by Martin Geck
Wagner, Winifred (1897–1980), 110
Wagner, Wolfgang (1919–2010), 331
Wagner tubas, 189
Wahnfried. See Bayreuth
Waldheim, 102
Waltz, Sasha (b. 1963), 110
Wandering Jew. See Ahasuerus
Wapnewski, Peter (b. 1922), xiv, 271, 329, 360
Wartburg, 70
Wartburgkrieg, Der, 72
Weber, Carl Maria von (1786–1826), 11; influence on RW, 11, 25; RW moves briefly away from, 25
Works: Der Freischütz, 3–4, 11, 42, 58, 73, 277; Preciosa, 3
Weber, Johann Jakob (1803–89), 158
Weber, Max Maria (1822–81), 73
Webern, Anton von (1883–1945), 119
Wehrli, Max (1909–98), 156
Weigl, Joseph (1766–1846): Die Schweizerfamilie, 30
Weimar, 51, 61, 108
Weitling, Wilhelm (1808–71), 136
Wellek, René (1903–95), 78
Wellesz, Egon (1885–1974), 123
Wesendonck, Guido (1855–58), 230, 234
Wesendonck, Karl (1857–1934), 230, 234
Wesendonck, Mathilde (1828–1902): and composition sketches, 201, 234–35; as correspondent, 68, 229–30, 240, 250; Cosima destroys correspondence with RW, xi; as muse, xi, 201, 230, 233–34, 339; reaction to Parsifal, 236; reminiscences of RW, 234; RW’s alleged affair with, xi, xiv, 201, 233–35; and “Venice Diary,” 243, 247
Works: Unter schatt’gen Mangobäumen, 236
Wesendonck, Myrrha (1851–88), 230
Wesendonck, Otto (1815–96): house in Zurich, xii, 230, 234; magnanimity, xiv; at Tannhäuser rehearsals in Paris, 92
Wetzel, Christian Ephraim (1776–1823), 2
White, Hayden (b. 1928): Tropics of Discourse, xvii
Wiener Zeitung, 166
Wiesbaden, 145
Wigard, Franz Jacob (1807–85), 129
Wilhelm I, emperor of Germany (1797–1888), 311
Wilhelm II, emperor of Germany (1859–1941), 106, 109
Wind, Edgar (1900–71), 243
Wohl, Jeanette (1783–1861), 66
Wolff, Albert (1835–91), 356
Wolfram, Clara née Wagner (1807–75), 2, 3, 4
Wolfram von Eschenbach (ca. 1170 – ca. 1220), 105, 322, 324
Wolzogen, Hans von (1848–1938), 93, 326
Wulff (captain of Thetis), 31
Young Germany, 26, 28, 29, 32, 66
Zagrosek, Lothar (b. 1942), 313
Zeitung für die elegante Welt, 25, 26, 66
Zelinsky, Hartmut (b. 1941), 326
Źiźek, Slavoj (b. 1949), 258, 294, 300
Zuccalmaglio, Anton Wilhelm Florentin von (1803–69), 336
Zurich, 275; Company Hall, 234; concerts in, 87, 137, 233–34; Hôtel Baur au Lac, 151, 158, 234; Küsnacht, 108; Lake Zurich, 146; RW in, 51, 87, 137, 147, 158, 230, 231, 234, 235, 288; RW’s “Asyl,” xii, 230
INDEX OF WAGNER’S WORKS
RW = Richard Wagner
WWV = Wagner Werk-Verzeichnis
MUSICAL WORKS
Achilles (WWV 81), 131, 133–34, 138
“Comedy” (WWV 100), 294
deux grenadiers, Les (WWV 60), 66
early compositions, 9
Feen, Die (WWV 32), 10–12, 23, 24
productions: Paris (2009), 16
fliegende Holländer, Der (WWV 63), 47–65; advance on Mozart, 54; advance on Rienzi, 38, 49, 71; and Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony, 58–59; characterization in, 51, 52, 57; concision of, 71, 76, 81, 85; the Dutchman as Senta’s vision, 53; the Dutchman’s motif, 58; the ending, 50, 51, 52; as a “folk poem,” 66; “godlessness” of, 50, 52; and Heine, 50, 66, 104–5; hopes to have the work staged in Paris, 69; immediacy of, 64–65; instrumentation, 50, 51, 61; interrelationship of music and onstage action, 58–60, 60–61; leitmotifs in, 57, 58, 84; libretto, 49–50, 51, 61; and