“Caricatures of people, most of them I met only in Hollywood. Some of them are more cruely exposed than I would have liked. I only disliked a few of these people. I cannot even tell anymore, whom some of the caricatures are meant to depict. Obviously these persons have totally disappeared from my life. Curiously, some of these are among the best I’ve done in terms of drawing technique as well as conception, as for example.” (Arnold Schönberg)
“The death of William Grant Still [1895–1978] brings to mind an incident which I would like to share. When I was president of the Crescendo Club [University of Southern California, Los Angeles] in which Schoenberg, Klemperer and Varese were among the distinguished members, we invited Mr. Still to become a member. We were astonished and ashamed when he was blackballed by an implaceable racist ‛who wouldn’t be in the same club with a nigger.’ Klemperer was enraged and boomed out, ‛Throw the swine out.’ Schoenberg quietly said, ‛No. Instead, let all of us resign and let him be the only member.’ Confronted with the prospect of being a club of one, the racist squelched his bigotry and Still was elected a member. Schoenberg’s brilliant solution blackballed the blackballer.” (Maurice Zam 1979)
Arnold Schönberg: Maurice Zam
Black chalk on writing paper
May 1935
Maurice Zam (1905–2001), pianist, director of the Los Angeles Conservatory of Music and Arts
