PHIL 293 - Wagner and Philosophy

Semester Offered: Spring
0.5 unit(s)

This Intensive provides a philosophical introduction to Richard Wagner’s monumental four-part music-drama, The Ring of the Nibelung (1876), one of the most revolutionary – and controversial – creations of modern culture. After an initial survey of the mythical and philosophical background to the work, we will dedicate one week to analyzing each of the Ring’s four parts, which explore the conflicts between love and power, freedom and fate, human law and primeval nature. Screenings will be arranged outside of class, and students will have access to the entire cycle through Vassar’s subscription to the Metropolitan Opera on Demand. In the final week, students will present on their individual research into the Ring’s complex reception history, in thinkers such as Friedrich Nietzsche, George Bernard Shaw, Thomas Mann, Theodor Adorno, Alain Badiou, and Roger Scruton. No prior musical knowledge is assumed, though students will learn to identify the work’s principal themes and their transformations.

Christopher Raymond.

Prerequisite(s): One course in Philosophy or Music or German Studies, or permission of the instructor.

Second Six-Week Course

Two 75-minute periods.

Course Format: INT