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Aspects of Wagner
Many music lovers find Wagner's operas inexpressibly beautiful and richly satisfying, while others find them revolting, dangerous, self-indulgent, and immoral. The man who W.H. Auden once called "perhaps the greatest genius that ever lived" has inspired both greater adulation and greater loathing than any other composer.
Bryan Magee presents a penetrating analysis of Wagner's work, concentrating on how his sensational and deeply erotic music uniquely expresses the repressed and highly charged contents of the psyche. He examines not only Wagner's music and detailed stage directions but also the prose works in which he formulated his ideas, as well as shedding new light on his anti-semitism and the way in which the Nazis twisted his theories to suit their own purposes. Outlining the astonishing range and depth of Wagner's influence on our culture, Magee reveals how profoundly he continues to shock and inspire musicians, poets, novelists, painters, philosophers, and politicians today.
Bryan Magee presents a penetrating analysis of Wagner's work, concentrating on how his sensational and deeply erotic music uniquely expresses the repressed and highly charged contents of the psyche. He examines not only Wagner's music and detailed stage directions but also the prose works in which he formulated his ideas, as well as shedding new light on his anti-semitism and the way in which the Nazis twisted his theories to suit their own purposes. Outlining the astonishing range and depth of Wagner's influence on our culture, Magee reveals how profoundly he continues to shock and inspire musicians, poets, novelists, painters, philosophers, and politicians today.
102 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1969
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209 people want to read
About the author
Bryan Magee
54 books231 followersBryan Edgar Magee was a noted British broadcasting personality, politician, poet, and author, best known as a popularizer of philosophy.
He attended Keble College, Oxford where he studied History as an undergraduate and then Philosophy, Politics and Economics in one year. He also spent a year studying philosophy at Yale University on a post-graduate fellowship.
Magee's most important influence on society remains his efforts to make philosophy accessible to the layman. Transcripts of his television series "Men of Ideas" are available in published form in the book Talking Philosophy. This book provides a readable and wide-ranging introduction to modern Anglo-American philosophy.
He attended Keble College, Oxford where he studied History as an undergraduate and then Philosophy, Politics and Economics in one year. He also spent a year studying philosophy at Yale University on a post-graduate fellowship.
Magee's most important influence on society remains his efforts to make philosophy accessible to the layman. Transcripts of his television series "Men of Ideas" are available in published form in the book Talking Philosophy. This book provides a readable and wide-ranging introduction to modern Anglo-American philosophy.
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Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews
March 31, 2024
Me gustó la idea de que la música de Wagner se preocupa de expresar los sentimientos y emociones internas de sus personajes, a pesar de que pueda hacerlos inactivos y reactivos.
August 21, 2025
A concise and engaging book, "Aspects of Wagner" serves as a very accessible entry point into the complex and often controversial world of Richard Wagner. I appreciated Magee’s clarity of thought and the way he managed to condense Wagner’s vast artistic philosophy into such a short volume without oversimplifying it.
The first chapter is definitely the highlight. It provides a broad yet precise overview of Wagner’s revolutionary ideas—how he sought to transform opera into a “total work of art” (Gesamtkunstwerk), and the radical steps he took to integrate music, drama, and poetry into a unified form. Magee does a great job in showing us what made Wagner so different from his predecessors and contemporaries.
One of the most thought-provoking parts of the book is the discussion on performance. I particularly liked Magee's emphasis on fidelity to Wagner's own staging and musical instructions. He argues convincingly against modern reinterpretations that stray too far from the original intentions, which, for Wagner, were often spelled out in meticulous detail.
The chapter addressing Wagner’s anti-Semitism is handled with care. Magee doesn’t excuse it, but he does place it in historical context—explaining how widespread such views were in 19th-century German-speaking Europe. This doesn’t absolve Wagner, but it helps the reader understand how his prejudices fit into a broader societal pattern, even if they remain disturbing.
The edition I read contained only five chapters, and I too was surprised by the omission of the sixth chapter that I’ve heard focuses more directly on Wagner's music itself. That would have been a welcome addition, as Magee’s musical insights are sharp and informed.
All in all, I would agree that this is a solid and thoughtful introduction to Wagner’s life, ideas, and influence—but it is just that: an introduction. For anyone seeking a deeper dive into Wagner’s musical structures or his broader cultural impact, further reading will definitely be required. Still, Magee’s book is a very good place to start.
The first chapter is definitely the highlight. It provides a broad yet precise overview of Wagner’s revolutionary ideas—how he sought to transform opera into a “total work of art” (Gesamtkunstwerk), and the radical steps he took to integrate music, drama, and poetry into a unified form. Magee does a great job in showing us what made Wagner so different from his predecessors and contemporaries.