Mahler, 354; and Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg, 276; melody and harmony in, 56; Mendelssohn’s praise for, 19; and myth, 50, 57–58, 60, 64, 270; naturalistic production style, 60–61; as a number opera, 56; prose draft of 1841, 50; psychological interpretation, 53–54, 57, 62, 64, 112; as a reaction to RW’s life and times, 47, 48, 111; redemption in, 11, 12, 13, 17, 50–51, 52, 57, 75; relationship between Senta and the Dutchman, 51, 52, 64; revolutionary nature of, 49–50; as a romantic opera, 52, 53, 54, 97, 104; RW identifies with the Dutchman, 15, 17, 51–52, 74, 99; RW’s changing attitude to, 61, 64; the sea as the main character in the score, 58; Senta as the “woman of the future,” 17, 52; Senta’s Ballad, 56, 57, 61, 64, 117, 277; tone painting of overture, 362; “tragedy of renunciation,” 112; transcendence of ending, 11, 12, 51, 52, 65
productions: Bayreuth (1978), 62; Berlin (1844), 19; Dresden (1843), 56, 61, 70, 99; Munich (1864), 61; Weimar (1853), 51, 61
Friedrich I. (WWV 76), 132
Hochzeit, Die (WWV 31), 10
Hohe Braut, Die (WWV 40), 32, 49
Jesus of Nazareth (WWV 80), 131, 133, 134–39, 149, 327
Kaisermarsch (WWV 104), 311–12
Leubald (WWV 1), 2, 6–9
Liebesmahl der Apostel, Das (WWV 69), 77
Liebesverbot, Das (WWV 38), xviii, 23–29, 38; cosmopolitan modernity of, 24, 25, 28; “frivolousness” of, 23, 26, 29, 66; hopes to stage the work in Paris, 48; influences on, 24; plot, 26; political color of, 27–28, 32–33; premiere, 29; problems with censor, 26–27; “talent” evinced by, 24
Lohengrin (WWV 75), 97–122; and the “absolute artist,” 111; adumbrates Parsifal, 98; and the “art of transition,” 122; and Bach, 117; Baudelaire on the prelude to act 1, 78; and Beethoven, 116, 117; Christianity in, 98, 99, 105; completes full score, 127, 128, 131; contemporary relevance, 98–99, 100–1, 104, 107, 110, 111; contradictions in, 112; crowd scenes, 182; Elsa as “the woman of the future,” 111; “emotionalizing of the intellect,” 99; as fairy tale, 81, 100, 102, 104–5, 110, 111, 121, 122; and Frederick Barbarossa, 132; and German nationalism, 101, 105, 110, 121, 311; good and evil, 110, 121; Grail Narration, 91, 108, 110; harmonic writing, 118–19, 123; and Heinrich and Thomas Mann, 106–8, 109, 110, 122; and Hitler, 108, 110; hopes to stage the work in Paris, 44; leitmotifs, 113–17, 150; “Lyric Pieces,” 85, 277; and Mahler, 353; medieval source, 104; and Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg, 276; mythic element, 111, 270, 274, 322; and National Socialism, 101, 108–9; Nietzsche on, 91, 99, 105; Ortrud defined as a female politician, 110–11, 113; Ortrud’s music, 113, 114–15; plans for a production in Dresden, 128; political dimension, 100–4, 108, 109; prelude to act 1, 78–79, 87, 113, 119, 177, 216, 362; redemption through destruction, 13; relationship between Lohengrin and Elsa, 52, 99, 105, 109, 111, 113, 116, 132; renunciation, 98, 105, 112; as a romantic opera, 97, 101, 102, 111, 112, 121; RW identifies with the hero, 97, 99, 100, 104; as RW’s “most tragic” work, 100; sonority in, 119, 122; symphonic procedures, 118; synesthetic aspect of, 6; and Tannhäuser, 81; tonality, 116; tone paintings, 87, 194
