Wagner and Schopenhauer
By Ramón Bau
Review: RICHARD WAGNER ET SCHOPENHAUER. " By EDOUARD SANS. UNIVERSITAIRE EDITIONS DU SUD, BP 4011, 31028 Toulouse 4, France, 1,999, 466 pages.
Only now and then works are published truly unique and essential about Wagnerian cosmology, texts that do not follow this trend to speak of Wagner as the mindset of a moviegoer or an assistant to sing a recital lastso that Sans is that straight line and right to enter seriously, knowledge and depth in the Wagnerian sense of life.
With this preamble I hope to have removed any doubt about the inability to read this book in a weekend beach or treat it as if it were the novel fashion of one such recent literary prizes created to distract boring under the umbrella of a picnic or to try to increase somewhat the 'ratio' statistic books read per year of English media. There is a book difficult, arduous, read, apart from French, with great atencióny meditating every five minutes. For csponsible for years the official teaching of French in Germany. Sans is one of those people for whom the thought, art and education are the richness of his life, and in this case your attention has always focused on Wagner's. Brilliant speaker, I could attend a couple of his talks on Wagnerian themes, showing a depth and reflective knowledge of every aspect of Wagner's, from music to philosophy.
INTRODUCTION
Wagner was not a philosopher, and never really was not interested in the 'Philosophy as Science &; Rsquo;, as a system and according to their conceptions say 'professionals'. But instead Wagner was well aware of the lines of thought, what we call Vital and essential philosophy, not in its details but in its fundamental base, as an explanation of the World, Life and Man .We read with disgust that Hegel, Kant with difficulty and with passion Feuerbach. But surely the big change in thinking comes from reading Wagner, of the contribution 'intellectual' you get from Schopenhauer in 1854, recognize the fact that he repeatedly and unabashedly calling from now on Schopenhauer & lsquo , our fil & Overhaulmp; oacute n Wagner takes totally pessimistic (and that the focus tetralogy takes his introspection Wotter more than Siegfried and Brunnhilde), occurs in 3 major areas: The metaphysical plane musician, which analyzes the tragedy of life and the value of intuicióny sentiment against the material and Reason. on ethical grounds, taking Piety, redencióny the unity of all beings in pain and Love
the aesthetic by focusing on art and aesthetic work the way Tragic for the redemption of man engulfed in pain. And after listening to conceive it as the essence of the will without time or spaceor, that is liberated from the mundane, from the bondage of the individual.MEETING WITH Schopenhauer and his philosophy
Before beginning the detailed analysis of the impact on these three critical levels of Schopenhauer on Wagner's thought, the book presents two chapters when and as Wagner began to read Schopenhauer, from his friend Herwegh, in exile in Zurich, first in 1852 in part, to blow up his discovery in 1854 by reading the major work of the thinker. First
Wagner was attracted to the most superficial: the aesthetic conception of music Schopenhauer, thethe poem's 'Ring', Schopenhauer considered criticized him harshly for 'offensive material', and musically he sent these words: "tell me I faithful to Rossini and Mozart" (later analyze why the preference for pure music Schopenhauer against Musical Drama). Nevertheless Wagner never criticized by Schopenhauer, but against the spread and raised, his literary and philosophical evenings Tribschen were a continuous praise of Schopenhauer's philosophy, and it was Wagner who encouraged writing Nietzsche an absolute defense of the worldview schopenhauriana en & lsquor, The Birth of Tragedy. "
is interesting to note in the letter to Liszt of 24 January 1858 and as great Wagner stresses Calderon for his "Life is a Dream ', a work that clearly agrees 100% with Schopenhauer on vision denial of the authenticity of the phenomenal world and the tragic vision of life ("For a felony of man is to be born.")
