Richard Wagner quotes

Richard Wagner was a German composer, conductor, and theatre director renowned for his operas. His innovative music and dramatic concepts profoundly influenced Western classical music and opera. He remains one of the most significant and controversial figures in the history of music. Here are 50 of his quotes:

The only form of music is melody, without melody music is not feasible, and music and melody are quite inseparable.

Richard Wagner

I am convinced that there are universal currents of Divine Thought vibrating the ether everywhere and that any who can feel these vibrations is inspired.

Richard Wagner

Attack and defence, want and war, victory and defeat, lordship and thraldom, all sealed with the seal of blood: this from henceforth is the History of Man.

Richard Wagner

The oldest, truest, most beautiful organ of music, the origin to which alone our music owes its being, is the human voice.

Richard Wagner

Certain things in Mozart will and can never be excelled.

Richard Wagner

It is necessary for us to explain the involuntary repugnance we possess for the nature and personality of the Jews ... The Jews have never produced a true poet. Heinrich Heine reached the point where he duped himself into a poet, and was rewarded by his versified lies being set to music by our own composers. He was the conscience of Judaism, just as Judaism is the evil conscience of our modern civilization.

Richard Wagner

The error in the art-genre of Opera consists herein: a Means of expression (Music) has been made the end, while the End of expression (the Drama) has been made a means.

Richard Wagner

I am writing Parsifal only for my wife - if I had to depend on the German spirit, I should have nothing more to say.

Richard Wagner

Oh, I hate the thought of all those costumes and grease paint! When I think that characters like Kundry will now have to be dressed up, those dreadful artists' balls immediately spring into my mind. Having created the invisible orchestra, I now feel like inventing the invisible theatre!

Richard Wagner

Though physiologists are still divided as to whether Man was meant by Nature to feed exclusively on fruits, or also upon flesh-meat, from its first faint glimmerings History shews Man's constant progress as a beast of prey. As such he conquers every land, subdues the fruit-fed races, founds mighty realms by subjugating other subjugators, forms states and sets up civilisations, to enjoy his prey at rest.

Richard Wagner

My child, all is lost for him, and he will never achieve the rank of 'Master' in any land, because someone who is born a master, always has the lowest standing among 'Masters'.

Richard Wagner

The knight's song and direction I found new, but not confused; He left our path, but strode strongly and confidently. When you want to evaluate, according to rules, something which doesn't follow your rules, You have to forget your own ways, And seek out its rules!

Richard Wagner

I am fond of them, of the inferior beings of the abyss, of those who are full of longing.

Richard Wagner

I hate this fast growing tendency to chain men to machines in big factories and deprive them of all joy in their efforts - the plan will lead to cheap men and cheap products.

Richard Wagner

Imagination creates reality.

Richard Wagner

I have long been convinced that my artistic ideal stands or falls with Germany. Only the Germany that we love and desire can help us achieve that ideal.

Richard Wagner

Richard Wagner, a musician who wrote music which is better than it sounds.

Richard Wagner

... forced to flee, he imagines that he is hunting. He does not hear his own cry of pain when he claws into his own flesh; he thinks he is expressing pleasure!

Richard Wagner

No clever person can help here; I see that clearly. Here, only stupidity can help the stupid one!

Richard Wagner

To my horror I always find only myself in all that I create; the Other, whom I need, I never find: a free man himself must create himself; I can only create slaves!

Richard Wagner

Germany appeared in my eyes a very tiny portion of the earth. I had emerged from abstract Mysticism, and I learnt a love for Matter. Beauty of material and brilliancy of wit were lordly things to me: as regards my beloved music, I found them both among the Frenchmen and Italians. I forswore my model, Beethoven; his last Symphony I deemed the keystone of a whole great epoch of art, beyond whose limits no man could hope to press, and within which no man could attain to independence.

Richard Wagner

It should not be presumed that these people (the Jews), who are so separated from us by their religion, have any right to make our laws. But why blame the Jews? It is we who lack all feeling for our own identity, all sense of honour.

Richard Wagner