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hlthe2b

(107,827 posts)
1. Listening to Wagner makes me so uncomfortable. Even if I can separate his talent from his
Mon Oct 15, 2018, 06:41 AM
Oct 2018

antisemitic past, I can not separate my own self from the imagined fawning audience of Hitler and his followers. It feels as though I've become one of them.

Of course I don't believe in censoring his work by any means--just that there are some performers so intrinsically linked with a horrific place in history or views with which I can not countenance that it makes it very hard to appreciate them. Even more so than with actors, music brings all of that into the subconscious. That, to me, is why it is so important that musical performers who do not countenance Trump playing their music at his hate rallies need to fight hard to stop it. I was pleased to see the Prince estate administrators do so re: his playing of Purple Rain recently. I wish the Rolling Stones had done so earlier.

Nonetheless, I do listen to Wagner on occasion, but the experience is not particularly pleasant.


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