Nietzsche contra Wagner; Out of the Files of a Psychologist is a critical essay by Friedrich Nietzsche, composed of selections he chose from among his earlier works. The selections are assembled in this essay in order to focus on Nietzsche's thoughts about the composer Richard Wagner. As he says in the preface, when the selections are read "one after the other they will leave no doubt either about Richard Wagner or about myself: we are antipodes". He also describes it as "an essay for psychologists, but not for Germans".Nietzsche, Friedrich. Kaufman, Walter (translator & editor). The Portable Nietzsche. "Nietzsche contra Wagner". Penguin Books (1977). p. 662. It was written in his last year of lucidity (1888–1889), and published by C. G. Naumann in Leipzig in 1889.Nietzsche, Friedrich. Ludovici, Anthony M. trans. Friedrich Nietzsche on Wagner. Spastic Cat Press (February 28, 2012). p. 8 Nietzsche describes in this short work why he parted ways with his one-time idol and friend, Richard Wagner. Nietzsche attacks Wagner's views, expressing disappointment and frustration in Wagner's life choices (such as Nietzsche's mistaken belief that Wagner had converted to Christianity, perceived as a sign of weakness). Nietzsche evaluates Wagner's philosophy on tonality, music and art; he admires Wagner's power to emote and express himself, but largely disdains what the philosopher deems his religious biases.Hollinrake, Roger. "Nietzsche, Wagner and Ernest Newman". Music & Letters, Vol. 41, No. 3 (July 1960), pp. 245-255
It is easy to suspect that Nietzsche's views must be motivated by a personal quarrel with Wagner. However, Nietzsche had nothing to gain by attacking Wagner; his motives were misunderstood by a public who were influenced by Nietzsche’s early admiration of Wagner, and who were now enthralled by Wagner’s genius. These essays would be hard to comprehend, and would be seen as the work of a disloyal fanatic. On the other hand, Nietzsche's essays express an "underlying admiration and even affection" for Wagner; a "fundamental ambivalence of thought and feeling must be taken as characteristic of Nietzsche’s attitude". Hollinrake, Roger. "Nietzsche, Wagner and Ernest Newman". Music & Letters, Vol. 41, No. 3. Oxford University Press. (July, 1960), pp. 245-255
According to Roger Hollinrake, it is reasonable to question Nietzsche’s qualifications to criticize a great musician on very specific musical topics. Nietzsche was a philosopher, and also a musician and composer, though of limited abilities. However gifts of analysis, and gifts of musicianship are not often both given to any one individual. Nietzsche had the broad combined perspective of a scholar, philosopher, historian and poet, abetted by his penetrating insight and an objectivity with a lack of musical bias. Nietzsche's attacks derive from the great importance he gives to art, and from his sense of the seriousness of the artist's duties, and from Nietzsche's fears for the state of culture in his era. Hollinrake, Roger. "Nietzsche, Wagner and Ernest Newman". Music & Letters, Vol. 41, No. 3. Oxford University Press. (July, 1960), pp. 245-255
Thirteen sections The sections are as follows. Nietzsche’s sources, found among his works, are indicated in parentheses:Nietzsche, Friedrich. Kaufman, Walter (translator & editor). The Portable Nietzsche. "Nietzsche contra Wagner". Penguin Books (1977). p. 661.
Foreword Nietzsche explains that this book consists of selections from his previous writings. They show that he and Wagner are opposites. Nietzsche states that a reader of this book will conclude that it is for psychologists and not for Germans. He says that he has readers almost everywhere, in New York and in Europe, but not in Germany.Nietzsche, Friedrich. Ludovici, Anthony M. trans. Friedrich Nietzsche on Wagner. Spastic Cat Press (February 28, 2012). p. 56
Where I Admire Wagner (The Gay Science, 87) Nietzsche praises Wagner in a number of ways, saying that Wagner
Nietzsche continues, and then adds that Wagner's music has revealed "some very minute and microscopic aspects of the soul … indeed he is the master of the very minute. But he does not want to be that!" Nietzsche suggests with a metaphor that Wagner prefers to create large works: "His character prefers large walls and audacious frescoes."Nietzsche, Friedrich. Kaufman, Walter (translator & editor). The Portable Nietzsche. Penguin Books (1977). p. 662-664.Nietzsche, Friedrich. Ludovici, Anthony M. trans. Friedrich Nietzsche on Wagner. Spastic Cat Press (February 28, 2012). p. 56
Where I Make Objections (The Gay Science, 368) Nietzsche's objections to Wagner's music are physiological—as he listens to Wagner’s music his whole body feels discomfort: He does not breathe easily, his feet begin to rebel, as they do not find a desire to dance or march being satisfied. Wagner is seen as an actor, an “enthusiastic mimomaniac”, and his music is merely an opportunity for poses. Nietzsche suggests Wagner needs to be more honest with himself.Nietzsche, Friedrich. Ludovici, Anthony M. trans. Friedrich Nietzsche on Wagner. Spastic Cat Press (February 28, 2012). p. 56-57
Intermezzo (Ecce Homo, Why I Am So Clever, 7) Nietzsche wants music to be cheerful, profound, unique, wanton, tender, roguish, and graceful. These qualities are lacking in German music, except for the works of Bach, Handel, and also in Wagner's Siegfried Idyll. He praises Liszt, Chopin, Peter Gast, and Rossini, as well as all Venetian music. The Intermezzo ends with Nietzsche's poem “Venice.”
