To finish my experiment with spacing the posts, I bring you at last…. Richard Wagner. He is such a monumental figure that it’s easy to find information on him – check this official site for a variety of biographical material, interviews, and information about his works. But he is also a very problematic figure as well, because of the use to which his operas were put. Having achieved his dream of a unified Germany, that country’s path went to some obviously very dark places in the 20th century. The Nazis happily appropriated Wagner as their patron composer, both because of his seeming ideological affinity and because of Hitler’s personal liking for the works. As legend goes, his works were played over the loudspeakers at concentration camps, or were played live by Jewish musicians held captive and forced to perform. This experience led to a longstanding ban on Wagner in the state of Israel.
Later generations therefore have to grapple with the question of whether or not it is okay to like and appreciate his work. Stephen Fry, the cultural treasure and very respected public intellectual in his native Britain, made a masterful hour-long documentary on this subject. Here is a link to Wagner and Me on youtube: it can serve as a primer to Wagner, as well as a visual illustration of many of his works.
For now, however, let’s remain in the 19th century. Remember from our other thread, the common experience of cultural nationalism: in the early phase, cultural nationalists worked to recover or re-invent traditional cultural stories in order to argue for the importance of their people’s cultural experience. Then they used this unified canon (an established past) as a point to rally their people (an activist present) to forge a united nation (a proposed future). We see this pattern in Wagner as well.
Almost all of his works draw from Germanic myth, which he wanted to transmit to a new generation in exciting ways. Perhaps most important in this respect are his middle and late period works:
- The Ring of the Niebelung (aka the Ring Cycle): An epic four-night long drama of ancient Germanic myth, in which the gods build the world, introduce evil, try to preserve their authority against humanity’s challenge, and are eventually overthrown and destroyed. (Also use the PBS site on the Ring for its Great Performances series as a resource — every 20 years or so, PBS airs the current definitive version of the Ring Cycle. They just did so last fall, for the Met’s awe-inspiring production.)
- Tristan and Isolde: A German Romeo & Juliet.
- The Meistersinger of Nuremberg: A singing contest in Germany’s most prototypical medieval city shows the organic Volk (people’s) community. The concept of the Volk became of foremost importance to the conservative-nationalist movement in Germany.
- Parsifal: In his final opera, Wagner presented a German version of the Holy Grail legend of the Fisher King, a sick king whose illness then causes the land to be sick. An innocent youth steps forward to take up knighthood, recover the grail, and heal the land. It ends with a ceremony of holy communion, everyone brought together in a common religious experience.
So one way to approach this is to consider its content: themes, characters, settings. How are they Germanic? How are they nationalist? Just as we did with Verdi’s Nabuco, we can read the content as metaphor for nationalism. Consider this opening scene of the Ring Cycle’s first night, where the curtain rises upon the Rhine. Three maidens swim there guarding its gold, when a greedy dwarf arrives to steal it. He tricks them into divulging the secret of how to obtain it: renounce love. Watch the scene here, from the Met’s recent production. What might its nationalist or volkisch message be?
So, many people have written many books and articles analyzing Wagner in that way. And that’s totally fair. But Wagner was operating on another level as well. Start the opening scene again and take a listen to the beginning as you read on. Imagine yourself in a theater with many other Germans. All of you are listening to the famous opening note, a sustained single note that then turns into variations as the orchestra mimics the creation of the world. As PBS’s site for the above performance explains:
It’s a musical depiction of the creation of life, growing from a single cell. At the climax, the Rhinemaidens suddenly break into song—representing joyous, unspoiled nature itself.
As the music rises, everyone has the same experience, gets the same messages and the same emotions. And isn’t this the same argument made by Renan and other nationalist theorists we read — nationalism is a heritage of common experiences. Opera can be that experience. This is part of his concept of the Gesamtkunstwerk, the total work of art. On the one hand, it means the theater becomes a medium that unifies all art: lyric- and music-writing, singing, acting, fashion (costuming), painting (set design), makeup… everything. And then it carries a political side as well: All these professions working together become a metaphor for the nation.
