[2] The magazine was associated with the symbolism arts movement and provided a space for literary criticism, inspired greatly by Charles Baudelaire's interpretation of Wagner's aesthetic theories.

The Revue Wagnérienne was conceived by the young Wagner enthusiasts Edouard Dujardin, Téodor de Wyzewa and Houston Stewart Chamberlain in the summer of Munich 1884, while in attendance of a production of the Ring Cycle.

[2] Returning to Paris, Dujardin would host a dinner with key French Wagnerians such as writer Champfleury, translator Victor Wilder and conductor Charles Larmoureux to discuss the feasibility of the project.

[4] While La Revue Wagnérienne included some conventional content such as performance reviews from a number of international correspondents,[1] contributions engaged largely with his aesthetic and philosophical ideas.

[4] Though la Revue is principally known for its association with symbolism, contributions were often eclectic in nature, linking Wagner's music and ideas to such diverse topics as Christianity, evolution and socialism.