One of the most thought-provoking parts of the book is the discussion on performance. I particularly liked Magee's emphasis on fidelity to Wagner's own staging and musical instructions. He argues convincingly against modern reinterpretations that stray too far from the original intentions, which, for Wagner, were often spelled out in meticulous detail.
The chapter addressing Wagner’s anti-Semitism is handled with care. Magee doesn’t excuse it, but he does place it in historical context—explaining how widespread such views were in 19th-century German-speaking Europe. This doesn’t absolve Wagner, but it helps the reader understand how his prejudices fit into a broader societal pattern, even if they remain disturbing.
The edition I read contained only five chapters, and I too was surprised by the omission of the sixth chapter that I’ve heard focuses more directly on Wagner's music itself. That would have been a welcome addition, as Magee’s musical insights are sharp and informed.
All in all, I would agree that this is a solid and thoughtful introduction to Wagner’s life, ideas, and influence—but it is just that: an introduction. For anyone seeking a deeper dive into Wagner’s musical structures or his broader cultural impact, further reading will definitely be required. Still, Magee’s book is a very good place to start.
January 31, 2023
Ideal para adentrarse, siendo un novato, en la vida y obra de este autor fascinante.
March 5, 2017
Short and brilliantly fascinating! Magee dives into some of the most controversial topics surrounding Wagner and his works, and is able to breath life into old dialogues while adding fresh perspective. A must-read for any Wagnerite!
June 28, 2016
Una joya. Sólo tengo una objeción, que no debería de ser menor, pero por tratarse de un brillante ensayo, lo perdono: no es un buen escritor o no hay un buen traductor.
June 5, 2022
Buen libro de divulgación sobre la obra de Wagner y su importancia en la historia de la música. Su brevedad, sin embargo, convierte algunos de sus análisis en demasiado superficiales.
April 26, 2023
Bryan Magee is one of my favorite authors. I loved his TV show, Men of Ideas. The aspect of Wagner is just 90 pages, and it is worth the read. I have a newfound respect and interest in Wagner, thanks to Magee. Here are a few interesting points from the boom :
1. Wagner thought the highest point in creative achievement was reached in Greek Tragedy. It was all-embracing, celebrating life, encompassing every aspect, and embracing the whole population. Christianity, by making this life a tool to reach heaven, made art meaningless as art is a celebration of life.
2. Wagner Ian operas are verbal-musical-drama combining all elements of arts.
3. Wagner was a friend of Bakunin and must have read Marx. He thought capitalism and the church degraded art to the level of mere entertainment (MCU DCEU)/ true happiness versus hedonistic pleasure
4. Magee discusses how Wagner's writing was anti-Semitic, but he did ask an interesting question about Jewishness. Magee states that the most celebrated Jewish thinkers were atheists or agnostics like Marx, Kafka, Einstein, Freud, and Mahler. Hence leaving tribal suffocating religion(s) was the key.
5. Magee talks about Mahler and Schoenberg. Both were alienated from two cultures; they rejected Judaism and faced anti-semitism. I feel the same happens to many liberal Muslim artists in the West. But M and S thus produced great art.
6. Wagner was unfortunately taken up Nazis, and his image was ruined, much like Nietzsche. Although Wagner, unlike N, did not particularly like Jews. But his music, while very raw and primal, is not fascist by structure.
7. He predicted Freud and thought civilization strains our psyche and inhibits our desires. Burdens us, and hence his art has the impact of unburdening people.
8. He inspired many like TS Eliot (in Wasteland), Joyce, Arnold Bennett, Ford Maddox, Virginia Woolf, DH Lawrence, and even Holmes!
9. Wagner was blamed for things he wasn't responsible for.
10. I did not know Wagner introduced the dimming of light before the show started, doors shut to latecomers, scenery moving sideways in theaters, applause reserved for the end of the play, and created the modern idolization of the star conductor.
11. The philosophy of Arthur Schopenhauer deeply influenced him.
1. Wagner thought the highest point in creative achievement was reached in Greek Tragedy. It was all-embracing, celebrating life, encompassing every aspect, and embracing the whole population. Christianity, by making this life a tool to reach heaven, made art meaningless as art is a celebration of life.
2. Wagner Ian operas are verbal-musical-drama combining all elements of arts.
3. Wagner was a friend of Bakunin and must have read Marx. He thought capitalism and the church degraded art to the level of mere entertainment (MCU DCEU)/ true happiness versus hedonistic pleasure
4. Magee discusses how Wagner's writing was anti-Semitic, but he did ask an interesting question about Jewishness. Magee states that the most celebrated Jewish thinkers were atheists or agnostics like Marx, Kafka, Einstein, Freud, and Mahler. Hence leaving tribal suffocating religion(s) was the key.
