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Why No Love For Wagner In The USA? Alex Ross Ponders

Written By The Wagnerian on Monday 3 June 2013 | 2:41:00 pm

As a writer who likes the work of Wagner in the USA, is Alex Ross on his own?
“One hundred years ago there was an enormous fad for Wagner in this country"

“We’re not going to forget about the Nazi association, but I think we can have a richer and more nuanced sense of the enormous impact that Wagner had.”


During a  discussion on PRI radio, Alex Ross examines the curious lack of Wagner celebrations, events or performances during his 200 birthday in the USA.

This is probably of greater surprise when one compares it with the abundance of  Wagner celebrations that are still far from complete in the UK - and will continue right through till the end of the year.

As Ross notes - an argument easily supported by a quick look through our recent publication "A Wagnerian Scrapbook"  - for the first 100 years and beyond, the USA media and public seemed to concentrate on nothing but Wagner.

So what has happened? Considering that more than 60 percent of our total readership comes from the US we thought you might like to listen to Alex Ross for a possible answer: Alex Ross, Richard Wagner and the USA: Click the play button or here to listen

To view the full item visit: Richard Wagner's 200th birthday passes with little notice in the U.S.