Chapter II of the book is dedicated to introducing the reader to the essence of the philosophy of Schopenhauer, assuming minimal prior knowledge. The most important thing is to understandNo more than there where there is no where and when. " Subject which we know explicit in Montsalvat, that 'place without space or time' of Parsifal (we all remember the enigmatic words of Gurnemanz in this regard), but has in 'Tristan' poetic version policy. Tristan and Isolde curse the time and place, their love is invincible if it is outside of Time and Space, which separate their limits and tragedies. All that separates and unites the concrete that allows them to rise above the 'things representative. "
Individualization, concrete, representation ... the end of the Dream, is the curse, and brings us the pain and tragedy, desire, decrepitude, the limitation of the Ideal, the foolish and vulgar temporal reality. A friend rightly said that any newr support to sentiment, to the defense of sensuality and power (which is what drives Siegfried, his will to power, not the logic), in Schopenhauer's Knowledge Tragedy of Life and the adoption No Waiver of Ethics is what makes it inevitable to take (time and location with its consequences), without attempting to 'understand its illogical material', but to overcome its tragic acceptance. Parsifal Wotter or not treated, in the case of Wotter from one point that 'accept' the inevitable fate of the gods to the disaster, to reason but to feel, one by another for the Waiver Compasióny and well beyond the drama. When Wotter Tratidea. Awareness of the Will (the unconscious) is the way of improvement in Schopenhauer, against those who ignore the will and follow their traps in the representation, in the material, in the Logic. Therefore Wagner states that "The ideal art form is one that can be fully understood without reflection, which goes directly from the artist's heart" (Letter to Villot 1860). Thus Wagner criticizes the 'science' when it intends to assume a role 'lead' in consciousness, as is the case of animal vivisection for example, and in his' Open Letter to Ernst Weber 'indicates thatfor science knowledge is only a matter of course, a psychological interest, while for Wagner (as Schopenhauer) is directing the ethical science. "The poet searches the world the moral order, the scientist seeks the mechanical order, and it's bad when the representative mechanical order seeks to dominate over all.
PAIN IN THE WORLD
is well known the main experience of Schopenhauer: The welfare is just no pain, all pain is real. The pursuit of a desire to bring only immediate and temporary pleasure, but is absolutely incapable of durar and is always followed by another unfulfilled desire, or worse, relegated by a new real pain. Toothache enough to jettison every desire satisfied.
With the satisfaction of desire fades for a moment the will of desire, but it is only a moment in a life of desires and pains. Amfortas is a moment of peace in the bathroom but the pain is replenished soon. Klingsor tries to eliminate the desire for castration, but this only removes 'their' temporary desire, in space and time, but not the 'desire itself', its essence. So still dissatisfied and desire is the same but does not allow its 'space and time' comply. This is
NTID current consumption would be as if I would like to heal Amfortas basis of a bathroom every ten minutes!, the continued satisfaction of desire as a cure is just an illusion, or close the wound or able to satisfy most that fool.
The tragic reality is that many do not dare to look at his face, trying to escape and not be strong enough to accept reality and seek to overcome it. Wagner accepted the fact of the World as pain, but also assumes the redemption, the solution to the pain of consciousness that Compasióny pain. "Believing that the world only has a physical meaning, representative, and not a senseor morality, this is the error Capital, the deadliest and the true perversity of thought "(" Parerga "of Schopenhauer). And so it goes into one of the fundamental chapters of the thought of Wagner under the clear influence of Schopenhauer: La Piedad, not as a feeling of sympathy but as the pain of each assumption can be like himself. That is beyond space and time, there is a pain now, but the eternal pain, of all and forever.
overcomes his will but not to annihilate the Buddhist Nirvana, Schopenhauer's ideal, but for compassion by bringing health to the world.
CONSEQUENCES OF MERCY
viviseccióny The sentence against vegetarianism are direct consequences of Schopenhauer's philosophy.
first conception of the world as a global entity, so that the animal's pain is something that concerns the Superior Man and he moves with equal force to human suffering, because the difference is in e'Early action' general: avoid unnecessary pain and compassion always pain of every living thing.
