[lbo-talk] Lenin on music

Chris Doss itschris13 at hotmail.com
Thu Jan 8 00:44:09 PST 2004


Dorene was able to find the original Russian text in question (thanks!) and sent it to me. My translation is below, with Russian text thereafter. Yes, the original translation on de Long's site was VERY tendentious. There is nothing about "breaking skulls."

I know of nothing better than the Appassionata and am ready to listen to it every day... It is astonishing, otherworldly music. I always feel pride, possibly naively, that people are capable of creating such miracles. But I cannot listen to music often -- it acts on my nerves and I want to say stupid silly things and caress the heads of the people who, living in such a filthy hell, are able to create such beauty. But today we can caress the heads of no one -- they will bite off your hand, and you need to beat them on the head, beat them mercilessly, although we, in an ideal world, are against any violence against people. Hmm... the duty of a hellish task!

Íè÷åãî íå çíàþ ëó÷øå Àïïàññèîíàòû, ãîòîâ ñëóøàòü åå êàæäûé äåíü... Èçóìèòåëüíàÿ, íå÷åëîâå÷åñêàÿ ìóçûêà. ß âñåãäà ñ ãîðäîñòüþ, ìîæåò áûòü íàèâíîé, äóìàþ, âîò êàêèå ÷óäåñà ìîãóò äåëàòü ëþäè. Íî ÷àñòî ñëóøàòü ìóçûêó íå ìîãó, äåéñòâóåò íà íåðâû, õî÷åòñÿ ìèëûå ãëóïîñòè ãîâîðèòü è ãëàäèòü ïî ãîëîâêàì ëþäåé, êîòîðûå, æèâÿ â ãðÿçíîì àäó, ìîãóò ñîçäàâàòü òàêóþ êðàñîòó. À ñåãîäíÿ ãëàäèòü ïî ãîëîâêå íèêîãî íåëüçÿ – ðóêó îòêóñÿò, è íàäîáíî áèòü ïî ãîëîâêàì, áèòü áåçæàëîñòíî, õîòÿ ìû, â èäåàëå, ïðîòèâ âñÿêîãî íàñèëèÿ íàä ëþäüìè. Ãì-ãì, – äîëæíîñòü àäñêè òðóäíàÿ!

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