Richard Wagner has been touted as one of the most influential composers of the nineteenth century. However, he is also one of the most controversial. Throughout his life and even in his music, Wagner exhibited clear anti-Semitic tendencies. His beliefs, and the way that they became manifested in his music, writing, and his very life have had a profound impact on the course of history, and particularly on the persecution of the Jews by the Nazi party.
Wagner was born in 1813, the same year that his father Friedrich Wagner died, leaving him to be raised by his adopted father, Ludwig Geyer. At the age of 9, Richard began his formal music education, and at the age of 29, he achieved his first great success with the production of his opera Rienzi.
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From there, Wagner went on to compose many operas (or as he called them, music dramas) including, the famous Ring Cycle, Tristan und Isolde, Lohengrin, Die Meitzinger, and Parsifal . He even established his own opera house, Bayreuth, where his works are still performed to cheering crowds to this day. Wagner’s success in music was matched by his profound impact on the course of music history, and particularly on opera. He championed many new techniques, many of which have become very popular even to this day. For example, he was one of the first to popularize the use of leitmotifs in opera, as can be seen in the Ring Cycle. He helped to increase the role of the orchestra from background music to equal partner with the singers in operas such as in Die Feen. Also, he helped to move away from the traditional opera format of recitative and aria by doing away with the aria and just using recitative in many of his works. These radical changes are just a few examples of Wagner’s major influence in the development of opera. While Wagner was both incredibly successful and incredibly influential, he is also extremely controversial due to his anti-Semitic beliefs.
Wagner’s anti-Semitism perhaps first became apparent in his essay “Das Judenthum in der Musik”. Throughout the essay, Wagner makes clear assumptions concerning the superiority of the Aryan race and even calls his fellow Germans to follow him in admitting to their “natural” hatred of the Jews. The essay also espouses the view that Jews are incapable of true art, and thus are the plague and blight on the German race and on German culture. This essay is very bold in its anti-Semitic assertions, especially considering those assertions were first formed from personal interactions. Wagner felt that his works were wrongly compared to those of the Jewish composer Meyerbeer. Wagner greatly disliked Meyerbeer and was incredibly frustrated by this comparison. Out of these frustrations, his first anti-Semitic tirade, “Das Judenthum in der Musik”, was born. However, Wagner’s anti-Semitic hatred was not limited to Meyerbeer. As can be seen in the essay, Wagner soon extrapolated his anti-Semitism to include the entire Jewish race. In fact, in a letter to Franz Liszt, Wagner went so far as to state that he …show more content…
had A long-suppressed anger against this Jew-business, and this anger is as necessary to my nature as bile is to the blood. Ultimately, in the essay Wagner makes it clear that the Jews’ only hope for redemption is “self-annihilation”. The anti-Semitic themes expressed in Wagner’s essay, “Das Judenthum in der Musik”, also clearly spilled over into his music. Wagner was perhaps most well known for his operas, and these operas proved to be the perfect vehicles for his anti-Semitic beliefs to reach and impact the German public. Anti-Semitism can be most clearly found in one of Wagner’s well-known operas, Die Meistersinger.
