Before we dive into the controversies surrounding Richard Wagner and how we should view him, we first need to grasp an understanding of who Wagner really was. Wagner was a German composer, theater director, and conductor who was well known for his operas that were later classified as “music dramas”. Wagner’s operas, politics, beliefs, writings, and unorthodox lifestyle made him quite the controversial figure during his lifetime. Through one of his most controversial pieces, “Das Judenthun in der Musik” Wagner has developed himself into a person who could be viewed separately with his music because more than just his music had a major impact on the world.
Robert Wagner’s “Das Judenthum in der Musik” is an essay that basically attacks Jews and also attacks musical composers particularly Giancomo Meyerbeer and Felix Mendelssohn which is regarded to by many as a significant landmark of German Anti-Semitism. Wagner elaborates how that Jews were unable to speak European languages properly and how the speech of the Jews sounded like “intolerably jumbled blabber” and a “creaking, squeaking, buzzing snuffle”. Wagner attacked Mendelssohn and Meyerbeer in his essay saying that Mendelssohn’s conservative style was cramping the potential of German music and was “sweet and tinkling without depth”. Meyerbeer was savagely attacked for the
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Wagner was one of the few composer’s Adolf Hitler allowed during the Nazi era and possibly his favorite. Hitler felt a strong bond to Wagner and has even been exclaimed that Hitler’s vision of Germany was manifested in the composer’s music. The Nazi Party heavily promoted Wagner’s operas that had a reflection on a nationalistic world view that displays Nazism which was used for Nazi
Karl Lueger’s, mayor of Vienna, command over the masses through rhetoric and sensitive emblems were the rallying point behind which Hitler was able to gain power over the Nazi’s and keep the people inspire with parades and a sense of patriotism entwined with spirituality. 20. Adolf Lanz Ostara was the work that instilled in Hitler an antisemitism and belief of entitlement of the Aryan race. 21. Wagener’s portrayal of an artist as a misfit from the bourgeois society who can only depend on himself while only pushed forward by the desire to control and manipulate inspired Hitler’s patterns of leadership.
Hitler was seen as a savior to many Germans, hoping Germany would be saved from its severely depressed condition following World War I. Hitler used his power to create laws in order to exclude and dismiss Jews from everyday affairs. Hitler was an excellent writer and public speaker, further aiding in his success in persuading hopeless individuals to abide by his rule, while ultimately grasping complete power over the German people.
Mendelssohn was a famous German composer of the Romantic period. Although he was born into a Jewish family and grew up without a religion he soon became a reformed Christian. Mendelssohn was born with the talent to be able to play instruments and make music, but his parents never really supported his talent and didn’t help him to improve his talent. He went on to pursue what he loved to do and that was to compose and conduct music. Mendelssohn was born in Hamburg, Germany, 1809.
This paper discusses Mozart's life, his compositions and his importance to the world and the world of music. It explains how Mozart's music is still some of the most popular classical music played today and his life is still studied because his music is so well known and liked.
Bauman provides a thoughtful analysis of the completion of Mozart’s Requiem by Richard Maunder. He bases his argument on the fact that
Thesis: Wolfgang Mozart’s Symphony No. 40 in G minor has been admired and analyzed numerous times. Although it has been criticized by many, I believe deeply interpreting this piece will aid in a better understanding of the music during the Classical
Adolf Hitler gained chancellorship in January 1933, transforming the political ideology of the Weimar Republic to a one-party, totalitarian dictatorship – Nazi Germany. Richard Wagner; born on May 22, 1813, died February 13, 1883 – six years before Adolf Hitler’s birth – was a German composer known for his operas and “music dramas.” Adolf Hitler was first introduced to Richard Wagner’s works at the age of twelve, observing one of Wagner’s operas; Lohengrin. Hitler wrote how “At the age of twelve, I saw … the first opera of my life, Lohengrin. In one instant I was addicted.” After being denied enrollment in the Academy of Fine Arts, Hitler joined the Austrian military service in 1914 – serving in the army when World War I broke out. After Germany’s defeat, Hitler began political work in 1919, joining the German Worker’s Party. In 1920, he was in charge of the propaganda, devoting himself to advancing his position in the party. Renamed as the National-sozialistische Deutsche Arbeiterpartei – Nazis, resentment at the loss of World War I and economic losses caused discontent within the party.