productions: Bayreuth (1936), 108, 110; (1991), 121; (2010), 109, 120; Hamburg (1998), 110; Munich (2009), 121; Vienna (1875–76), 101, 112–13; Weimar (1850), 108
Luther (WWV 99), 294
Männerlist größer als Frauenlist (WWV 48), 30
Meistersinger von Nürnberg, Die (WWV 96), 262–87; aesthetic interpretations, 270–71; as “applied Bach,” 279–81, 284; Beckmesser and his role in the opera, 268–69, 271, 272, 273, 278, 285–87; as coherent musical structure, 83; contrapuntal procedures in, 281, 282; early plans to write a comic pendant to Tannhäuser, 264, 265, 273, 278, 285, 288; and German nationalism, 265, 268, 270, 272, 275, 281; and “holy German art,” 14, 265, 268, 269, 275, 277, 283; inconsistencies in, 273; and irony, 264, 273, 276, 278–79; leitmotifs, 274; and Mahler, 353; as music about music, 277–79; Nietzsche on the overture, 281–82, 284; Nuremberg as a utopian vision, 265–66, 269, 271, 272; objectivity of, 276, 287; parallels with Tristan und Isolde, 263–65, 274, 276, 284, 338; political dimension, 265–67, 269–70, 274–75; prelude to act 3, 284, 342; Prize Song, 264, 265, 269, 27
0, 271, 278, 283; reconciliation of old and new, 268, 269, 279, 282, 283, 334; redemption through destruction, 14; renunciatory role of Hans Sachs, 268, 269; RW abandons myth for history, 274; RW identifies with Hans Sachs, 268; RW sets aside Siegfried in favor of, 225, 291–92, 294, 295; and “Wahn,” xi, 269, 270
productions: Bayreuth (1956), 286; Leipzig (1960), 269; Munich (1868), 275; Vienna (1870), 285
modern productions, 16, 38, 40, 53, 61, 62, 64, 77–78, 90, 92, 100, 109–10, 120, 121, 140, 161, 162, 165, 166, 168, 178–80, 192, 196, 202, 223, 240, 257, 259, 269, 270, 271, 275–76, 286, 299, 305, 306, 313, 314, 327, 331, 348, 350, 357. See also Chéreau; Flimm; Freyer; Herz; Herzog; Jones; Knabe; Konwitschny; Kupfer; Marthaler; Mielitz; Müller; Neuenfels; Schlingensief; Wieland Wagner; Wolfgang Wagner in the General Index
opera arrangements (WWV 62), 48
Parsifal (WWV 111), 259, 264, 319–52; Amfortas’s wound, xvii, 321, 346; anti-Semitism and, 326, 328, 346; attempts to demythologize, 324; as Bühnenweihfestspiel, 263, 322, 327, 328, 330, 343; Celtic origins, 323, 328; characters as “human ghosts,” 330; and Christianity, 236, 319–21, 323, 326–27, 328, 344, 345, 346, 360; compassion, 225, 328, 330; as coherent musical structure, 83, 276; Critical Edition, xi–xii; embargo, 328; Faith motif, 314; first prose draft (1857), xi–xii, 313; and Der fliegende Holländer, 52; “Good Friday” inspiration, xi–xii; as the gospel of a new religion, 322, 323, 327, 329, 330, 332, 344, 345; Grail motif (“Dresden Amen”), 88, 338, 344, 349; gynophobia, 329; harmonic writing, 335, 341; instrumentation, 61; and the “invisible theater,” 61, 333; “Jewishness” of Kundry, 345–46; Kundry as a complex character, 345–48; Kundry’s kiss, 288, 293; Kundry’s music, 333, 347–48; lack of any clear message, 325, 327; leitmotifs, 335, 336, 342–44; libretto of 1877, 343; and Lohengrin, 74, 322; and Meyerbeer’s Robert le diable, 45; and mood of national solemnity, 323; and “musical psychograph,” 331; mythic dimension, 270, 345; Neumann’s