In this opera, Wagner’s anti-Semitism is most clearly displayed in the character of Beckmesser. First, Beckmesser’s character traits almost perfectly match Wagner’s stereotypes of Jews. Beckmesser is written as an unscrupulous, sneaky, greedy, lurching fool. He stalks the young lovers in the opera, steals the musical works of another and passes them off as his own, and is generally portrayed as bumbling and laughable. Second, he portrays the perceived quality that Wagner most hated in Jews: their inability to produce true art, and their subsequent “stealing” and “degradation” of German art. Finally, in the very music Wagner has written for the part of Beckmesser, anti-Semitism can be easily observed. Beckmesser’s musical lines are choppy and completely unmusical. He accents the wrong beats and does not fit his text properly to the meter. Also, his musical lines tend to verge on musical parody of traditional Jewish chants. The lines include high pitched, lengthy melismata that is characteristic of Jewish synagogue chants. In the end, Beckmesser is treated, like many of Wagner’s other Jewish stereotyped characters, as an outcast and scapegoat who is ultimately laughed off the stage. The character of Beckmesser is a clear representation of how Wagner viewed the Jewish people, and how he thought they deserved to be
treated. Anti-Semitism can also clearly be found in the characters, music, and plots of Wagner’s last opera, Parsifal. The character in Parsifal that most clearly displays Wagner’s anti-Semitism is Kundry. While she is a complex character that represents many ostracized people groups, she perhaps most clearly represents Jews. In the plot of the story, her sexual interactions with one of the main characters, King Amfortas, causes him to become “impure” and causes a wound that he has received to never be able to heal. This is a demonstration of Wagner’s anti-Semitic view that the mixing of the Jewish race with the pure Aryan race would cause the latter to become tainted or impure. Delia Rosemary rightly identifies that By displacing their guilt onto Kundry, the grail knights enjoy community in their ritualized condemnation and exclusion of the scapegoated Kundry. Kundry is also portrayed as being “cursed” and in need of redemption. However, that redemption is ultimately only achieved by her death. The demise of Kundry portrays a chilling view of Wagner’s outright anti-Semitism as he implies that the “Jewish Question” can only ultimately be solved with their removal from German society and culture. To help portray the seduction and inherent danger of associating with a woman like Kundry, Wagner wrote her part very chromatically. This helps to represent the wicked ways in which she seduces the unwitting German males just as Wagner believed the Jews tempted the Germans, leading to degradation of the Aryan race. Her chromaticism also helps to portray her torn nature. Just as her lines never seem to find a resolution, so too is she torn in her constant struggle of both being cursed, and being a curse to others. She ultimately represents Wagner’s view of the Jew-- both the blight on the noble German society and someone who is tormented by guilt simply because of who they are. In addition to the anti-Semitism displayed in his music, Wagner’s public and private interactions also continued to cement in the eyes of the public his status as an anti-Semite. For example, in a meeting with Jewish pianist Joseph Rubinstein, Wagner stated,
Kershaw later depicts a comment made by Hitler discussing the dire need to deport German Jews, away from the ‘Procterate,’ calling them “dangerous ‘fifth columnists’” that threatened the integrity of Germany. In 1941, Hitler discusses, more fervently his anger towards the Jews, claiming them to responsible for the deaths caused by the First World War: “this criminal race has the two million dead of the World War on its conscience…don’t anyone tell me we can’t send them into the marshes (Morast)!” (Kershaw 30). These recorded comments illustrate the deep rooted hatred and resentment Hitler held for the Jewish population that proved ultimately dangerous. Though these anti-Semitic remarks and beliefs existed among the entirety of the Nazi Political party, it didn’t become a nationwide prejudice until Hitler established such ideologies through the use of oral performance and
In March 11, 1900 in a German town called Konitz the severed body parts of a human were discovered. Almost immediately, the blame fell on the Jewish. As Smith points out, anti-Semitism had been on a steady decline, and the anti-Semitics were looking for ways to revitalize the movement. The murder was an opportunity for anti-Semitics revive their movement. After the identity of the body was discovered to be Ernst Winter, the Staatsburgerzeitung, an anti-Semitic newspaper, printed several articles focusing on Konitz. Using unverified accounts from people in the town, it claimed that the murder was a ritual murder that had been carried out by the Jewish. The use of fear mongering was affective because the paper was a Berlin based paper so distribution was wide, and news of the murder traveled far. A crucial facet of the rise of anti-Semitism was due to anti-Semitic newspapers taking stories such as the Ernst Winter murder and using them to promote their cause. One of Smith’s sources, the Preuβische Jahrbṻcher, had a printed article written by Heinrich von Treitschke who was an historian; in which one of his quotes was “The Jews are our misfortune.” His article was what later spurred the German population’s turn from liberalism a...
“All propaganda has to be popular and has to accommodate itself to the comprehension of the least intelligent of those whom it seeks to reach,” Adolf Hitler (The National World War Museum). The German Nazi dictator utilized his power over the people using propaganda, eventually creating a sense of hatred towards Jews. After World War 1, the punishments of the League of Nations caused Germany to suffer. The Nazi party came to blame the Jews in order to have a nationwide “scapegoat”. This hatred and prejudice towards Jews is known as anti-semitism.
