Nietzsche contra Wagner

by Friedrich Nietzsche

Written 1888; published 1889/1895

A selection from earlier writings assembled to explain Nietzsche’s opposition to Wagner.

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In Nietzsche’s life

When it was written

Written: December 1888
Publication: Private printing, 1889; public edition, 1895

This final dossier assembles and revises passages from earlier works to explain his growing distance from Wagner. It is a retrospective selection, not a new continuous treatise.

“My objections to Wagner's music are physiological objections.”

“Wherein I Raise Objections” Anthony M. Ludovici translation

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What it’s about

Nietzsche presents excerpts from his own works as a record of his changing judgment of Wagner. The selection ties musical criticism to questions of health, culture, and artistic need.

Key ideas

1
A documented break
Earlier passages are assembled into a new argumentative sequence.
2
Art and physiology
Artistic preferences are related to different conditions of life.
3
Beyond Wagner
Nietzsche describes the need for a different musical sensibility.

Who it’s for

Readers exploring Nietzsche’s thought
Anyone interested in philosophy, culture, and the history of values

About the author

Friedrich Nietzsche

Friedrich Nietzsche (1844–1900) was a philosopher, classical philologist, poet, and cultural critic. His writings question inherited morality and explore art, self-overcoming, and the possibility of affirming life.