Wagner's Women: A Philosophical Tapestry Revealed in New Scholarship

 

For enthusiasts and newcomers alike, Richard Wagner's operas are a world unto themselves, often stirring intense debate, not least concerning his powerful female characters. A recent scholarly work by Aoife Shanley, "The Evolving Philosophical Stance of Richard Wagner and the Effects on His Female Characters from Senta to Kundry," offers a focused look at the profound philosophical influences that shaped these iconic figures. Shanley's annotated bibliography meticulously analyzes how the ideas of Hegel, Schopenhauer, and Nietzsche manifested in Wagner's works, revealing which philosopher held sway at different times.

Shanley highlights that Wagner often "marries the philosophies of Hegel and Schopenhauer" despite their opposing views, driven ultimately by a quest for purity and asceticism in his operas and their depiction of women.

The 'WomanGround' and Challenging Conventions

A fascinating concept emerging from the scholarship Shanley reviews is Wagner's "WomanGround," a term explored by Kathryn Barnes-Burroughs. This refers to all things "feminine, fertile, and creative," and Barnes-Burroughs argues that Wagner wrote everything from this perspective, influenced by the women in his life. This idea suggests that Wagner's compositional approach, with harmony functioning as a "womb" for melody, was intrinsically feminine. Barnes-Burroughs contends that Wagner was "not as misogynistic as his primary influences," even aligning with emerging feminists like Margaret Fuller. His heroines, such as Elsa, Elisabeth, and Kundry, exhibit traits "not typical of the bourgeois nineteenth century woman," acting outside the home and being transformed by love—actions that directly contrast Hegel's ideal of the domesticated woman.

Philosophical Currents and Wagner's Response

Shanley's bibliography points to the complex interplay between Wagner and the philosophical giants of his era:

• Hegel's Domestic Ideal vs. Wagner's Heroines: Research on Hegel reveals his "overwhelmingly biased opinions on women," arguing they belonged solely in the home to birth and raise children, without solid evidence for this assertion. One scholar notes that if Hegel had truly followed his own philosophical conclusions, he would have been a "radical feminist". Despite Hegel's views heavily influencing 19th-century bourgeois culture, Wagner's operas, particularly Parsifal's Kundry, Lohengrin's Elsa, and Tannhäuser's Elisabeth, are often "highly reactionary to this thinking".

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  Schopenhauer's 'Other' and the Will: Tom Grimwood's work explores Schopenhauer's complex misogyny, where women are considered "other" and thus "impossible to be equal to man". This view of women as passive forces is remarkably similar to Hegel's. However, Wagner does not "appear to share this idea fully," as seen when Elisabeth intercedes in Tannhäuser, an action far from passive. Schopenhauer's disdain extended to women's "one 'action': seduction," viewing it as destructive to men. John E. Atwell highlights Schopenhauer's evolving views, noting he believed women contributed to children's intellect, while men to their moral development tied to "Will".

• Wagner's Embrace of Schopenhauer's Aesthetics and Asceticism: An essay by Elizabeth Wendell Barry, as summarized by Shanley, underscores Wagner's deep connection to Schopenhauer's philosophy, particularly the idea that "Intellect is the slave of the Will" and that music is the "most supreme form of art" capable of directly expressing the Will. This directly fed Wagner's pursuit of the Gesamtkunstwerk. Both shared a fascination with Buddhism, leading to a mutual desire for asceticism and the idea that "negation of will was the most supreme action". Wagner uses this in Tristan und Isolde, where the lovers' redemption comes through the "sacrifice of passion and physical love". Pity, gleaned from Buddhism by Schopenhauer, is physically embodied in Kundry in Parsifal.

• Nietzsche's Societal Order: Tom Grimwood's work also extends to Nietzsche, who supported traditional gender roles not due to inherent gender differences, but because disrupting the family structure would "affect society as a whole". Nietzsche, while perhaps less overtly misogynistic, still posited women as "vain and shallow creatures" and the "opposing figure to the Free Spirit (man)".

The Purity Motif and Wagner's Artistic Vision

Arnold Labrie's analysis, as presented by Shanley, interprets Wagner through a lens of searching for purity, which often links to nationalism and antisemitism in his context. This concept manifests in Wagner's music through the "idolization of chastity". Kundry is "derided because she is not chaste", while Brünnhilde's punishment in Siegfried requires her to remain chaste. Elisabeth's chaste love in Tannhäuser is presented as the "ultimate form of love," as she intercedes for Tannhäuser despite never having been with him in an "impure" way.

Ultimately, Richard Wagner himself, in Opera & Drama, asserted that music is a "WomanGround," inherently feminine. He saw true opera as "a woman who loves and takes pride in her sacrifice," an idea present in all his heroines. This deep dive into the philosophical underpinnings of Wagner's operatic women provides a rich understanding of their creation, solidifying their place as complex and enduring figures on the world stage.

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