Johannes Brahms was born on Tuesday 7th may 1833, in the city of Hamburg the birthplace also of Mendelssohn. Johann Brahms was himself a musician, and played the double bass for a time at the Karl Schultze Theatre, and later in the Stadttheater orchestra. In 1847 Johannes attended a good Burgerschule (citizens? school), and in 1848 a better, that of one Hoffmann. When he was eight years old his father requested the teachers to be very easy with him because of the time that he must take for his musical studies.
The movie begins by giving us a brief history of a painting. The painting they refer to is the Portrait of Adele Bloch-Bauer. It was still in its creative process at the time being painted by the artist Gustav Klimt. At this same point in time Adolf Hitler applied to the Vienna Academy of Art. This eighteen year old Hitler’s admission to the academy was rejected. The people deciding his admission were primarily Jewish and most likely fueled the flame to his anti-Semitism.
Although the systematic murder of Jews had not yet begun until 1941, there was still a practiced discrimination, which had come into practice years earlier in Nazi Germany. Adolf Hitler was elected democratically in the year 1932. He had always pitched a unified German party that would reignite the power and might of Germany, which they had lost after the Treaty of Versailles. Although his official rhetoric may not have included visions of an anti-Semitic state initially, people knew he had an exclusionary agenda. Hitler published Mein Kampf while in prison in 1925. In Mein Kampf, which literally means My Struggle, Hitler had already published his anti- Semitic rhetoric. Paradoxically, he equates all Jews as being Marxists, and the creators
One of the first writers to express the racial anti-Semitic view was Wilhelm Marr, who it is believed invented the word “anti-Semitism”. He, like other Germans had grievance with the Jews on the basis that a universally successful Jew had pushed them out of getting a good job. Marr himself was fired from his job as a journalist at a paper owned by Jews. He wrote “Der Sieg des Judentums uber das Germanentum”. In other words Jew was not contrasted with Christian, religiously but with German, racially. In 1879 he founded The Antisemiten-Liga, its purpose was in short to bring together all non-Jewish Germans into a common union which strives to saving the Fatherland from the Jewish influence. Marr was the first to appreciate the possibili...
“The modern German anti-Semitism was based on racial ideology which stated that the Jews were subhuman while the “Aryan” race was ultimately superior,” ("Nazi Propaganda"): (Goebbels)“I beg you and particularly those of you who carry the cross throughout the land to become somewhat more serious when I speak of the enemy of the German people, namely, the Jew, ("Nazi Propaganda"). “Streicher declared: "You must realize that the Jew wants our people to perish. That is why you must join us and leave those who have brought you nothing but war, inflation, and discord",” ("Nazi Propaganda"). “We know that Germany will be free when the Jew has been excluded from the life of the German people,” ("Ministry Of Public Enlightenment"). After Goebbels 's started to target the Jew’s with mean propaganda: It made blaming Jews a lot easier for Germany’s
It seems strange that Carl Orff would be forgiven since he played an active role in the Nazi Party. It’s even stated that one of his great works “Carmina Burana” was composed for the Nazi leaders (Eylon). I feel the main reason why Carl Orff may have been forgiven is although he was asked to rewrite “A Midsummers Night Dream” and, agreed he never did (Eylon). The Nazi’s were trying remove the composers name because he was Jewish, Mendelssohn. It can be easier to forgive something that is not actually done even if it is said that it will be where as Wagner hurt himself by writing criticizing articles about the Jewish people and Artist. Wagner’s pieces were never composed for Nazi leaders but, the ideas of his writing stayed with him. Which
It did not matter whether you were a good person at heart, if you were a Jew, you were scum. The hatred of Jews went on in schools, the streets, and in homes. Kids in school would get talked down on by teachers; they would even tell other kids not to talk to certain students just because they were Jewish. One writer gave a personal example about her experience the day she was made to seem less of a person, while in school, “Even later that day I couldn’t remember what he actually said, but at some point while he was talking he pointed his finger at me and he said, ‘Get out you dirty Jew’,” (Smith 52). This was something that took everyone by surprise. Even when people would be walking along the streets, Germans would run over Jews with their cars.
