[Opinion] Music of Wagner

Adolph Hitler once visited the concert led by Herbert von Karajan, great conductor who dominated the world`s stages from the 1950s through 1989. Young Karajan was conducting the musical piece written by Richard Wagner titled `Die Meistersinger von Nuernberg.` The German leader, however, did not stay until the end of the concert. He was apparently upset about a male singer, who made a mistake with his lines. Hitler, being a Wagner`s great fan who even recited the five hours-long whole piece, could not condone the mistake.

It is, in fact, widely known that Hitler was crazy about Wagner. Hitler`s biography described that he first encountered with Wagner`s `Lohengrin` at 12 and shed tears as he listened to the beautiful music. Even during the war, Hitler attended Bayreuth Festival held to remember Wagner. Wagner is recognized as a great composer who established the genre of classic operas. Ideologically, however, he was a German supremacist who believed in anti-Semitism. Many believe that Wagner`s music, therefore, nurtured the mental world of the German leader who killed some 6 million Jews under his reign.

Wagner is one of the most controversial figures in the world`s music history. Many admired his works. But many feel jealous of his talent as well. Wagner was a self-centered bigot who even ran off without paying his debt. He also had affair with his friend`s wife. Since Wagner is known as the composer of the Third Reich, many criticize his works as well as the man himself. ˝All the unscrupulous acts done by Wagner can be condoned for his contribution to the world of music,˝ once said music educator Alfred Einstein, cousin of Albert Einstein. As such, we might need to separate his works from what he was.

German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder attended the 127-old Bayreuth Music Festival on Tuesday, breaking the long-held practice of boycotting the event in the German political circle. His move is seen as recognizing Wagner`s works despite the stigma. Earlier, Jewish conductor Daniel Barenboim held a Wagner concert in Jerusalem in July, 2001. People might grow more generous, enough to listen to Wagner`s works as they are.

Song Moon-hong, Editorial Writer, songmh@donga.com