This week’s required readings and videos were particularly engaging and definitely Wagner’s Der Ring des Nibelungenlied was my favorite, In my opinion, Wagner constantly engages in the means in which a musician uses themes to depict a sense of Germanness. The mythological four based story line allows Wagner to systematically explore the myths that already existed in German tradition and build on them, and introduce what the Greeks have introduced before: a story of epic heros in which the mythological and human world co-existed and intermingled. This serves a bigger purpose and that is to express the nature of a population. Wagner wrote the following in his essay Art and Revolution, Which I definitely thought was worth the read:
“With the Greeks the perfect work of art, the drama, was the sum and substance of all that could be expressed in the Greek nature; it was – in intimate connection with its history – the nation itself that stood facing itself in the work of art, becoming conscious of itself, and, in the space of a few hours, rapturously devouring, as it were, its own essence” [Quoted in Bryan Magee, The Tristan Chord: Wagner and Philosophy (New York: Henry Holt and Company, 2000), 86-87].
It stands to reason that Wagner develops this sense of consciousness and awareness towards elements of nationalism through the ring. The origins of the ring in Wagner’s work was inspired by the Nibelungenlied whereby Wagner borrows this concept and develops it further to reintroduce German ideals in a time where German nationalism was needed in order to unite the people. I found the symbolic ring quite interesting and for that reason I decide to devote my post on discussing the origins of the ring, what sources Wagner uses and how he uses them.
In the early 19th century, when romanticism was at its peak in during the Napoleonic occupation, national awareness was increasing and the Nibelungenlied operate under this dominant discourse that consumed social: this notion of nationalism. Nibelungenlied delivered a saga of the heroic Siegfried and was honored as a great national epic. It was so popular that multiple version began to be developed and circulated. The original Nibelugenlied is written in middle high German, yet people translated these to modern German making it more accessible to the masses. Inevitably this works towards further exemplifying the overall theme of nationalism and unity.
It seems as though Germany in the early 19th century saw an interested in the old pagan Germanic gods. In school they learned about Germanic and Greek gods and it seems that Wagner was also educated in this manner. This is because he infuses the idea and mere significance of a myth into opera and creates this wonderful intersection between music and Germanic nationalism. We can argue that the origin of Wagner’s work seems embedded in Greek tragedy whereby he uses Greek tragedy to stage his work, yet base it on German myths and heroes. Of course he develops it further by bringing in an element of music that by itself spurs emotion that reemphasize the build up of German nationalism. The influence of Greek tragedy on Wagner’s work is particularly evident in the Ring Cycle, since he seems to explore the same issues and poses answers to question pertaining to Greek epics like: How do individuals and the larger society relate to each other, What is the relationship of the individual human being to a broader divine world, and lastly Relationship of sex (gender what are the attitudes values and beliefs between men and women in the mythical and physical world). A few examples where Wagner is seen doing this in The Ring Cycle are: the story of the building of Valhalla, Wotan’s sacrifice of an Eye, and Siegmund drawing the sword from the tree.
Further Discussion Questions:
Do you think Wagner had a political motive by creating this notion of German nationalism?
Also What’s Wagner’s relationship to Nazism? ( that Im still confused about)
Great background and additional details on Wagner. He wrote very openly about his goals and methods… sometimes I think I should assign one of the readings explicitly. (But we’re already got a lot to do this week!)
The Greek comparison is particularly salient, as you note. Remember the political values that Greek theater carried (this is a huge theme in Nietzsche as well–his early writings were on the Greek theater, then on Wagner!).
You cite some examples of political values from the Ring–building Valhalla, Wotan’s sacrifice, the Siegmund’s drawing the sword. What political values do you see in those scenes?
Wagner and Nazi Germany remains so firm that his music is not yet performed publicly in Israel. There are still the feeling, which I respect, that as long as there are Holocaust survivors one should not separate what he stood for and created musically.
There has been at least one public performance, to great criticism.
http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/classical/news/israeli-orchestra-strikes-note-of-controversy-with-wagner-work-7804991.html
Overall, the taboo still stands. Interesting that not all survivors are anti-Wagner… there are some who support the music, if not the man. We should be careful in history to not see any group as a monolith, and give the supposed unified belief of that group too much power, when diversity of thought exists. Who gets to claim the mantle of representing what “the survivors” think?
On the one hand, I think it’s not all that appropriate to ban Wagner for something that happened decades after he died. On the other hand, he was a huge antisemite who probably would have supported Hitler, had he been alive then. In the end of course, it’s none of our business; it’s just interesting to consider.
Anyone care to take a stab? If not, I will explain in class… it’s an interesting relationship. (He’s long dead of course, but his music lived on.)
As the future German Leader rose in the 1920s, the Wagner family embraced him publicly. When Hitler was imprisoned following the failed beer-hall of 1923, Winifred Wagner, Richard’s daughter-in-law, brought him the paper on which he wrote his famous Mein Kampf a manifesto of National Socialism.
