Reconsidering Wagner: New French Translations Shed Light

A new French translation of Richard Wagner's autobiography 'Ma Vie' and a selection of his letters edited by Christophe Looten offer a more nuanced view of the composer. The autobiography, dictated to his wife Cosima from 1865 at the behest of King Ludwig II of Bavaria, reveals Wagner's chaotic path from a moderately gifted musician to a genius, including his fluctuating anti-Semitism. Letters show his admiration for non-German composers like Offenbach, whom he called a 'second Mozart,' and his later disavowal of the anti-Semitic movement. The article argues that Wagner's contradictions—his pettiness and grandeur—require a fair reassessment, especially as he planned to move to America before his death in Venice in 1883.