DENIAL OF THE WILL TO LIVE
In Schopenhauer it is the only way to overcome the pain and tragedy of life, of the will: to deny it through knowledge. Or be aware of the inability of desire to give happiness, and then refuse to play along to the pitfalls of the Will, the illusions of desire and pleasure. We do not talk about wanting to die or commit suicide, which are nothing more than traps that address in any case 'your' case, but taking a philosophyWagner ice in his letter to Liszt lived and I believe in the illusions of representational, and stroke is confronted with the terrible seriousness of life, pain, tragedy, illness, tragedy or misery, the temporality insatisfaccióny everything you want and get. The deception of life sooner or later finds out and is stunned, helpless. For the common man there is only one defense: ignorance and lack of sensitivity, they do not get to suffer even capture the drama of life. But for the sensitive man, for the man who 'understood', the drama and pain of the world is unbearable if not known in advance, if not prepared for it, and in this sense the philosophy of SchopenMoreover, in denying the Will and take the pain by overcoming the feeling of the soul. So where else is the influence of Schopenhauer on Wagner's work after reading that Wagner brings redemption to the interior, the ethical issue and abandon the idea 'optimistic' of Siegfried, a redemption in the outside world, social action representation.
RELIGION
Wagner certainly was not very favorable to religion in general until 1854, his writings from the early days (especially Art and Revolution) released specific allegations againstChristianity:
1 - Christianity is unnatural, promotes a divorce between man and nature, following the ideas of Feuerbach.
2 - The Church is linked to the underworld and dirty with their contact, which is seen in the criticisms made in Tannhäuser to the papacy. 3 - Religion has been closed to the art capabilities, restricting the sensuality and condemning it as sin free expansion sentimental. This was the main charge of Feuerbach in the aesthetic to 'religion'. Reading Schopenhauer
For Schopenhauer, a "religious atheist" as you call it, his total rejection of the bases teologíay 'logic' of religions, is offset by consideration for the facet ascetic and mystic Christianity and thus create positive religious feeling, not by their 'objective truth', but supported the denial of the Will, as the basis on which many people achieve comfort and pity for the pain. Wagner take this view not only favorable but in 'Religióny Arts' arts give the mission to convey the essence of religion wherever bothered her dogmas. So, to overcome the mistakes 'formal' religion to get their message through an intimate, spiritual and positive through art. Wagner takes on 'reli art' that the essence of religion is man's dissatisfaction with the world and its pain, a search for understanding that dissatisfaction. In this sense Wagner reveals that Handel's music reflects the positive aspect of religion, while the biblical point that is sungnot in any way correspond to the feeling of the music. Art discovers the real meaning, while the 'theological point' mars that message. He says "The text is sung in the great religious compositions is not felt by the audience based on their conceptual meaning, but serves only as material for the voice as a musical instrument." It is because the music (art) that makes us religious feeling, not the biblical texts.
Just as Wagner does not accuse the catalamitoso state religion of modern man, but blame the man himself: "It is useless to throw the blame on the religion of the situation &; Oacute n present, the error comes from the decay of humanity itself. " Christian Wagner by active pessimism, the world is sin, but there is redemption. But Schopenhauer
is very close to Buddhism, a religion without god, which is 'heaven' in the individual annihilation.
THEORY OF MUSICAL ART
Schopenhauer As we have said in his major work devoted considerable space to address the issue of Music, to create a certain 'philosophy of mu music '. The first thing you notice is that there are issues that "come tocute, music and criticizes the separation of music, drama and poetry, advocating the unity in the musical drama. The music gives the feeling, the poem tells us, so beautiful, the reason for that feeling, dramatic theater sets the environment space and time that man needs to understand. So while Wagner was thrilled with the idea of Schopenhauer on the superiority of the music, not entirely renounced his ideas expressed in 'Opera and Drama', but if softened, and sad to Parsifal are works in which the 'argument' is left over in the music, as & LSQer).
theater to go after a good dinner to make digestióny music as 'background music' is the opposite of Wagner.SCHOPENHAUER and tetralogy
When Wagner began to fund Schopenhauer (1854-1856) had already written the entire libretto of the Ring. On the night of December 23, 1852 Wagner read at home with their friends the Wille. This work was so influenced by Wagner's position then, according to the sensible optimism, Love and Will Power of Feuerbach. Wagner anyway and even unconsciously assumed by the principles that would later conceptualizeby Schopenhauer. The futility of Desire in Alberich (which is a perfect image of the runaway Will the desire to Schopenhauer), and the character of Wotter that will charge a vital importance after 1854.