Actually it think it was pens and ink, but your point still stands. Winifred Wagner was as bad as her father in law.
If you’re interested in Wagner’s antisemitism, check into his essay “Jewishness in Music”. It’s a good example of a certain type of cultural antisemitism that predated and later complemented Hitler’s more biological-political interpretation.
In this view, basically, Jews are seen as cultural parasites: not creative, not able to build their own civilization, but rather leeching off the civilization of others. Imitators, not innovators. That’s all ridiculously untrue of course. But it was a very popular view in 19th century europe.
Wagner was politically interested; however, I too am not quite sure about his relationship to Nazism. I suspect I found somethings that lead to it…
Some research I did shows that Richard Wagner seemed to be interested in, maybe even influenced by Mikhail Bakunin–a radical, revolutionary anarchist. Of Bakunin, Wagner wrote:
“Bakunin was usually the victor [in those discussions]. It was simply impossible to refute his logical arguments and radical conclusions, which he drew from everything. From every word he uttered, one could see his deepest, inner-most convictions.” (Wagner)
And as it turns out, Bakunin was no fans of the Jews:
“Himself a Jew, Marx has around him, in London and France, but especially in Germany, a multitude of more or less clever, intriguing, mobile, speculating Jews, such as Jews are every where: commercial or banking agents, writers, politicians, correspondents for newspapers of all shades, with one foot in the bank, the other in the socialist movement, and with their behinds sitting on the German daily press — they have taken possession of all the newspapers — and you can imagine what kind of sickening literature they produce. Now, this entire Jewish world, which forms a single profiteering sect, a people of blooksuckers, a single gluttonnous parasite, closely and intimately united not only across national borders but across all differences of political opinion — this Jewish world today stands for the most part at the disposal of Marx and at the same time at the disposal of Rothschild. I am certain that Rothschild for his part greatly values the merits of Marx, and that Marx for his part feels instinctive attraction and great respect for Rothschild.
This may seem strange. What can there be in common between Communism and the large banks? Oh! The Communism of Marx seeks enormous centralization in the state, and where such exists, there must inevitably be a central state bank, and where such a bank exists, the parasitic Jewish nation, which. speculates on the work of the people, will always find a way to prevail ….” (Bakunin) [2]
So there are some clear connections here to antisemitism. Wagner seemed interested in Bakunin’s arguments. Bakunin was antisemitic and no fan of Marx (although perhaps he was later swayed to side with Marx? not sure about this) because he believed it was all to the benefit of the Jews. Thus, one can obviously see the seeds of Nazism being spread.
Professor Wackerfuss, I am quite interested in this topic…I may even write my final paper on it…my question to you: My number 2 source confesses that it is his own translation of Bakunin. I believe you are fluent in German? Is this a good translation?
References:
[1] Wagner, Richard, and Translated for These Columns by F. C. “Bakunin: In Exile & Action.” Spur Sept. 1914: 28+. Nineteenth Century Collections Online. Web. 22 Oct. 2015.
[2] Source: Michael Bakunin, 1871, Personliche Beziehungen zu Marx. In: Gesammelte Werke. Band 3. Berlin 1924. P. 204-216. Obtained at: http://www.connexions.org/RedMenace/Docs/RM4-BakuninonMarxRothschild.htm
Bakunin is a fascinating and very important figure, and definitely worthy of a final paper!
The antisemitism in the quote you cited was definitely a part of his thought–possibly, because he came from Russian aristocracy that often held antisemitic views. Another important reason for it is his ideological differences with Marx, which then fueled his antisemitism not for any intellectual reason, but because of personal grudges.
People have argued this in Wagner’s case as well — a personal grudge against a fellow professional working in the same field gets converted into an ideological crusade against the general group that hated rival belongs to (Bakunin/Marx=Wagner/Liszt). In Wagner’s case it’s especially repulsive because Liszt helped Wagner out in key early years.
Back to Bakunin–he also owed a lot to Marx. Marx opened his eyes to a way of seeing political economy and society that Bakunin then took with and ran in a different direction. Perhaps the biggest disagreement is whether to use the state to achieve the revolution. Marx and later the social democrats wanted to win power over the state, and use that to establish proleterian power. Later still, the Communists thought that taking over the state through violent revolution by an elite “vanguard” would do the same.
