What became of schubert, more recently aka jim5559?

He might no longer be with us, but I have no knowledge of that. The reason that I suggest it is that someone once said that he was in his late 80's. I guess that he was well versed in classical music, and he had a passion for Bach, but he was a bit ignorant about any sort of popular or rock music and flatly labeled it all as worthless.

We went at it a couple of times because of that, but then I just gave up and accepted it.

God bless schubert wherever he is.

Appropriate that by chance I happened to have some Bach playing when I saw this.  

I shared with schubert a love of J.S. Bach, but his penchant for insisting music be made solely in glory to God was a gulf too wide to bridge. That’s akin to saying sex must be engaged in solely to procreate. Lighten up, dude ;-) .

@bdp24 

Yeah, I forgot about that part. It was pretty unbearable. And I imagine that you had am issue with his attitude towards rock and roll even more than myself.

Yes indeed @roxy54. The early Bluesmen and Rock ’n’ Rollers were denounced for singing the "Devil’s Music", and the 1950’s and 60’s Soul singers were denounced from the pulpit in the same Baptist churches whose choirs they had once sang in. Those included Sam Cooke, the first of the choir boys (no irony intended ;-) to go secular. Aretha and others followed his lead.

Jerry Lee Lewis was very conflicted about singing Rock ’n’ Roll (there’s a great debate between he and Sun Record’s founder Sam Phillips about that subject, captured on tape), and Little Richard returned to his Baptist platform for a while. Elvis felt no guilt, but his favorite musical situation was to sing Gospel music in the Jungle Room at Graceland, accompanied by The Jordanaires.

Johnny Cash recorded a few albums of spiritually-based songs, and Dylan of course did his three Christian albums (which I really like). More recently we have Marty Stuart And His Fabulous Superlatives, who did an album entitled Saturday Night/Sunday Morning ;-) . And of course the Angel From Montgomery (as her close friend and collaborator John Prine may have called her)---Iris Dement. Iris was raised Pentecostal (you know---the "snake handlers"), but sings like the Devil, so to speak. And Buddy & Julie Miller, both coming out of the Contemporary Christian field, as did T Bone Burnett and his ex-wife Sam Phillips. All some of my favorite musical artists. Schubert would never understand why.

Schubert and I traded quite a few PM’s over the years. Mostly on the subject of Classical music. He is (tense I will use until with proof otherwise) one of the most knowledgeable music lovers I have ever “met”. True, he is intolerant of Pop and Rock, an area were we disagreed, but fantastically astute on the subjects of Classical music, musicians and great recordings. Jazz, a new musical interest is another genre that he considers “serious” music. He is also an extremely generous person. Very religious and pious.

I went back over our PM correspondence and was reminded of a couple of things. I share a couple of these with only positive intention and in the interest of offering some insight into the man. Schubert, if you read this, I hope you don’t mind.

Six years ago he mentioned that he was 83 years old. This would make him 89 or 90 today.

Once, when discussing our mutual love for the music of Leos Janacek he offered to send me a book on Janacek in appreciation of an ADC cartridge stylus that I had sent him and that I had no use for. The sent book was accompanied by several dozen CD’s, each accompanied by a note with a very insightful and handwritten mini review. Each one a fantastic recording. When I expressed my discomfort with accepting such a generous gift, his response was: “In Christian Ethics to receive well is more blessed than to give”.

The problem with schubert was (?) he had (?) no sense of humour. Ya know, being filled with joy is a very Christian thing (and self-righteousness a very un-Christian one). That joy can be accessed through ANY kind of music.

The main problem, as I see it, is the intolerance often demonstrated by many of those who profess to be the most tolerant. 

@frogman 

You are correct about that, and I'm at least as guilty as any of intolerance at times; but as @bdp24 points out, it was a really flawed point of view on Schubert's part to dismiss the joy that others found in types of music that he didn't care for.

It struck me as surprising for someone who was a cultured man, but then we humans are nothing if not a collection of contradictions.

Schubert’s main criteria in music was the search of beauty. He claimed he had watched culture get worse from Rock, so he focused on the beautiful. I think if you take Philippians 4:8 seriously you would understand his stance better. He was very passionate regarding the " least of these", and absolutely had lived an interesting life, and knew his classical better than anyone I have ever met. He also had a great love of Sonny Stitt, so whats not to like.

I think he took it to far, to have such a vocal hatred of rock, but I understood where he came from. I agree with Roxy54, we are all so full of contradictions.

Hopefully the use of past tense is that he is not currently here on audiogon.

If it was beauty schubert was looking for in music, I maintain that there are plenty of "Rock" songs that contain more beauty than do a number of Classical compositions. But as they say, beauty is in the eye of the beholder.

My understanding from posts here is schubert was a vet and witnessed horrors in his life that set him on the path of seeking to soothe his soul. To him classical music and Bach served that purpose as it does for many.

Yes he believed rock music did not fit his mold as something that uplifted humanity. Note I am an avid fan of all music genres and that includes rock pop and even rap/hip hop. I believe pop music is a mixed bag in terms of its influence and that music affects everyone differently and do not pass judgement.

To each his own. Schubert is/was a kind soul with good intentions and very strong beliefs. Good for him! I respect the man greatly.