While many countries in Europe were celebrating the freedom to listen to any music they wanted, the Nazi Party was taking over Germany. The music that was listened to in Germany had to be approved by the Nazis. According to Adolf Hitler good German music was that of Beethoven, Wagner and Bruckner. Out of the three composers, Richard Wagner was Hitler’s favorite. He would have his music performed at functions and rallies for the Nazi Party. Wagner’s music was loved, but even more so, his political views were very much liked by Hitler (“Nazi Approved Music”). Wagner wrote a booklet called “Das Judebthum in die Musik” translated: Judaism in Music. It talks about his feeling towards Jewish people, and how he believes that they ruin the arts to everyone in the public (“‘Degenerate’ Music”). The Nazis seemed to have lost the true meaning of music and made other lose it as well. Hans Pfitzner said that the best thing about Wagner’s music was that it was German; Gustav Mhaler responded saying, “All great artists leave their
And like many Austrian Germans in his time, his German nationalism began to grow as well. He and his friends would even great each other with the German greeting: “Heil”. However, at the time he lived in Vienna, everywhere you’d look was prejudice and racist people. Most of them were against the Jews even though they played a Christian act. It may be very hypocritical and deceiving, but everyone was practically acting the same way, so no one could correct each other and lead them down the right path.
In 1933, Europe was going through a major change and not just the countries as a whole, but the minorities such as the Jews as well. In Germany Adolf Hitler, who was the leader of the National Socialist Workers Society (also known as the Nazi Party), was elected chancellor on January 30, 1933. On July 14, 1933, only 7 months after Hitler’s election, the Nazi Party became the only legal political party in Germany. Any known rebels would later be severely punished. Hitler was a very persuasive speaker, which made it easy for him to blame the Jews for many things. He began by blaming Jews for the economy crash that had happened in Europe at the time. Jews were fine on their financial ends and striving in business. Also at the time The Black Death was occurring. Many Europeans were dying for unexplained reasons whereas the Jews seemed to be healthier. These two factors made it very easy for Hitler to convince the German people that Jews were the center of their problems. He later moved on to other minorities as well claiming that the only good race was the Aryan race. Hitler even published a newspaper called the Der Strümer in which he would publish cartoons making funny of Jews and print at the bottom “Jews are our misfortune”. Things were changing in Germany under Hitler’s rule and not in a good way.
Many people before the Holocaust, and before Hitler, still hated the Jews. But Hitler made it his goal to kill this imperfect race.“Born in Austria,Hitler served in the German army during World War One.”( The Holocaust) To him the Jews were an inferior race the needed to be eliminated. He thought that by using anti-semitism he would become more popular with the crowd. “While imprisoned, Hitler wrote,
These new Jews were even more different to the average German, and it did not help matters that they brought cholera to the country in 1892. In other words, these Jews were not hated because of their actual religious beliefs and actions, but because of Germans’ unwillingness to accept diversity. This lends itself to the wider debate of racial Anti-Semitism vs. religious Anti-Semitism. Due to the phrase Anti-Semitism being coined by a ‘secular Anti-Semite’, Wilhelm Marr, it is reasonable to conclude that the rational side of Anti-Semitism was perhaps more important a factor than the irrational side was. Due to the growing popularity of Darwinism and other such scientific theories, people began to believe in the superiority of the Aryan race. The move to scientific Anti-Semitism made it even more difficult for Jews to assimilate; they could be as German as they tried, but would always be treated differently because of their ancestry. Jews could not win either way, as they were told to become more like everyone else and when they did become upstanding members of German society, they were resented for it. Ultimately, Jews were not hated for what they believed or did, but simply because they were Jews. Anti-Semitism was just a symbol of right-wing ideology and a code word for all that was hated by conservative Germans, from socialism to liberalism, and ‘hatred of