Bakunin, however, said you can’t overthrow the state by using the state. Instead, you should overthrow it and replace it with…. nothing!! Instead of a traditional state, self-ruled organizations like workers councils, local militias, etc. that would run by collective decision making on a local level.
So Bakunin was a socialist, but of the anarchist tradition. He’s one of the most important founding figures of anarchism as a political movement of the 19th-21st centuries.
Regarding the translation itself, I’d have to check the original sources, but on first glance there’s nothing in there that looks off from what Bakunin is generally thought to believe. I’d say you can use this with caution, with the understanding that any single word may be slightly off. But it seems generally on point. (As well as being an interesting primary source in itself! If you were doing the history of the 1970s-80s.)
It seems counter-intuitive to apply the labels of “socialist” and “anarchist” to the same person. But by the way you describe it, it makes perfect sense. Perhaps it is safe to say that Marx and Bakunin sought the same means to different ends? Marx wanted the state–Bakunin wanted nothing.
I did not intend to sway too far off from the original topic of Wagner. I just think it is rather evident that he was at least partially influenced by Bakunin. I am unsure of the extent of the influence; but nonetheless, tracing the roots of antisemitism is rather interesting.
Actually we usually consider them in the opposite way: different means to the same ends.
Marx wanted to use the state to destroy the state. Remember that in his view, under communism the state “withers away” because it is no longer needed, social and technical progress now being able to provide for everyone’s needs without the need for state guidance.
Bakunin said that you have to build alternatives to the state in order to destroy the state. So in both cases, the state will in the end vanish. It’s just a question of how you get there. (A HUGE question of course, that leads to very different types of politics.)
Discussion Questions: Did Richard Wagner deliberately construct notions of nationalism to prompt political propaganda?
How did Richard Wagner’s art translate into German nationalism?
Why did Richard Wagner develop a strong cultural chauvisim as seen throughout his works of art?
The 19th century was a revolutionary era that experienced huge political and social shifts in Europe that would reflect a transition into the modern era. As nations emerged as the primary model for European statecraft, empires and nations were not only depicted as contradictory opposites, but in fact their alleged opposition was seen as “being constitutive” (Douminios 12). Nationalist sentiments seemed to have been indicative of this transition and more importantly emphasized a cultural patriotism that would become the basis for historiography. This can be seen in the works and ambitions of Richard Wagner and more importantly how his artistic prowess translated new sentiments that would hold dear to Germany. This can be attributed to his ambition as well as his alienations when he resided in Pairs.
There is no evidence that clearly indicates that Richard Wagner established notions of nationalism as a means to deliver a political message, instead it seems as though it was his strong ambition and his search for an environment that would stir and more importantly nourish his artistic drive. This can be seen in his deliberate decision to move to Paris after two of his operas failed in Germany. Wagner came to the conclusion that the social conventions of 19th century Germany were still centered on religious conservative beliefs that rejected his humanistic approach to art that focused on the individual and strayed away from religious illustrations (Josserand, 226). Wagner moved to Paris, but was not welcomed into the artistic world. The grievances Wagner endured, as an outsider in Paris seems to have instilled in him a greater appreciation for Germany and more importantly being apart of the German populace. He would return to Germany with a ferocious will to bring about change and encourage a sense of German nationalism that would help open up a niche for his art to be accepted and endorsed. Wagner’s journey as he endeavored to establish a name for himself in the art expresses how hardships can help remind an individual of his or her roots and more importantly prompt an individual to participate in the affairs of his or her own society to push forth reform in order to allow for greater expression (Josserand, 227).
Moreover, Wagner’s new attitude towards Germany shaped by his realization that he would not be able to exercise his talents as an outsider also prompted a cultural patriotism that would help heighten a sense of German nationalism among the people (Josserand, 225). Wagner returned and composed art that would stress notions of rebirth and regeneration and more importantly push forth this notion of a German cultural hegemony (Josserand, 227). Nationalism became the precursor for imperialism in Germany and more importantly helped the German people come together and create a nation-state that would celebrate a sense of the German people instead of divide groups according to religious and ethnic differences.
In conclusion, Wagner was not only a nationalist reformer but also an advocate for humanism through his artistic expertise he was able to convey notions of nationalism through art and instill a sense of love and belonging among his German people towards the German state. It was Wagner’s strong will and more importantly the hardships he endured trying to find a niche for his work that prompted him to return to Germany and profess a cultural chauvinism that would open doors for greater expression and more importantly unite the German people to appreciate a German nationalism.