designs on, 169; Nietzsche and, 77, 325, 329, 331–32; objectivity in, 337; Parsifal’s Wanderings, 337–42; Parzival visits Tristan, 235, 339; as pivotal work, 334, 336, 342, 345; pre-echoes in Das Liebesverbot, 24; prefigured by Tannhäuser, 77, 82; prelude to act 1, 343; primacy of the music, 332, 336, 337; “Pure Fool” motif, 323, 335–36; and racism, 326, 328, 341, 400n31; redemption through destruction, 13, 327, 330; “Redemption to the Redeemer,” 324, 325, 327, 332; its “refusal to end,” 239; and regeneration, 328; renunciation, 236, 263, 276, 293, 324; and the Ring, 165, 276, 287, 293, 312, 313–14, 323; RW introduced to the subject matter in 1845, 322; sale of score, 322–23; and the search for a higher meaning in our lives, 327–28; second prose draft (1865), 8, 236, 263, 293, 324, 345; sensuality of the music, 348–49, 352; transcendence of ending, 12, 263, 321, 338; vivisection, xiv; and Wolfram von Eschenbach, 322, 324; work on the score, 24, 77, 79, 241, 310, 319, 339–41
productions: Bayreuth (1882), 320, 323, 348; (1889), 329; (1909), 331, 337; (1966), 337, 352; (1975), 331; (2004), 331, 350; Berlin (1977), 327
Political Overture WWW 11, 27
Polonaises (WWV 23), 27
Rienzi (WWV 49), 29–43; Adriano’s aria, 42–43; based on Bulwer-Lytton’s novel, 29, 32; changes demanded by the censor in Dresden, 34; the character of the hero, 34–35, 37; comparison with Les Huguenots, 38; Cosima’s edition, 34, 38; dramaturgical structure of, 39; the hero’s mission, 31; and Hitler, 31, 40, 197; hopes to stage the work in Paris, 69; libretto as “opera text,” 32, 49; libretto translated into French, 30, 48; and Mahler, 352; as “Meyerbeer’s best opera,” 38; overture, 39; and politics, 35, 37; redemption through destruction, 13; Rienzi’s Prayer, 35, 39, 42; RW draws line between Rienzi and Der fliegende Holländer, 71; RW’s continuing championship of, 49; RW works on prose draft and libretto, 30; singers central to the action, 154; “symphonic technique,” 39; the work’s appeal to modern audiences, 38
productions: Berlin (1847), 34, 103; (2010), 40; Dresden (1842), 70
Ring des Nibelungen, Der (WWV 86), xii, 115, 147–225, 291–315; alliterative verse, 154–57, 158, 281; archetypes, 164, 179, 187, 190; Aristotelian unites, 161; as coherent musical structure, 83–84, 164; collage technique, 224, 295, 300; continuing fascination of, xvi, 143, 212; the “dark side” of Wagner’s imagination, 144–45; excerpts performed in the concert hall, 169, 216; expanded from one work to four, 158, 159; fairy tale, 165, 196, 218, 221, 224, 230, 231, 293; and festival performance, 150, 159, 294; and Der fliegende Holländer, 49, 52, 53; four different endings, 304–6; happiness as counterforce to nihilism, 165–68, 214, 219–20; humanity of its characters, 199, 200, 219, 220, 225, 296, 309; inconsistencies, 161, 164, 307; lack of a coherent philosophy, 164–65, 174; leitmotifs, 150, 152, 158, 182, 183, 184, 187–91, 194, 196, 203–4, 209, 220, 221, 224, 226, 231, 295–96, 298, 302, 309; and Lohengrin, 111, 114; love as a destructive force, 8, 235, 293, 304; love in conflict with power, 133, 151–52, 158, 164, 165, 180, 200, 206, 307, 308; and Mahler, 