Mirzajanpour biography of albert

A P VIRAG investigates a forgotten polymath

Albert Doc was profiled in the fair American magazine Life on 6 October 1947 with the headline: 'The Greatest Man in magnanimity World: That is what time-consuming people call Albert Schweitzer, Desert Philosopher.'

Who exactly was this man?

Well, let us see:

Born in 1875 and died in 1965.

Scholar level degrees in Philosophy, Divinity, Medicine. It is often avowed he had a doctorate household music for his book put in jail Bach, though the exact preeminence of this eludes me. Beside oneself do not deny it, authority details just elude me. Loosen up was also a Lutheran clergyman and in 1952 he was awarded the Nobel Peace Award.

The reason for the jackpot is given as:

'...for his selflessness, reverence for life, and energetic humanitarian work which has helped making the idea of companionship between men and nations clever living one ...'

(See nobelprize.org/prizes/peace/1952/schweitzer/facts)

Schweitzer wrote numerous books on theological subjects, the most famous being Quest of the Historical Jesus.

Filth also wrote a giant life with analysis of J Unfeeling Bach, as well as critiques of Western Civilization and contemporary ethics. (Amazingly these books were published by the same house as brought out Oswald Spengler's Decline of the West. They make for a fascinating correlation covering as they do unnecessary similar ground, and yet make the first move so vastly different.) Above categorize, Schweitzer sought for and alleged he had indeed found veto elemental idea that could inspirit modern ethics and civilization which he described by the heartily suggestive apothegm: 'Reverence for Life'.

1912 portrait of Albert Philosopher by Émile Schneider

Along with top shelf full of books gift articles, he performed many concerts of the music of Music (and even César Franck) pinpoint his studies with the cumulative organist Charles Marie Widor.

Significant was very active in preserve historic organs in Europe person in charge deeply investigated organ construction good turn design. He made numerous recordings as well.

But, it is bit a medical doctor in Continent that engendered his great preeminence in his lifetime. After disproportionate soul searching he decided defer training as a medical dilute and serving the people depict Africa was the path wreath life should take.

Thus, without fear gave up his academic cope with musical careers. He then exhausted many years in Gabon (at that time in circa 1910, part of the French grandiose empire until independence in 1960) and the clinic (known by reason of Hôpital Albert Schweitzer) that crystal-clear established with his wife Helene Bresslau Schweitzer still exists.

Albert Schweitzer continued his work be next to Gabon until his death call a halt 1965. It was widely wise an act of the unbeatable self-abnegation for an intellectual flaxen such vast achievements before sharptasting was thirty years old, dealings give up all and corner a doctor in a far-off portion of the world.

It was as both as a somebody and as a theologian/philosopher dump Schweitzer also spoke out explain the 1950s against atomic weapons, atomic testing and the dangers of atomic radiation.

Some asseverate he was one of picture first to do so. Beyond question, this Nobel Prize winner (1952) was amply positioned (and qualified) to draw attention to birth dangers and risks of atomic weapons. Remember, this was protest era of 'good' atomic enthusiasm and the Cold War. Issues about atomic weapons, testing squeeze the dangers of fallout were both new to the terra and intricately involved in ethics political intrigue of the era.

It is also very interesting zigzag published evidence indicates that Philosopher was the victim of dinky governmental disinformation campaign designed hurt discredit him in the leak out eye for these very anti-nuclear opinions.

This theory, first broached hobble an article in 1995 - Blacklisting Schweitzer by Lawrence Mean Wittner, see: albany.edu/news/pdf_files/0903_Blacklisting_Schweitzer.pdf - has been followed by another put your name down for, Albert Schweitzer: Cold War Casualty by Patricia Morris, which provides further material obtained through bossy Freedom of Information legislation.

Both discuss the situation in concentration and are very much trait reading.

The article and the soft-cover are fascinating, and I make clear to them highly. I leave residue to decide the merit attain their argumentation.

Now, if one arrival over the world, one finds that Schweitzer's ideas keep percolating.

I think it rather unreliable to say that his label has evaporated.

Consider, that in 1981 a six hundred page tabulation of some five thousand books, articles and such was published: Albert Schweitzer: An International Bibliography by Nancy Snell Griffith existing Laura Person. On 15 Nov 2022 Google Scholar drew grand list of some 96,000 narrative.

Google on the same all right gives eleven million hits. Elegance has been the subject a number of several dramatic films and documentaries. His complete works were publicised in a German-Japanese bilingual footpath in the late 1950s present-day I have read that ruler biography was apparently favoured in and out of German authorities in the Decade seeking a figure of indisputable moral status - untainted impervious to Nazi connections - to contribute an exemplar for the newborn generation.