Works Cited:
Doumanis, Nicholas. Before the Nation: Muslim-Christian Coexistence and Its Destruction in Late Ottoman Anatolia. Oxford: Oxford UP, 2013. Print.
Josserand, Frank B. “Richard Wagner and German Nationalism.” Wiley, n.d. Web. .
That’s an interesting statement that I’m glad you cited, because I had not encountered that before. I find it funny but plausible–funny, because Wagner got increasingly religious as his life progressed, to the point where his last opera, Parsifal, is straight up Christian mythology, ending in a literal holy communion ceremony. So I think of him as much more Christian than humanist, but that’s a bias on my part not giving full credit to his earlier sides.
How do you think his Christianity or lack thereof played a role in his art? (The content of it, and its messages)
Do you think there are links to the nationalistic side, or do they run in opposition?
Am I the only one who is having trouble opening most of these links? Links to YouTube videos and PBS site specifically…
Hey Timothy,
Some of the links are showing as faulty to me as well.
whew, i’m glad that i was not the only one having issues with the links…..no bueno
Hmm, they worked fine last semester. Sorry bout that. Try just going into youtube and searching for them.
Richard Wagner richly uses Germanic mythology to inspire nationalism through his music. Aside from reminding the German nation of its pagan roots, harkening to Ernest Renan’s theory how nationalism is borne of a shared past, he also incorporates eternal themes of god and man, nature, redemption, and power to represent the struggles and achievements.
While listening to Tristan and Isolde, I couldn’t help hearing the tender temerity of life before it metamorphoses into something full, like first love when your chest is full of an emotion that cannot be contained. The crescendos have a feeling of floating lightly, before descending into sadness, and then rising again. How this inspires nationalism, I really don’t know, except for the fact that Wagner wrote it. The underlying theme of forbidden love that ends tragically is steeped in Romanticism. It is difficult not to wax poetically after listening to this.
I don’t usually think of Tristan as nationalistic, as its importance is more in the technical history of music (what it does with chords, harmonies, etc), as well as Wagner’s ongoing project of Germanic myth (which is inherently nationalistic, yes).
But if we remember one of the key influences on Tristan… perhaps the story gets even more interesting.
That opera is very much influenced by Schopenhauer’s The World as Will and Representation, which theorizes that the world is really two worlds–the literal, physical world of concrete things, and the idealistic, metaphysical world of imagination. (Phenomenon / Nuemenom) Schopenhauer was very influential and therefore not the only one to explore this. A lot of his philosophy has to do with the difference between rational conscious humanity, and the deeper imaginative drives — people are driven to imagine things they cannot have, try to create them, and often come to grief by not getting them (or… by getting them!!)
Now does THAT make you think of nationalism?
Eva,
I am also struggling to establish exactly how Wagner’s work inspires nationalism. I understand it from a more broad perspective–that is, that music, movies, pop culture all create a sense of collective unity–however, I cannot quite cite any specific examples of Wagner’s work inspiring nationalism. Perhaps I just suck at analyzing music :(.
Tim, that’s funny. The only thing I could come up with was the lore Wagner used was germane to Germany. Sorry, I couldn’t help that verbage. But I find Wagner’s staying power truly tremendous. I owe my exposure to opera, and particularly Wagner, to good ole Bugs Bunny (I was 5). Let me know if this link works:
http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x1atzuy_what-s-opera-doc_shortfilms
This was my first exposure, so you can imagine my delight when I found I had heard his operas before.
I think many of us had that moment. 😉
“What’s Opera Doc” draws from a lot of Wagner’s most famous melodies, while creating a story of its own. Just like Wagner in reverse!! He re-used stories and added new music.
Anyone care to take a stab? How was the Ring cycle (or perhaps Parsifal) spreading nationalist messages?
You can look at it two ways — the content, and the form. I’ll have a lot to say on this on Thursday, but I’d like you guys to try to work it out for yourselves and have some fun with it first.
Oh, I mis-wrote (is that a word). The first part of my initial response was about The Ring, that Wagner wrote it using German myth, therefore uniting the German people through their cultural roots.
Richard Wagner’s music played an influential role in German nationalism. It’s easy to understand why Hitler was captivated by his work. Wagner’s music dramas are intense and emotional. He brilliantly invigorated German nationalism through his work.
In Wagner and Me, Stephen Fry draws an interesting comparison between Wagner’s work and Hitler’s vision of Nazi Germany. Die Meistersinger von Nuremberg is set in Nuremberg, which later became Nazi Germany’s most symbolic city. Also, Act III of Wagner’s opera may have inspired Hitler to conduct massive Nazi rallies in Nuremberg.
