Das Judenthum in der Musik
In particular it discusses the music of Jewish composers Felix Mendelssohn and Giacomo Meyerbeer, acknowledging its technical proficiency but criticizing it as lacking genuine artistic passion.
Wagner had a radical mindset at the time, and was formulating what would become his magnum opus, the 16-hour long music drama Der Ring des Nibelungen, with which he intended to revitalize German art and society, which he perceived to be in decline.
In these previous essays, Wagner criticized the perceived shallowness of the then-popular French grand opera, such as that of the celebrated Jewish composer Giacomo Meyerbeer.
In an April 1851 letter to Franz Liszt, Wagner stated that he used a pseudonym "not out of fear, but to prevent the question being dragged down by the Jews to a purely personal level".
[5] Ironically, this same letter also reveals Wagner's deep personal antipathy for Meyerbeer as partially motivating the essay, who reminds him of the “darkest” period of his life.
[6] Wagner accuses Meyerbeer's audience in Paris as seeking cheap distractions from their boredom, rather than desiring engagement with a real art that challenges and elevates them.
Wagner argues this repulsion needs to be acknowledged and discussed, rather than suppressed and ignored, so once the specific details of its triggering are understood, could steps be taken to resolve the social friction between Jews and non-Jews.
Wagner harshly attacks the Hebrew language, speech patterns, and appearance of Jews as aesthetically unpleasing and unsuited for artistic expression.
In one metaphor, Wagner suggests that just as worms consume a body after it has died, so do Jews take over a European culture's music after its native vitality has diminished.
[10] Seeking to explain to friends the source of the unprecedented hostility towards himself and his artwork by music critics in the press,[11] Wagner republished his essay in 1869 under his own name along with expanded commentary on the original's purpose and reception.
Wagner defends his use of a pseudonym in the original publication of the essay, having wanted to prevent the discussion from being diverted to personal matters, which he believed would happen if his real name was attached.
He cites Robert Schumann as a composer whose youthful and spirited compositions turned superficial and pretentious in later years due to the influence of "Music Judaism".
Wagner expresses a hope, albeit faint, that open criticism of their relationship with Judaism might encourage even those within the Jewish community to fight for their "true emancipation".
These included the conductor Hermann Levi (who premiered Parsifal in 1882), the pianists Carl Tausig and Joseph Rubinstein [de], the writer Heinrich Porges, and others.
In his later years, Wagner's antipathy towards Jews and "Judenthum" would apparently soften as he became more humanist, less focused on politics and more concerned with metaphysical and spiritual matters.
Who wouldn't see this happening again today when observing the current movement against Jews with this idea in mind?Wagner writes of the need for a spiritual awakening for all of humanity to realize their shared "simple, sacred dignity".
Some writers such as Bryan Magee have sought to make a qualified defense of Wagner's originality of thought in Das Judenthum, despite acknowledging its malevolence.