5. Magee talks about Mahler and Schoenberg. Both were alienated from two cultures; they rejected Judaism and faced anti-semitism. I feel the same happens to many liberal Muslim artists in the West. But M and S thus produced great art.
6. Wagner was unfortunately taken up Nazis, and his image was ruined, much like Nietzsche. Although Wagner, unlike N, did not particularly like Jews. But his music, while very raw and primal, is not fascist by structure.
7. He predicted Freud and thought civilization strains our psyche and inhibits our desires. Burdens us, and hence his art has the impact of unburdening people.
8. He inspired many like TS Eliot (in Wasteland), Joyce, Arnold Bennett, Ford Maddox, Virginia Woolf, DH Lawrence, and even Holmes!
9. Wagner was blamed for things he wasn't responsible for.
10. I did not know Wagner introduced the dimming of light before the show started, doors shut to latecomers, scenery moving sideways in theaters, applause reserved for the end of the play, and created the modern idolization of the star conductor.
11. The philosophy of Arthur Schopenhauer deeply influenced him.
September 18, 2024
Here is my summary of Bryan Magee's "Aspects of Wagner" by chapter, unfortunately I didn't get beyond chapter 3. It's a short book of 100 pages, alas... 100 pages too many.
1. Magee imagines Wagner as an agnostic like himself who despised Christianity because it fails to "celebrate life". I think he is confusing Wagner with Nietzsche. It's hard to get more anti-life than Tristan und Isolde, literally two lovers begging for the sweet release of death for four hours. In reality, while he didn't care for organized religion, Wagner was sympathetic to Christianity, ever moreso towards his later years when he begged his Jewish friend Hermann Levi to convert to Christianity prior to conducting Parsifal, that "most Christian of works", by Wagner's own account.
2. This chapter is a rather strange and unnecessary defense of Wagner's infamous essay "Das Judenthum in der Musik". Wagner wrote essentially that Jews could not write authentic German music any more than I, a white Canadian, could move to China and write authentic Chinese opera. The Jews were not integrated enough into the host culture. There is some merit to Wagner's argument, if one looks past all the hateful antisemitic invectives of the essay. Magee however ignores the essay completely and instead argues that it was due to the oppressive yolk of Judaism that Jews could not achieve anything of value until they lost their religion and became enlightened agnostics, such as himself. Sigh.
3. Magee states that Wagner's works appeal to us because of our psychologically unconscious repressed desires, directly implying that Wagnerians love Wagner because of their deep-seated desires to have sex with their mothers and violently harm their loved ones. Perhaps that is what he personally gets out of the operas, and imagines the rest of us are consigned to the same sorry fate. That is however, not my experience. I on the other hand enjoy Wagner because he gives a taste of the spiritually transcendental, the ineffable. It can’t be put into words, only a fool would try to write a book about it, and therein Magee found his calling.
Not recommended.
1. Magee imagines Wagner as an agnostic like himself who despised Christianity because it fails to "celebrate life". I think he is confusing Wagner with Nietzsche. It's hard to get more anti-life than Tristan und Isolde, literally two lovers begging for the sweet release of death for four hours. In reality, while he didn't care for organized religion, Wagner was sympathetic to Christianity, ever moreso towards his later years when he begged his Jewish friend Hermann Levi to convert to Christianity prior to conducting Parsifal, that "most Christian of works", by Wagner's own account.
2. This chapter is a rather strange and unnecessary defense of Wagner's infamous essay "Das Judenthum in der Musik". Wagner wrote essentially that Jews could not write authentic German music any more than I, a white Canadian, could move to China and write authentic Chinese opera. The Jews were not integrated enough into the host culture. There is some merit to Wagner's argument, if one looks past all the hateful antisemitic invectives of the essay. Magee however ignores the essay completely and instead argues that it was due to the oppressive yolk of Judaism that Jews could not achieve anything of value until they lost their religion and became enlightened agnostics, such as himself. Sigh.
3. Magee states that Wagner's works appeal to us because of our psychologically unconscious repressed desires, directly implying that Wagnerians love Wagner because of their deep-seated desires to have sex with their mothers and violently harm their loved ones. Perhaps that is what he personally gets out of the operas, and imagines the rest of us are consigned to the same sorry fate. That is however, not my experience. I on the other hand enjoy Wagner because he gives a taste of the spiritually transcendental, the ineffable. It can’t be put into words, only a fool would try to write a book about it, and therein Magee found his calling.
Not recommended.
February 22, 2025
A short book of four essays on Wagner, picked up cheap on eBay after becoming fascinated with YouTube videos of Magee's philosophy discussions. I'm a musician but know/knew nothing of Wagner besides bits of Tristan und Isolde. This book, though, is wonderfully written. It's warm, lucid and deals with Wagner's anti-Semitism and appropriation by the Nazis in a clear-headed way.