Hitler’s admiration for Wagner relates to Ernest Renan’s view concerning nationalism:
“A heroic past, great men, glory (by which I understand genuine glory), this is the social capital upon which one bases a national idea.”
Wagner’s antisemitism throws a considerable shadow over his person and his work. At times there are expressions used by him which could have been attributed to the National Socialist violently anti-Semitic. His influence on the National Socialist movement and especially on its leader was enormous. There is a dark side and a light side as well as an inner tension in Wagners works, because it was an inner tension within Wagner himself. I’m interested in the imagination of it. I’m interested in the brilliance of the music, which is on such a level of inspiration to some and yet not others.Wagner’s works struck an even deeper chord with his countrymen, especially in the heady days that followed Germany’s unification in the 1800’s. He became a national symbol in Germany, like Shakespeare and Dante. There was an ugly side to Wagner’s conception of nationhood, however: He favored a Germany uncorrupted by Jewish influence. I believe its not easy to see his music and not think of its negative nature even in its brilliance one should not ignore his Anti-Semitic stance.
The music played a major roll in Tristan and Isolde and The Meistersinger of Nuremberg as it comes to nationalism. Tristan and Isolde was a German Romeo and Juliet. The music embody the tragedy that was Romeo and Juliet. The music was somber, yet extremely powerful. The devotion that the two star crossed lovers show each other can be seen as a representation of nationalism. Romeo and Juliet literally die, rather than continuing on in life without one another. That is the kind of devotion that is usually found in nationalism. This seems to speak to the downside of nationalism. As it’s the result of an individual showing a loyalty so powerful that they die for a belief. The negative side of this would be when this loyalty is abused.
The other piece The Meistersinger of Nuremberg represented the upside of nationalism. The music was lighter and presented a feeling of hope. It also began with one and by the end all of the singers were singing in perfect harmony. This is the side of nationalism where individuals come together to help each other and grow. This is side of nationalism that in a sense can bring people together to make a society strong and prosperous for all.
Good reading of the Meistersinger. It’s one of his lighter operas–pretty low stakes, nothing too traumatic, and in the end the plot shows how people can achieve harmony through music. Just like he wanted!
Wagner lived a complex life that consisted a promiscuous lifestyle overridden by his talented ability to compose unique music, which he felt Jews were incapable of orchestrating. Wagner was known for his anti-Semitism although he maintained Jewish friends. He produced Das Judentum in der Musikd that makes derogatory comments towards the Jewish community.
Hitler’s gravitation towards Wagner music and his family’s relationship with the Nazi leader led to many controversial points.
The Meistersinger of Nuremberg focused on the community coming together as one. Marx is known to write that Wagner is a community oriented individual.
Wagner states “In order to avoid misunderstandings, it is necessary to establish what is meant by value pure and simple, and it is in conformity with German usage to choose use-value for this purpose” (46).
Rau, K.H. Grundsätze der Volkswirthschaftslehre, I. Abt., Leipzig and Heidelberg, 1868.
I saw the meaning of community coming together as well, in the Meistersinger of Nuremeberg. The way it started out as one singer and by the end every singer on stage was in perfect harmony with one another. Also, the mood of the music was very upbeat, signifying a positive vibe among the singers that eliminated, at least in my view, any idea of conflict amongst the singers. The mood of the music gave me the feeling of happiness and acceptance. The very idea the music put in my mind was one of people coming together for a positive change.
Yep, that’s the idea. You’re right to emphasize the final state of harmony. Yes the singers are in competition — but it is the type of competition that builds community feeling through common focus, rather than the type that turns people against each other.
So I am no opera or music buff, but i found it interesting that Wagner was so detailed with his music to the point where his music was played in e-flat.
There is no doubt that the pieces are germanic, they sing of german places, people, and basically the entire country. So in this way it makes them also nationalistic.
The Wagner and Me piece had a cheeky piece around the 15 min mark when Frye is speaking about Wagner’s Innovative style: Tragic mythology incorporating music, drama, singing, and the ceremony of religion, for the volk, not for the snobs.
I found it very interesting that Wagner had to ‘cleanse everything’ and in some way start all over when it came to conducting a piece.
[…] as a means of profound political expression in compositions of Beethoven (Eroica ), Wagner (the Ring Cycle ), or Verdi (Nabucco ) all of which were used in building of national movements. But music was also […]