352–53; medieval studies, 132–33; Mime as anti-Semitic caricature, 352; myth, xiv, 15, 133, 149, 151, 154, 158, 160–63, 168, 174, 178, 181, 186, 190, 194, 200, 203, 207, 208, 209, 212, 213, 218, 221, 224, 231, 270, 296, 298, 304, 305, 308, 316, 363; and Nietzsche, 161, 164, 175, 305, 307; orchestral melody, 89, 186, 194, 200, 209, 210, 212, 281, 298; and Parsifal, 165, 276, 287, 293, 312, 313–14, 323; phantasmagoria, 168, 179, 315, 362; and philosophy, 160, 164, 165; and politics, 37, 131, 135, 164–65; publication of the libretto, 158, 159–60; redemption through destruction, 13, 15 143, 148, 164, 363; revolutionary activities in the run-up to, 130–31, 135, 149, 159, 226, 311–12; RW identifies with both Wotan and Alberich, 198, 201, 202, 203, 220; Siegfried and Jesus of Nazareth, 134–35, 138–39; Siegfried as the man of the future, 15, 138, 208; title, 158, 161; tone paintings in, 87, 194; utopian aspect of, 148, 149, 159, 202, 212, 306, 310, 312, 314; and The Wibelungs, 137; Wotan as a politician, 35, 203–5, 212, 213, 307; Wotan as the “sum total of present-day intelligence,” 15, 179–80, 202, 207, 208, 212, 213, 304; Wotan’s guilty conscience, xiv, 303
productions: Bayreuth (1876), 61, 93, 169–70, 195, 202, 204, 219, 241; (1976), 161, 162, 178, 180, 192, 196, 305, 306, 348; Berlin (1881), 169, 289; Leipzig (1878), 169; (1972–76), 140, 192; London (1882), 162; Los Angeles (2009–10), 166, 168; Meiningen (2001), 202; Vienna (1898), 352; Angelo Neumann’s touring production, 162, 169–70
—Rheingold, Das: as a coherent work of art, 174–96; the inspiration for the prelude, xii, 177, 197; Loge’s Narration, 185–86, 190–91, 194; as “peasant’s trial,” 303; pentatonicism of the Rhinedaughters’ music, 181–82, 187–88; prelude, xii, 177–79, 181, 194, 196, 200, 248, 309; renunciation motif, 220, 335–36; the Rhinedaughters as whores, 179, 180; title, 158; transcendence of ending, 12, 316; uncertainty over treatment of vocal line, 154, 182, 185, 186, 187; work on the score, 235
productions: Bayreuth (1976), 192, 196; Essen (2008), 179; Leipzig (1973), 140; Munich (1869), 177, 186
—Walküre, Die: character of Wotan, 199–225; compared to other parts of the Ring, 200, 203, 207, 209, 220; the eternal triangle of act 1, 200, 202; and free love, 29; love music for Siegmund and Sieglinde, 156, 292; and Mathilde Wesendonck, 201, 234; musical sketches and drafts, 200, 201; plot, 205–6; redemption motif, 308; Ride of the Valkyries, 225, 362; title, 158; transcendence of ending, 12; Wotan’s Farewell, 216–19, 226–27; Wotan’s Narration, 206–15, 216
productions: Los Angeles (2008), 168; Moscow (1940), 218, 223, 225–27
—Siegfried: character of Siegfried, 293; compared to other parts of the Ring, 201, 290–91; love music for Siegfried and Brünnhilde, 292; resumption of work on, 290–91, 293, 295; RW’s decision to abandon work on act 2, 225, 231, 235, 241, 290–91; transcendence of ending, 9, 12; Walter Benjamin on the hero, 221; work on the score, 230, 231; Young Siegfried, 158
productions: Bayreuth (1876), 290
—Götterdämmerung: Brünnhilde’s peroration, 304; character of Siegfried, 293, 294; complexity of writing, 232, 276, 310; difficulty of casting the role of Hagen, 36, 297; Funeral