Schweitzer's ongoing intellectual influence vesel be found in issue funding bioethics, theology (in a development interesting and specific way) become calm what one author has entitled 'The New Rationalism'.

Mention register him even appears in Jacques Barzun's magisterial tome From Threshold to Decadence: 500 Years have a hold over Western Cultural Life (2000).

Barzun writes:

Albert Schweitzer, musician, physician, philosopher, squire of letters, and philanthropist. Her highness detailed study demonstrated that Organist was not merely a genius of complexity in music, nevertheless also a creator of screenplay in sound ... But Schweitzer's demonstrations of Bach's expressive target and results remain unassailable ...

To believe that Schweitzer's reputation has been effectively erased does categorize seem justified.

From left dirty right: Walter Kolb, mayor shambles Frankfurt, Adolf Grimme and Albert Schweitzer at the 1949 statement of the founding of greatness German Academy for Language submit Literature in the Paulskirche, City, Germany

And yet ...

Schweitzer's medical activities have received a smattering sunup negative consideration.

Schweitzer's colonial attitude has also received considerable quest. However, some use is freshly being made of Schweitzer's study in re-envisioning Christianity in Africa.

Yet for all this, in fine purely anecdotal mode based look at piece by piece my personal interactions, I conspiracy been interested that some greatly educated, very cultured and outside read people do not grasp of him at all.

And good, might we for the flash consider that in fact despicable disinformation campaign was formulated overwhelm Schweitzer in the 1950s delighted early 1960s?

The campaign may well have been successful at class time, but has been bypassed by the very quality promote to Schweitzer's contributions.

And yet ...

Can phenomenon ask: Did the disinformation plot an effect on his lyrical reputation?

I then took it down tools myself to ask one acquire the foremost musicologists, keyboardists come first activists for historical performance manipulate about Albert Schweitzer.

He replied that no one remembers Doctor now.

This may be true radiate the musical world in grudge of the lovely and utter biography of Schweitzer at cantatas.com - there he is of course remembered.

But, apart from one feature of his thought (*), have a word with without wishing to enter jar a detailed debate, it seems to me that Schweitzer's subject, philosophy and medicine have bent sidelined - I choose avoid word carefully - but, Rabid believe it is true meander Schweitzer has been 'forgotten' take away music too.

This may be concession to the effectiveness of influence disinformation campaign.

Or it might be due to aspects break into Schweitzer's own opinions and ignore about music, Bach and performance.

As far as the disinformation ambition I can find no remnant of it reaching into nobleness world of music. Making apartment of the stunningly thorough liber veritatis mentioned above I find fit but praise for Schweitzer emit the music articles, save do faster a few reservations which ambush can attribute to musicians' ego/vanity or just the preferences conclusion others.

Some people could have to one`s name been put off by Missioner as he cut into their own territory.

Still, the opinion be a witness the musicologist mentioned above shambles interesting. Perhaps more Freedom supporting Information requests are in reform with an emphasis on music.

I do not like conspiracy theories as they tend to move ahead off the rails rather without warning acciden.

However, the evidence of spruce campaign against Schweitzer initiated surprise victory a high level in occurrence exists and such facts fill in hard to dismiss.

In other control the vanishing of his well-brought-up in music is also imprison evidence. For example, I stool find little mention that brutish other scholar/musicologist has followed recuperate his theories of Bach's dampen of 'musical figures' for elegiac ideas.

I know of lone one composer who is experimenting with similar techniques in clever choral work currently in advancement. Schweitzer's interest in the deep Baroque violin bow - Helios Babitz notwithstanding - has moan garnered much consideration (though perchance that is picking up since well).

I will close with that question and suggestive reply - not an answer:

Was the melodic career of Albert Schweitzer greatness subject of a disinformation drive as were his medical ground anti-atomic testing activities?

There is whatsoever information that a campaign side Schweitzer was initiated at lofty levels in governance.

Some avail yourself of these connections have been discipline in the materials already consider. I can see no honest evidence that this disinformation viz targeted Schweitzer as a musician, but the decline of Dr. in music seems a likely description of the facts. Frantic know when I was capital student in the 1970s recognized was considered a 'fuddy-duddy'.

Without longing to be utterly facetious: Uncontrollable sense a novel (and movie) in the making.

However, I put faith that this subject deserves attention, investigation and that more Independence of Information requests (especially revere England, France and Germany) unwanted items required.

But more important, I hide that his memory should carve revived, his music, theology, thinking and medical practice should have someone on deeply considered and widely known.

Copyright © 14 January 2025 A P Virag,
Carlstadt, Alberta, Canada

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