A majority of people seem to agree the Wagner was an anti-Semite. Among those people, a debate has emerged as to the place of Wagner’s music in our current society. Over the course of this essay I attempt to make sense of this debate and try come to a conclusion about what place Wagner’s music should have in the 21st Century. At the same time, I am to provide context by noting his impact on music and looking toward Israel where the topic of Wagner’s music seems to be most controversial.
Despite the general consensus that he was an anti-Semite, many people still try to down play his racism and try offer an alternative explanation. Several of these usually involve people bringing up his many Jewish friends, claiming that his Neue Zeitschrit …show more content…
His music, according to Mark Berry was used and abused by the Nazis and before that Beyreuth Idealists [pg 664 Richard Wagner and the Music Drama]. Many people now associate Wagner with Hitler, and for good reason. After annexing the Rhineland in 1936 Hitler said “ 'Out of Parsifal I am building my religion”[Adolf Hitler Wagner connection pg 99] Porat also notes that “Wagner 's music made him[Hitler] Realise the appropriateness of the world order of the medieval world” [pg 100]. Hitler also drew many political concepts from Wagner’s music drama’s including the Unity of the German ‘Volk’ and continuing ‘German’ History which he drew from Wagner’s works including, Parsifal, and the four parts of the Ring cycle, particularly the myths and legends in these works because of their German nature.[pg …show more content…
On the other hand Nechama Rosler, a violinist of the Jerusalem Symphony Orchestra said Wagner’s music should not be played publically because of its association to the Holocaust and the strong emotions that it solicits. The problem with trying to separate Wagner from politics is that Wagner himself associated his works with politics. In Cosima’s Diary entry on October the 17th 1882, she writes “. . . in the evening the third act of Siegfried, well played by Herr Rubinstein, pleases both him and us. "That is Gobineau music" Richard says as he comes in, "that is race. Where else will you find two such beings looking at each other! Here is just forest and rocks and water and nothing rotten in it."” [http://solomonsmusic.net/WagHit.htm] This racial metaphor is not the only mention of his politics in music. In the Ring of Nibelung Wagner links the Jews to Nibelungs, goblins, and the lust for gold especially in the character Alberich. [http://solomonsmusic.net/WagHit.htm]
Both Chopin and Liszt were also known to be anti-Semitic, but still much of their music is still played in Israel. Of course, their music was not championed by Hitler and thus it is not guilty by association but many of Chopin’s earlier works had evidence of extreme nationalism and anti-Semitism [politics Wagner pg
Despite the general consensus that he was an anti-Semite, many people still try to down play his racism and try offer an alternative explanation. Several of these usually involve people bringing up his many Jewish friends, claiming that his Neue Zeitschrit …show more content…
His music, according to Mark Berry was used and abused by the Nazis and before that Beyreuth Idealists [pg 664 Richard Wagner and the Music Drama]. Many people now associate Wagner with Hitler, and for good reason. After annexing the Rhineland in 1936 Hitler said “ 'Out of Parsifal I am building my religion”[Adolf Hitler Wagner connection pg 99] Porat also notes that “Wagner 's music made him[Hitler] Realise the appropriateness of the world order of the medieval world” [pg 100]. Hitler also drew many political concepts from Wagner’s music drama’s including the Unity of the German ‘Volk’ and continuing ‘German’ History which he drew from Wagner’s works including, Parsifal, and the four parts of the Ring cycle, particularly the myths and legends in these works because of their German nature.[pg …show more content…
On the other hand Nechama Rosler, a violinist of the Jerusalem Symphony Orchestra said Wagner’s music should not be played publically because of its association to the Holocaust and the strong emotions that it solicits. The problem with trying to separate Wagner from politics is that Wagner himself associated his works with politics. In Cosima’s Diary entry on October the 17th 1882, she writes “. . . in the evening the third act of Siegfried, well played by Herr Rubinstein, pleases both him and us. "That is Gobineau music" Richard says as he comes in, "that is race. Where else will you find two such beings looking at each other! Here is just forest and rocks and water and nothing rotten in it."” [http://solomonsmusic.net/WagHit.htm] This racial metaphor is not the only mention of his politics in music. In the Ring of Nibelung Wagner links the Jews to Nibelungs, goblins, and the lust for gold especially in the character Alberich. [http://solomonsmusic.net/WagHit.htm]
Both Chopin and Liszt were also known to be anti-Semitic, but still much of their music is still played in Israel. Of course, their music was not championed by Hitler and thus it is not guilty by association but many of Chopin’s earlier works had evidence of extreme nationalism and anti-Semitism [politics Wagner pg