March, 152; greater “weight” of, 292; Hagen summons the vassals, 300–2; Hagen’s Watch, 19, 296, 297–99; mature craftsmanship of act 2, 301–3; Norns’ scene, 149–50, 299; redemption motif, 226, 239, 302, 308–9; and Rienzi, 33; Rubinstein prepares copy of short score of act 3, 93; Siegfried as a tragic hero, 221, 293; Siegfried’s Death, 131, 133, 134, 138, 142, 149, 158–59, 293, 294, 296, 304, 312; begins music for, 138, 148, 149, 150, 158; plans for production, 150, 294; transcendence of ending, 11, 12, 179, 180, 307–10, 312, 315, 316; work on the score, 8, 294–95, 207, 310
productions: Bayreuth (1976), 305; Bayreuth (2000), 314; Berlin (1881), 170; Stuttgart (2000), 300, 313
Romeo and Juliet (WWV 98), 294
Sieger, Die (WWV 89), 235, 236
Siegfried Idyll (WWV 103), 94
Siegfried’s Death. See Götterdämmerung
symphonic plans, 122, 353
Symphony in C major (WWV 29), 9–10
Tannhäuser (WWV 70), 69–92; and Auerbach, 288; the Bacchanal, 85–86, 91; Baudelaire’s aestheticizing view, 52, 78–79, 82, 85; Catholicism of, 70, 71, 74, 75, 77, 78, 79, 80, 81, 82, 98; chapbook as source, 70; character of hero, 81–82; as “Christian mystery,” 80, 81; comparison with Der fliegende Holländer, 52, 71, 72, 75, 76, 81, 85, 112; comparison with Lohengrin, 52, 65, 81, 87, 112, 113; comparison with a series of paintings, 84; comparison with Tristan und Isolde, 52; contradictions in, 71–72, 76, 81, 112; “emotionalizing of the intellect,” 99; fear of being branded a plagiarist, 25–26; German-ness, 70, 72, 73; grand operatic elements, 78, 81; harmonic writing, 86; historical and social context, 44, 111; “hyper-reality of the Venusberg,” 366; influence of Tristan und Isolde on the Paris revisions, 92; interrelationship of music and onstage action, 60; leitmotifs, 84, 87–89; and Mahler, 353; and Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg, 264, 273, 276, 278; Mendelssohn conducts overture, 19; modern attempts to stage the opera, 77–78, 92; and modern audiences, 85; the “musical aura” of the work, 5; mythic element, 270; and Nietzsche, 77, 79, 91; as number opera, 84–85, 91; overture, 85, 177, 234; parallels between hero and RW, 80, 82, 97–98, 99; and Parsifal, 77, 82, 327, 349; phantasmagoria, 79, 86; plans to revise, 79; plot, 70–71, 81; positive view of the Wartburg court, 72, 80; pre-echoes in Das Liebesverbot, 24; prose draft as The Mount of Venus, 73, 84; radical break from earlier works, 71; redemption through destruction, 13, 14, 72, 75, 80–81, 239; relationship between Tannhäuser and Elisabeth, 13, 52, 72, 76, 82, 90; revised ending, 80; and ritual, 74, 80, 81, 82; as a romantic opera, 83; Rome Narration, 89, 91, 92; Schumann revises his view of, xiv, xvi, 92; sinful nature of love, 75, 77, 82, 98; song contest combined with Tannhäuser legend, 70, 72, 76; synesthetic aspect of, 6; Tannhäuser’s Pilgrimage, 87–89, 92, 338, 342; Tichatschek’s inadequacy in the title role, 36–37; and Tieck, 104–5; tone paintings, 87, 89, 194; “tragedy of renunciation,” 112; transcendence of ending, 12, 13, 14; the transfiguring force of the music, 83–84; Venusberg revisions, 79