Wagner as danger (Human, All Too Human, II,134; The Wanderer and His Shadow, 165) Nietzsche criticizes Wagner’s idea of "endless melody", which is an idea based on Wagner’s criticism of operas in which the melody exists especially in arias, and the arias are separated by less melodic filler. Wagner’s idea is that an entire opera should be instead a continuous or "endless" melody. Nietzsche's concern is that an opera that is all one "endless melody" has the effect similar to a person walking into the ocean, losing one’s footing, then surrendering to the elements, and being forced to tread water. The danger to music is "degeneration of rhythmic feeling" which would be unaccommodating to the element of dance in performance, and the supplanting of rhythm with chaos, which would result in an emphasis on mere "effect" — on posing. Rasula, Jed. "Endless Melody". Texas Studies in Literature and Language. Vol. 55, No. 1, Special Section: "Literary Modernism and Melody" (Spring 2013), pp. 36-37. Published by: University of Texas Press (Spring, 2013) Nietzsche then suggests that Wagner feels that all music, to be effective, "must shake the listener to his very intestines," and that such effects are for idiots and the masses. Wagner, Richard. Ellis, William Ashton, trans. "Zukunftsmusik (Music of the Future" Richard Wagner’s Prose Works. Vol. 3. The Theatre. Kegan Paul, Trench, Trubner & Co. Ltd. (1894) pp. 320-338.Nietzsche, Friedrich. Kaufman, Walter (translator & editor). The Portable Nietzsche. "Nietzsche contra Wagner". Penguin Books (1977). pp. 666-7.Nietzsche, Friedrich. Ludovici, Anthony M. trans. Friedrich Nietzsche on Wagner. Spastic Cat Press (February 28, 2012). p. 59-61
A Music Without a Future (Human All-Too-Human, II,171) Nietzsche considers that historically, as cultures have developed, music is the last art form to appear — music appears as its culture has begun to fade. "All true, all original music is a swan song." He suggests that the music of his time, "has but a short life span ahead of it", for it arose from a culture that will soon sink and disappear. He speaks specifically of Wagner's music, which may find support and sudden glory, in that the current age was suffering much European warfare and turbulence. But, Nietzsche says, we should not be fooled. "The Germans themselves have no future."Nietzsche, Friedrich. Kaufman, Walter (translator & editor). The Portable Nietzsche. "Nietzsche contra Wagner". Penguin Books (1977). p.p 667-8.Nietzsche, Friedrich. Ludovici, Anthony M. trans. Friedrich Nietzsche on Wagner. Spastic Cat Press (February 28, 2012). p. 61-62
We Antipodes (The Gay Science, 370) In this section Nietzsche states that Wagner and the philosopher Arthur Schopenhauer are to Nietzsche antipodes — opposites. At one time, he and Wagner were not antipodes, but were close. They were very close when Nietzsche was writing his first book, The Birth of Tragedy, which he dedicated to Wagner, and which proclaimed Wagner’s music the modern rebirth. Nietzsche at times lived with Wagner and Wagner’s future wife Cosima, Nietzsche’s first book was in part developed out of long conversations with them both, while at the same time, under the same roof, Wagner was beginning to compose and develop the story of what would eventually become Wagner’s Ring Cycle. Nietzsche, who was fast becoming a notable academic lecturer, was in some danger of being completely eclipsed by the celebrated greatness of Wagner. His declaration of opposition to Wagner and Schopenhauer, represents Nietzsche’s journey towards his independence of mind and spirit and his individuation; a journey he describes in the preface to The Case of Wagner.Fry, Katherine. "Nietzsche’s Critique of Musical Decadence: The Case of Wagner in Historical Perspective". Journal of the Royal Musical Association. Volume 142, 2017. P. 137-140.Conway, Daniel. "The Case of Wagner and Nietzsche contra Wagner". A Companion to Friedrich Nietzsche; Life and Works. Camden House. (2012) p. 299 Prideaux, Sue. I Am Dynamite!: A Life of Nietzsche. Tim Duggan Books (2018).
Nietzsche considers that every art presupposes sufferers and suffering, and serves either a growing or declining life. And that there are some who suffer an impoverishment of life, and therefore demand from art either calmness or else a frenzy that will anesthetize. Such, with their double needs, are the ones that Wagner responds to. Such decadents need mildness and a god for the sick — a healer, a savior. Nietzsche says after exploring Epicureanism and Christianity, and has developed a sharp eye for what he terms “backwards inference” — to understand the creator by knowing the creation, and to ask: “Is it hatred against life, or the excess of life which has become creative?”Nietzsche, Friedrich. Kaufman, Walter (translator & editor). The Portable Nietzsche. "Nietzsche contra Wagner". Penguin Books (1977). p.p 667-8.Huddleston, Andrew. Nietzsche on the Decadence and Flourishing of Culture. Oxford University Press (2019). Nietzsche, Friedrich. Ludovici, Anthony M. trans. Friedrich Nietzsche on Wagner. Spastic Cat Press (February 28, 2012). p. 62-64
Where Wagner Belongs (Beyond Good and Evil, 254, 256) In this section Nietzsche considers which culture would be most fitting for Wagner – an unexpected question considering that Wagner’s musical and literary creations are richly associated with Germany, and Wagner was passionately pro-German. Nietzsche’s stance is the opposite of Wagner’s — Nietzsche has nothing good to say about Germany.Nietzsche, Friedrich. Kaufman, Walter (translator & editor). The Portable Nietzsche. "Nietzsche contra Wagner". Penguin Books (1977). p.p 671-673.Holub, Robert. Nietzsche in the Nineteenth Century. University of Pennsylvania Press. pp. 104-106, 113-118 (2018)