Comments for The Wagner Blog

Comment on Cosima Biography by Hans von Bulow

Hans von Bulow — Sat, 18 May 2013 16:34:38 +0000

[...] Originally Posted by SiegendesLicht Could you please enlighten me? What was so ghastly about her? She did not exactly cover herself in glory during her tenure running the Bayreuth festival following Richard's death. Here are a few details. [...]

Comment on Bayreuth Tannhauser by A Wagner Item For Continued TC Reading Delectation...

A Wagner Item For Continued TC Reading Delectation... — Thu, 09 May 2013 14:37:07 +0000

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Comment on Why Don’t Art Lovers Love Art? by How hard is it for you to enjoy music?

How hard is it for you to enjoy music? — Thu, 02 May 2013 17:14:45 +0000

[...] Well, there's a lot of classical music that I don't particularly care for, and plenty I don't really grok, but none that I can think of that I react to with undiluted revulsion. With one exception: Originally Posted by science Even Bolero. [shuns forever] Related: Why dont' art lovers love art? [...]

Comment on Wagner’s Boundaries (The Null Set) by Donna Hughes

Donna Hughes — Mon, 29 Apr 2013 03:51:35 +0000

It all depends on how you feel about God, I suppose, or if you even think there is a god.

Comment on Tristan in the Score of Meistersinger by Your favourite Wagner overture/prelude

Your favourite Wagner overture/prelude — Thu, 18 Apr 2013 14:08:23 +0000

[...] for managing to get across not only the motives of the rest of the opera, but the actual plot as [...]

Comment on New York Wagner Society’s Seminar Sunday February 24, 2013 by janine

janine — Fri, 22 Mar 2013 15:41:40 +0000

Re the blogger’s scepticism about Pearce’s title, please read the following quote from the Wikipedia article on Parsifal, which shows that Wagner himself called it as a “most Christian” opera, and strongly asserted this in the context of his own virulent anti-semitic feelings :
“The conductor of the premiere was Hermann Levi, the court conductor at the Munich Opera. Since King Ludwig was sponsoring the production, much of the orchestra was drawn from the ranks of the Munich Opera, including the conductor. Wagner objected to Parsifal being conducted by a Jew (Levi’s father was in fact a rabbi). Wagner first suggested that Levi should convert to Christianity, which Levi declined to do.[54] Wagner then wrote to King Ludwig that he had decided to accept Levi despite the fact that (he alleged) he had received complaints that “of all pieces, this most Christian of works” should be conducted by a Jew. When the King expressed his satisfaction at this, replying that “human beings are basically all brothers”, Wagner wrote to the King that he “regard[ed] the Jewish race as the born enemy of pure humanity and everything noble about it”.[55]

Comment on Alex Ross on Wagner’s Influences on Our World by Addendum to the previous post on Parsifal: ‘a mystery play for a cryptic religion’ | Books to the Ceiling

Wed, 06 Mar 2013 13:22:27 +0000

[...] here to read the entire article on The Wagner [...]

Comment on Parsifal: Musical DNA by Jesse

Jesse — Thu, 07 Feb 2013 23:15:31 +0000

Thank you for your innovative observation.

It is an opera that seems to defy and even transcend the very nature of opera, hence the Wagnerian coinage ‘stage-festival’.

It’s a celibration of everything that can possibly be realised on stage, including the best score, the best dramaturgy, everything. Hence, a true ‘gesamtkunstwerk’.

Wagner sheds light on the DNA of the human condition, exploring the depths and heights of human thought and emotion, more actual and less ‘mythical’ than the Ring or Tristan, in my view.

Thank you for sharing.

Comment on Parsifal: Musical DNA by Jesse

Jesse — Thu, 07 Feb 2013 23:09:08 +0000

Agreed. There is something quite special about this opera. It is unlike any other opera, and therefore seems to defy and even transcend the genre of opera, hence the Wagnerian coinage ‘stage-festival’. It’s a celebration of everything one can possibly envisage on stage, including the best score, the best dramaturgy, in short, a true ‘Gesamtkunstwerk’. This opera really does shed light on the DNA of humanity. In it, we reach the absolute depths and heights of human thought and emotion, even more so than the Ring Cycle or Tristan. Thank you for your innovative observation.

Comment on Wagner’s Art, Wagner’s Anti-Semitism by Milos

Milos — Mon, 17 Dec 2012 11:48:30 +0000

David B. Dennis’ study “The Most German of all Operas” which is part of Nicholas Vazsonyi study of “Die Meistersinger” shows that not only that the Nazis never saw Beckmesser as an antisemitic allegory but not even their precursors around Cosima Wagner looked at this character as such. In light of this Millington et al end up, in a manner of speaking, being bigger Catholics then the Pope.