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It seems natural that Malcolm Frager and Max Rudolf, two musicians with such uncommonly inquisitive intellects, would find each other and become friends. Their correspondence expresses an energetic probity into musical issues of all kinds. They both seemed to experience great delight in these explorations and discoveries. Their seriousness of purpose was leavened with a sense of humor and celebration.
Malcolm's and Max's committed engagement with music was born out of a great love for, and identification with, great music. This love manifested as a fundamental need to look deeply into, and to learn ever more about, the music and composers so revered by them. Everything in music seemed to matter to them in a very personal way. We could say that they were real musicians– eager to keep learning and, while enthusiastic, painstaking in their study and research. Malcolm and Max gave loving attention to all aspects of music. And no detail would be too small to merit their consideration.
Studying a composition they would also study, as a matter of course, as many other works, of all genres, by that composer as was possible. They would look into works by contemporaries and predecessors of that composer. They would read treatises from, and about, that time. They would read letters by that composer and his contemporaries, and biographies, and social histories. They would explore literature, theater, and other art of that time. They immersed themselves in the world of that composition and its creator, thus deepening an already strong identification with the music.
Fervent in their curiosity as they were, they had to investigate things for themselves–there was no blind faith involved musically speaking, only questioning. They contemplated a piece of music on as many levels as they could and as thoroughly as they could.
They would relish looking at sketches, early drafts, autographs, later changes made by the composer, first editions, other early editions and copies, scholarly editions and commentaries, relevant letters by, or about, that composer–all kinds of musicological sources were looked into. These were remarkably conscientious, erudite and hard-working musicians.
They consulted modern urtext editions too, of course, but not uncritically.
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