Changes

The article's vitriol shocked many, at a time when anti-semitism was prevalent. His friends were dismayed, including the composer [[Franz Liszt]], who apparently quipped, "If only Richard had written a novel instead!" While this is the strongest statement of Wagner's anti-semitic rage, it is also clear that much of the hatred expressed was personal in origin. Wagner still bore a grudge against Meyerbeer from his days of poverty in Paris. When the young unknown composer wanted to break into the Paris opera scene, he took every opportunity to flatter the older composer, often in the most humiliatingly obsequious terms, and received little help in return. His other anti-semitic rants specifically complained about Meyerbeer and what he believed to be a cabal of other Jews who controlled the opera world internationally, and worked to keep non-Jews out. In short, all evidence paints Wagner as a German nationalist and a conspiracy theorist, and as with many conspiracy theorists he still counted members of his hated group among his best friends.<ref>Paraphrased from (Magee 2001), pp. 343-380.</ref>

The article's vitriol shocked many, at a time when anti-semitism was prevalent. His friends were dismayed, including the composer [[Franz Liszt]], who apparently quipped, "If only Richard had written a novel instead!" While this is the strongest statement of Wagner's anti-semitic rage, it is also clear that much of the hatred expressed was personal in origin. Wagner still bore a grudge against Meyerbeer from his days of poverty in Paris. When the young unknown composer wanted to break into the Paris opera scene, he took every opportunity to flatter the older composer, often in the most humiliatingly obsequious terms, and received little help in return. His other anti-semitic rants specifically complained about Meyerbeer and what he believed to be a cabal of other Jews who controlled the opera world internationally, and worked to keep non-Jews out. In short, all evidence paints Wagner as a German nationalist and a conspiracy theorist, and as with many conspiracy theorists he still counted members of his hated group among his best friends.<ref>Paraphrased from (Magee 2001), pp. 343-380.</ref>

After [[World War II]], the backlash in Germany against anything Nazi created an atmosphere where Wagner's anti-semitism was re-evaluated in the context of the [[Holocaust]]. Since Hitler was a lover of Wagner's operas, anything associated with the composer became harder to stomach. There is however no historical evidence to support the often-heard notion that Wagner's writings influenced Hitler or the Nazis. In fact, in the early 20th century Wagner's writings were rarely reprinted or discussed outside of academic literature, making it doubtful that Hitler would have been aware of the article.<ref>See Fischer, Jens Malte. Richard Wagners ''Das Judentum in der Musik''. Frankfurt 2000.</ref> While many modern attempts have been made to locate anti-semitic caricatures or proto-Nazi symbolism in the operas themselves, this also cannot be corroborated, either in other Wagner writings (which run into the thousands of pages), or in the propaganda of the Third Reich. Moreover, Hitler's love of Wagner was not exactly shared by the Nazi officials and soldiers whom he dragged to performances at Bayreuth, and the performance of ''Parsifal'' (often dismissed as a "racist opera") was banned by the Nazis, and its content denounced as "ideologically inacceptable," in 1933.<ref>(Magee 2001), 365-66.</ref>

After [[World War II]], the backlash in Germany against anything Nazi created an atmosphere where Wagner's anti-semitism was re-evaluated in the context of the [[Holocaust]]. Since Hitler was a lover of Wagner's operas, anything associated with the composer became harder to stomach. There is however no historical evidence to support the often-heard notion that Wagner's writings influenced Hitler or the Nazis. In fact, in the early 20th century Wagner's writings were rarely reprinted or discussed outside of academic literature, making it doubtful that Hitler would have been aware of the article.<ref>See Fischer, Jens Malte. Richard Wagners ''Das Judentum in der Musik''. Frankfurt 2000.</ref> While many modern attempts have been made to locate anti-semitic caricatures or proto-Nazi symbolism in the operas themselves, this also cannot be corroborated, either in other Wagner writings (which run into the thousands of pages), or in the propaganda of the Third Reich. Hitler's own love of Wagner was nurtured by attending performances under the direction of [[Gustav Mahler]] in pre-World War I [[Vienna]] in which by all accounts he was enrapt, and never uttered a word criticism toward the Jewish interpreter. Moreover, Hitler's love of Wagner was not exactly shared by the Nazi officials and soldiers whom he dragged to performances at Bayreuth, and the performance of ''Parsifal'' (often dismissed as a "racist opera") was banned by the Nazis, and its content denounced as "ideologically inacceptable," in 1933.<ref>(Magee 2001), 365-66.</ref>

Performance of Wagner's music is still a sore point in [[Israel]], where it had been taboo since [[Kristallnacht]]. However, Daniel Barenboim, one of the world's leading conductors who had grown up in Israel, broke the taboo at a July 2001 concert.<ref>http://www.guardian.co.uk/music/2002/sep/06/classicalmusicandopera.artsfeatures</ref> He has since been one of the leading Wagnerian advocates, who however doesn't soft-pedal this ugly side of the composer's life: "Wagner, the person, is absolutely appalling, despicable, and, in a way, very difficult to put together with the music he wrote, which so often has exactly the opposite kind of feelings ... noble, generous, etc.”.<ref>http://www.wsws.org/articles/2001/aug2001/wagn-a01.shtml</ref>

Performance of Wagner's music is still a sore point in [[Israel]], where it had been taboo since [[Kristallnacht]]. However, Daniel Barenboim, one of the world's leading conductors who had grown up in Israel, broke the taboo at a July 2001 concert.<ref>http://www.guardian.co.uk/music/2002/sep/06/classicalmusicandopera.artsfeatures</ref> He has since been one of the leading Wagnerian advocates, who however doesn't soft-pedal this ugly side of the composer's life: "Wagner, the person, is absolutely appalling, despicable, and, in a way, very difficult to put together with the music he wrote, which so often has exactly the opposite kind of feelings ... noble, generous, etc.”.<ref>http://www.wsws.org/articles/2001/aug2001/wagn-a01.shtml</ref>