In 'My Life' says Wagner, "I returned to read my poem of the Nibelung and amazed that I recognized what is now discovered in the theory (Schopenhauer), I was familiar in my own poetic conception ; policy. It was at that moment that I fully understood my Wotter and upset, I set out to study further the work of Schopenhauer. " After that reworked parts of the poem, while continuing with the musical composition, but centrandor more in Wotter and Brunilda the center of the drama.
Thus Siegfried is a "waste of Wagnerian thought prior to 1854 ', while Wotter and Brunnhilde are already covered under the new ideas he took with passion.
GENIUS AND VITAL
Hate ugly noise and were instrumental in Wagner and Schopenhauer, both could not create if they were surrounded by peace and true beauty. Not surprisingly and see all the places where Wagner was writing were of great natural beauty, and away from city noise. is talk in the media af vulgar marginallI n estate in Wagner, but do not realize that it was not luxury but beauty. Wagner and Schopenhauer had certain common features of character: a great sensitivity, consciousness of genius, irritability, vulgar, capacity for suffering and the pain of others. Thus both want to be isolated and needed a quiet environment, because any ugliness or disorder, that others slip, extremely irritating to them. Schopenhauer
insulation is not the product of a retiring nature, but a disappointment insatisfaccióny experience contact with humanity. We know the story of Schopenhauer who came every day in a cafe and pay & amp; iacute; to a gold coin on the table. To go pick her up. One day I asked the waiter because it put the currency. The philosopher said: "Every day I put that money to give to the first I heard him on an intelligent conversation and beautiful ... but every day I have to carry me." In Wagner consciousness of genius and superiority to the general vulgarity was as strong as in Schopenhauer, but Wagner had the good fortune of knowing surrounding a circle of friends higher than allowed to live in a cultural environment 'social', while Schopenhauer that the solution adopted was a strong aiI on the Inequality of the Races "with Wagner).
But, according to Gobineau, the White Race is one that has been more aware of pain in the world and has managed to overcome time-space constraints to "know the essence. In this respect Wagner supported the 'racism' in a sense to assign a different sensitivity to each race. Proud the German people, always support your pcute, in a deep crisis pessimistic, which makes it much more responsive. Exiled
no artistic ability to act on the public, convinced of the revolutionary project failure, rejected their requests to return to Germany, with economic problems and their dependence on donations from friends, and to cap the conviction the impossibility of their love with Mathilde, with Minna, his wife, traveling and broken marriage and his love. Wagner called for the anguish and pain, even more so given its extreme sensitivity, and intuition in itself the folly of desire and the pitfalls of life, pain and despair of finding solutions in reading Schopenhauer Representative ... will not, But 're-discover' those same intuitions themselves and give them a conceptually consistent. In addition
Wagner, like Schopenhauer, had a serious view of life and its existence, away from both of these surface forms of life that led to Calderon to say "Blessed are those who live deceived" . No, Wagner is not possible self-delusion, an easy life superficial. The seriousness vital driving him to seek the reasons final and ultimate consequences. Schopenhauer is the only body that will provide you a solution to the logical and vital drama.
pessimism should not be construed as a position & OverhaulI n fatigue and decline. Nietzsche himself in his "Birth of Tragedy" (when it was in its infancy Schopenhauer) indicates exactly what is meant by active pessimism, "Pessimism should always be a sign of decadence, of instincts and give tired ; Biles? ... No, there is a pessimism of the strong. " In Wagner's pessimism was always active, strong but conscious, compassionate and Redeemer.