October 22, 2023
Un libro realmente fascinante. Una excelente introducción al mundo de Wagner y también un trabajo notable para cualquier interesado en la obra de este, probablemente el más grande, compositor de ópera.
October 9, 2023
Worthwhile essays covering various aspects of Wagner and his art.
April 4, 2024
Un pèl massa conservador pel meu gust. Posa massa a caldo els directors d'escena i el Regieteather, i es nota que té uns anyets, però val la pena.
September 24, 2024
Good overview of all things Wagner, including an admirably insightful head on engagement with that one 1850 esaay.
February 1, 2025
The best short introduction to Richard Wagner — broad and little about individual works, but bracing and thoughtful nonetheless.
August 20, 2025
Very interesting points made but very biased towards Wagner I thought
August 26, 2023
Es un buen primer acercamiento a Wagner, no a su música. Magee pretende iniciar al lector incauto en el "culto a Wagner" o por lo menor que entienda el porqué de este. Creo que es un libro de divulgación al puro estilo de su programa televisivo.
Los capítulos donde explica el contexto histórico las corrientes filosóficas que lo influyeron y que después influenció, la historia de sus obras, conceptos básicos para entender a Wagner, la influencia en la cultura del siglo XX e incluso cuestiones referentes a la interpretación de sus obras son muy sustanciosos. Pretende preparar al futuro escucha para que obras como El Anillo de los Nibelungos no lo intimide.
En cuanto a la música, Magee no aporta mucho. Si bien tiene una noción de cómo escuchar a Wagner, no tiene claro qué y por qué debe escuchar. Emplea conceptos como melodía, armonía, temas, orquestación, etc., pero no pasa de ser, posiblemente, un melómano explicando su entusiasmo por el compositor. En ese sentido, creo que valdría la pena leer a algún musicólogo o textos como El anillo de la verdad, de Roger Scruton, pero esto solo en el caso de querer ahondar en cuestiones musicales (sin las cuales, las obras de Wagner son igualmente disfrutables)
Personalmente me gustó, es breve e introductorio, pero se ocupa ampliamente de aspectos básicos y concretos que resuelve bien.
Los capítulos donde explica el contexto histórico las corrientes filosóficas que lo influyeron y que después influenció, la historia de sus obras, conceptos básicos para entender a Wagner, la influencia en la cultura del siglo XX e incluso cuestiones referentes a la interpretación de sus obras son muy sustanciosos. Pretende preparar al futuro escucha para que obras como El Anillo de los Nibelungos no lo intimide.
En cuanto a la música, Magee no aporta mucho. Si bien tiene una noción de cómo escuchar a Wagner, no tiene claro qué y por qué debe escuchar. Emplea conceptos como melodía, armonía, temas, orquestación, etc., pero no pasa de ser, posiblemente, un melómano explicando su entusiasmo por el compositor. En ese sentido, creo que valdría la pena leer a algún musicólogo o textos como El anillo de la verdad, de Roger Scruton, pero esto solo en el caso de querer ahondar en cuestiones musicales (sin las cuales, las obras de Wagner son igualmente disfrutables)
Personalmente me gustó, es breve e introductorio, pero se ocupa ampliamente de aspectos básicos y concretos que resuelve bien.
September 30, 2024
Mage’s writing is typically brilliant. A good introduction for a total Wagner beginner. The sections detonated to explaining why Wagner’s music is especially loved were particularly interesting.
August 18, 2013
Short, but very interesting and enlightening. I'm conflicted by my love of The Ring and the despicable man who composed it. I read this great collection of essays before going to my 4th cycle this summer.
To quote Speight Jenkins (Seattle Opera director) last night after Götterdämmerung: The Ring Cycle is the most complex collaboration in all the arts.
I highly recommend the book. And then the operas!
To quote Speight Jenkins (Seattle Opera director) last night after Götterdämmerung: The Ring Cycle is the most complex collaboration in all the arts.
I highly recommend the book. And then the operas!
February 7, 2013
Good insights very clearly expressed, though blind to religious faith and the truly transcendent (a disadvantage when it comes to the greatest art, including some of Wagner's). I especially liked the link drawn between Wagner's music and Shakespeare's poetry, that they perform a similar dramatic role in making the qualitative side of what's happening fully present to the audience.
August 4, 2012
A great introduction to Wagner by a great writer.
January 12, 2015
Chaps 4, 5 and 6 were particularly good - Wagner's influence, performance and music
August 11, 2020
One of those rare gems that effortlessly educates and elevates the reader.
August 30, 2010
Small, nicely written, thought provoking. I am enamored with Wagner!!
Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews