Richard Wagner und »das Weibliche«

Connections between Richard Wagner’s philosophy, life and early work convey that “the feminine” had a special significance for the composer throughout his life. Corresponding interdependencies are determined by Wagner’s excessive lifestyle as well as his restless and melancholy alienation from the world. The purposeful reflection leads to the realisation of many aspects - from the desire for devotion and maternal care to his own feminine facets, affairs as well as the search for true love and redemption. With a focus on Wagner’s operas completed until 1850, the insight into the material finally shows that figures such as Senta, Elisabeth or Elsa and their antagonists are not randomly but intentionally created characters.