Letter of October 4, 1994 to all German Music Universities
here as an example the letter to the College of Music, University of Arts Berlin

MUSICAL TALENT
IN GERMANY
A PROBLEM WITH TRADITION

an interview with Peter Hübner

CLASSICAL HORIZONS: Is it possible that Herr Augstein with his SPIEGEL sensed a new impetus for his denigration campaign from your letter – which leaves no doubt about your opinion of the state music academies’ ability to judge the phenomenon of “musical talent”.

PETER HÜBNER: Yes, I think so! But that applies also especially to the president of the GERMAN MUSIC COUNCIL.

CLASSICAL HORIZONS: Prof. Dr. Mueller-Heuser, who at that time was the principal of the STATE ACADEMY OF MUSIC COLOGNE and had also received your letter, and was surely irritated or at least annoyed about your opinion regarding his professional incompetence.

And we may assume the same about his colleagues at the other state academies of music – or am I mistaken? Following this ‘open’ letter – he could now probably expect wide support against you from his colleagues at all the other academies of music in Germany.

PETER HÜBNER: What devastated me was: not one of them thought about those who were actually most affected by the letter: about those music enthusiasts who, due to false assessment by the university, fail their entrance and final exams in spite of possible great talent for music, and then, with no hope at all and abandoned by the music experts, are left lonely and deserted – without any kind of future prospects in the field of their beloved music!

I was shocked by their ice-cold dealings with the phenomenon of a person with genuine musical talent, who is not even responsible for being bestowed with such a gift! The person with a genuine talent for music is confronted with the phenomenon of a run-of-the-mill college examination with the impotence of an innocent child – all he or she could say about this whole music policy is merely: “Here I am, I can’t help myself, so help me God!”

CLASSICAL HORIZONS: And do you look upon the absolute lack of understanding of Germany’s music colleges’ principals for the efforts expressed in your letter to help just those people with a talent for music as a betrayal of talent or as a deception of the talented?!

PETER HÜBNER: The principal of a training establishment for music should above all be focused on two things: the truth of music and the well-being of such a person who can express this truth.
It is therefore imperative that the principal of a training establishment for music knows the truth about music – its real meaning and its true deeper sense and:
The principal of a training establishment for music must recognise the person who can express the truth about music here and now by means of music.
He should support such a person – because he or she provides the reason for the principal’s position: he is literally waiting for this person!

And – unfortunately history has shown: in our documented history of music, hardly any principal at a state college for music can claim to have been aware of meeting such a person gifted by nature with such a talent for music at his school!