, Bronislaw Huberman, in today’s issue of the London Times.
Mr. Huberman quoted from a letter sent him by Herr Furtwangler, enclosing an announcement by the German Ministry of Culture, which states that there is no intention of excluding the works of non-German composers from German concerts and emphasizing that before the principle of merit, every other consideration must give way.
The violinist replied that a reconsideration of his refusal to play in Germany cannot be expected from an artist whose human dignity has been trodden underfoot and lowered to the level of a pariah by the guardians of German culture who ignore Anton Rubenstein, Feliv Mendelssohn and Joseph Joachim.
In conclusion, Mr. Huberman stressed his personal friendship for Herr Furtwangler, but regrets that he must renounce Germany as she is now.
In the past few months the efforts of the Nazi regime to induce foreign artists to appear in Germany has proven to be a dismal failure. Some of the most famous artists in the world have refused point blank to appear in Germany as long as the Hitler regime is in power.
JTA has documented Jewish history in real-time for over a century. Keep our journalism strong by joining us in supporting independent, award-winning reporting.
The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