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, the Austrian wunderkind, was an accomplished and magnificently gifted musician. He is attributed with the composition of 22 operas in his 35-year life, but his most successful theatre work was his last. Die Zauberflöte, completed in 1791, was written specifically for the Theater auf der Wieden in Vienna. The theatre housed a troupe of actors led by Emmanuel Schikaneder, a versatile actor and writer who crafted the libretto of Zauberflöte and portrayed Papageno at its premiere. Zauberflöte was written in the singspiel operatic style; the libretto is in the vernacular – German – language, spoken dialogue is interspersed with recitative and aria, and there is a folk-like strophic style in the music. Schikaneder had
Mozart’s Requiem is “one of the most performed and studied pieces of music in history” (Stango, n.d.). The story behind the start of this piece begins with Count Franz von Walsegg, who commissioned a requiem mass for his wife Anna (who had passed away). Throughout his work on this piece, Mozart began to get so emotionally involved with the piece that he believed that he was writing a death mass for himself. Mozart died December 5, 1791, with only half of the Requiem finished (through Lacrimosa). Franz Xaver Süssmayr finished the Requiem based on Mozart’s specifications from notes and what he had already written. The completed work is dated 1792 by Süssmayr and was performed for the first time on January 2, 1793. Mozart’s intent for this
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart was probably the greatest genius in Western musical history. He was born in Salzberg, Austria on January 27, 1756. The son of Leopold Mozart and his wife Anna Maria Pertl. Leopold was a successful composer and violinist and assistant concertmaster at the Salzberg court.
Romantic music inspired two smaller movements: nationalistic music and music about legends. Richard Wagner (1813-1883) is a German composer who wrote many pieces on the basis of a story or myth. He revolutionized opera through creativity, discontent with musical formulas and his focus on drama.
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart baptized as Johannes Chrysostomus Wolfgangus Theophilus Mozart lived from January 27, 1756 to December 5, 1791. Mozart was a very influential and prolific composer of more than 600 works, including symphonies, concertante, chamber, piano, opera, and choral music. Regarded as a child prodigy, Mozart composed and performed in the European courts from the age of five, and was engaged at the Salzburg court at 17. Mozart’s musical style can be classified as Classical, although he learned from many of his contemporaries throughout his musical career. In order to better understand Mozart’s genius it is best to begin looking at his earliest contributions to the musical world as a child. From there, an exploration of his
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756-91) is regarded as the greatest composer who ever lived. He began writing minuets at the age of 5,and by the time he died in 1791 at the age of 35, he had produced 626 cataloged works. “ Mozart has enriched the concerto form with a larger number of masterpieces than any other composer.”1
The movie leads us to think that the root of Nazism lay solely with Germany, and that it was evil Germans under Hitler who overthrew innocent Austria and turned it into a fascist nation. Because most Americans are not history buffs on Austria's role in the Anschluss, we tend to believe that The Sound of Music, or perhaps even Schindler's List, presents us with completely factual evidence. In a sense, we have allowed this movie to be a history book that tells the tale of the Anschluss. Because German Nazism is presented so negatively in the movie, of course an American audience will side with the Austrians who are so innocently represented by the VonTrapp family. No one else is there to tell the audience any differently.
Their original tongue was a Semitic language; therefore those who opposed Jews because they defiled and infringe upon German culture rights and should identify themselves proudly as anti-Semites (Dwork16). Wagner denies Jews of true creativity (ORT). He says a Jewish artist can only speak in imitation of others, make art imitation of others; he cannot really speak, write, or create art on his own (ORT). When Wagner is asked what a German is, he response back culture, not economy, that’s the core of German identity. The Jews manipulation of the language and art was infinitely more pernicious than his control over money ever has been (Dwork26). Wagner says the Jew had bought the German soul with his trade in works of culture