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Wagner

Wagner Letters to the Editors 441 Wiles has suggested the scientist and the theologian are batting on the same wicket. They both have to recognise that the truth is one thing; its formulation is quite another. Each has his mythology, his orthodoxy, the body of imagery, the conceptual framework he finds best conveys the 'elusive subject' of his discipline. The statements of neither can ever be proved. What distinguishes the assertions of the scientist is that they are capable of being disproved. NORMAN KEIR Stockton on Tees Dear Editors, Thank you for including a long overdue article on Wagner in the July Theology. Clearly the scope of such a short article is limited, and Ieuan Ellis is to be congratulated on covering a vast amount of material in a mere seven sides. However various important elements of the subject were not dealt with. Die Meistersinger should be regarded as equalling Parsifal in theo­ logical content. Here Christianity is not only complemented by Art, in Wagner's understanding of the term, but is actually superseded by it. Wagner identifies himself with Hans/John-i.e. the Baptist, introducing the new life-giver to the world; Walther the bearer of 'heil'ge deutsche Kunst'. Not only does Wagner use the ideas of John and baptism to explain the significance of his own 'artwork', but he also sees himself as a new Luther, setting 19th Century atheistic Germany free by the power of Art as 16th Century Germany was set free by the power of religion-Sachs's poem now greets the new Wittenberg Nightingale. Wagner shared the liberal nineteenth Century ideas of Christ as redeemer, not post-Barthian ones. He was one of the earliest admirers of Strauss's Leben Jesu. Thus he could never see one single man as redeemer and none of his heroes brings redemption by himself. For example in Parsifal it is the Grail (again probably a symbol of the power of Art) as much as the Knight that bestows redemption. Parsifal, like the liberal Christ, rather than embodying' new life' is almost a passive carrier of it. Dr Ellis does not refer to the purely musical aspects of Wagner's attitude to religion, art and redemption. An examination of the thematic links between the motif of the Grail (Parsifal), the Banner theme and the Mastersinger theme (Die Meistersinger), and the motif of 'Siegfried's love' (Siegfried Act III) is a fascinating study (among many others) of Wagner's fusion of diverse material in presenting his multi-layered understanding of what in fact constitutes redemption for modern man. MALCOLM WREN University of Manchester http://www.deepdyve.com/assets/images/DeepDyve-Logo-lg.png Theology SAGE

Wagner

Wren, Malcolm
Theology , Volume 80 (678): 1 – Nov 1, 1977
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References (2)

Publisher
SAGE
Copyright
Copyright © by SAGE Publications
ISSN
0040-571X
eISSN
2044-2696
DOI
10.1177/0040571X7708000609
Publisher site
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Abstract

Letters to the Editors 441 Wiles has suggested the scientist and the theologian are batting on the same wicket. They both have to recognise that the truth is one thing; its formulation is quite another. Each has his mythology, his orthodoxy, the body of imagery, the conceptual framework he finds best conveys the 'elusive subject' of his discipline. The statements of neither can ever be proved. What distinguishes the assertions of the scientist is that they are capable of being disproved. NORMAN KEIR Stockton on Tees Dear Editors, Thank you for including a long overdue article on Wagner in the July Theology. Clearly the scope of such a short article is limited, and Ieuan Ellis is to be congratulated on covering a vast amount of material in a mere seven sides. However various important elements of the subject were not dealt with. Die Meistersinger should be regarded as equalling Parsifal in theo­ logical content. Here Christianity is not only complemented by Art, in Wagner's understanding of the term, but is actually superseded by it. Wagner identifies himself with Hans/John-i.e. the Baptist, introducing the new life-giver to the world; Walther the bearer of 'heil'ge deutsche Kunst'. Not only does Wagner use the ideas of John and baptism to explain the significance of his own 'artwork', but he also sees himself as a new Luther, setting 19th Century atheistic Germany free by the power of Art as 16th Century Germany was set free by the power of religion-Sachs's poem now greets the new Wittenberg Nightingale. Wagner shared the liberal nineteenth Century ideas of Christ as redeemer, not post-Barthian ones. He was one of the earliest admirers of Strauss's Leben Jesu. Thus he could never see one single man as redeemer and none of his heroes brings redemption by himself. For example in Parsifal it is the Grail (again probably a symbol of the power of Art) as much as the Knight that bestows redemption. Parsifal, like the liberal Christ, rather than embodying' new life' is almost a passive carrier of it. Dr Ellis does not refer to the purely musical aspects of Wagner's attitude to religion, art and redemption. An examination of the thematic links between the motif of the Grail (Parsifal), the Banner theme and the Mastersinger theme (Die Meistersinger), and the motif of 'Siegfried's love' (Siegfried Act III) is a fascinating study (among many others) of Wagner's fusion of diverse material in presenting his multi-layered understanding of what in fact constitutes redemption for modern man. MALCOLM WREN University of Manchester

Journal

Theology – SAGE

Published: Nov 1, 1977

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