Richard Nixon Inspires Creativity

Comments

1. John Howell says

   April 17, 2011 at 4:33 pm

   Philip:  Trust Law students–who as we all know are carefully trained to argue any and all sides of any question and to have about the same ethical level as Tricky Dick himself–to come out with pronouncements involving the art of music!!!  The blog, I’m afraid, has nothing to say, and ignores the only opera most of us connect with Nixon, “Nixon In China.”

    

   But by concentrating on “opera” (although the NYT artiicle makes it clear that they’re talking about a musical comedy and not an opera at all), the blog actually ignores the history of actual musical works (non-operatic) inspired by many other presidents.  Lincoln?  We can start with Hindemith’s “Lilacs” and add in Copland’s “Lincoln Portrait.”  Just for starters.  Washington?  Hard even to know where to begin.  Jefferson for pithy quotes, rather than locker-room smutty humor.  FDR made it to the stage in “Annie.”  (And so did references–negative of course–to Hoover.)  And references to both are fair game in any story set in the Great Depression. 

    

   Nixon, sorry to say, was an embarassment–ALMOST the ultimate experession of the Peter Principle.  (I’ll leave THAT honor to his choice of Vice-Presidents!)  His life, career and shame should be a lesson to new generations of politicians, but unfortunately those who do not know history are doomed to repeat it.

    

   But then I lived through those unfortunate days, and today’s law students did not.

    

   All the best,

   John

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