WAGNER IS NOT SCHOPENHAUER
Although we have seen and see the great influence he had on Wagner's discovery of Schopenhauer's philosophy, Wagner never took it as a whole, not evenp; rsquo; could be high, and gave no ground for it to be worth more than the scenery 'Space and Time' for the works of a few geniuses above. Wagner recognized the need to change the hero and the genius, and abhors the idea of equality or mass, but is a condition that the genius act in the common people.
In Wagner was absolute contempt for money, despite all the attention given by his enemies of wasteful, never worried about money and never was greedy, he was generous and if perhaps spent above their means never did it for selfish hoarder. Sought to surround himself with beauty and intelligence, nature and art, not money. SchopenHauer lived in income, but because it was hurañoy thrifty, always concerned about having the money that allowed him to live isolated from the world.
Wagner was neither an atheist nor stopped believing in Christ, even in his years away from religion, and later found in religion (not in churches but in Christianity ascetic and pious) the redemption center Pity. Schopenhauer was an atheist, but appreciated in the religious content of mercy and love not selfish, but only as an 'aid to the dissemination of Mercy', not least as a reality solucióny postmundana. In a word Wagner wants to reform the arts and drama to educate the public and make more than a minority of people achieve redemption, delete the material and establish a state artist who helped the need for compasióny Love This is a utopia for Schopenhauer, who only hopes that a few geniuses are able to conceptualize the pain of the world and thus bear the cross of life with dignity. The others left at the mercy of his folly and fate of running uselessly behind the traps and ghosts of worldly desire that the will imposes. The philosopher pity the pain of others are aacute, s but can not do more than show the way on the negation of the Will, which is not capable of it will be hell in the world as a deserved punishment.
WAGNER AND PROGRESS
LOVE
Schopenhauer devoted a chapter of his major work on the "Metaphysics of Sexual Love ', which means theber 1858 to Mathilde exposed as after rereading Schopenahuer slowly at those times as sensitive to it, is able to 'fix' on a subject to the philosopher, precisely the theme is "I saw clearly ; to toward the annihilation of the will through love, not just abstract philanthropy (as indicated by Schopenhauer), but for true love ... that has not accepted via Schopenhauer. Wagner understands that true love is a contact with the Ideal, or the serenity, and that suffering is precisely the return of Space-Time miserable reality. Tannhäuser error or Kundry not get carried awayLove, but Love does not know to associate the natural and sensual spirituality and depth, as Tannhäuser says: "I only know the love of pleasure in happiness." So that as Schopenhauer says, "Everything is true and pure love Mercy, and all love that is not Mercy is just selfishness," according to his view that sensual love is just a trap Egoi , smo, da Wagner instead of Love, perhaps for having been so deeply and so spiritual as Mathilde, a special dimension, the love of the sensual basis amounts to Ideal, meets the spirit and binds them both in a state outside the Time-Space, momentarilyeacute; n chastity to which you have loved me. " Chastity is not continence or lack of desire but that desire elevacióny subordination of the Ideal.
If we understand a little more this love and its difference with the feeling of Love, Compassion, remember what Wagner himself says in the letter of October 1, 1858 to Mathilde, "What Piety is characteristic that is not determined by the individual qualities of the person suffering, but only for their own suffering. In contrast, in the love we must raise up to join the other, and we can share that with someone Ideal qualities are most related to our ideals. "
Love in Wagner, expressed in his 'Tristan', contains much of Schopenhauer, but in the third act the lovers unite and not overwhelmed by the sensuality of the first act, in his love as a product of Will but produced in them an ideal marriage, a Love out of Space-Time, a love that is total unity in 'another world', a 'suicide for love', Schopenhauer did not understand why and that Wagner had felt with Mathilde, Love Ideal outside the temporal representation.
Schopenhauer is actually very close to Buddhism, a religion without god, which is 'heaven' in Anique
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