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”.