Alex Ross
Wagner and his Others: Jewish, Black, Feminist, and Gay Wagnerians at the Fin-de-siècle

American author and music critic Alex Ross explores a fundamental ambiguity in Richard Wagner’s legacy: on the one hand, his notorious role as a fount and figurehead of nationalist, racist, and patriarchal values; and, on the other, his strong hold on the imaginations of writers and thinkers from marginalized groups. Tracing the spread of Wagnerian antisemitism in the late 19th-century alongside countervailing trends of Wagnerian decadence and eroticism, Ross weaves together the various strains of the composer’s complex legacy vis-à-vis the subaltern, portraying a Wagnerism that is more than the sum of its parts. 

Unfortunately, Alex Ross is unable to travel due to a potential exposure to Covid-19. He has agreed to deliver his lecture in a recording and will be joining the Q&A via live video call afterwards.

In English with simultaneous German translation. Headphones will be provided. A valid photo ID (or alternatively € 20) must be presented as a security deposit.