The Wagner Clan: The Saga of Germany's Most Illustrious and Infamous Family

In this his last book, Jonathan Carr (1942-2008), the biographer of Helmut Schmidt and Gustav Mahler, has written a brilliant collective biography of the Wagner family. He tells the story of Richard Wagner's extraordinary music and of his family's fights over the ownership and control of the Bayreuth music festival. Wagner backed the 1848 revolutions, but had failed to learn from the 1789 French Revolution which, as Carr points out, "gave a mighty boost to the cause of Jewish emancipation." Wagner's repellent anti-Semitism stains his fame. Also, the Wagner family was closer to Hitler than any other German family was. They knew Hitler as `Uncle Wolf', so often did he visit their Bayreuth home. The family welcomed his patronage and never distanced themselves from his politics. Later, they showed no remorse and accepted no responsibility for Nazi crimes. Carr concludes that Wagner was not `particularly to blame for the Holocaust', largely because there were so many other guilty parties. Nor was his music especially palatable to the Nazis, although they used his `Ride of the Valkyries' as sound track to newsreels of their air raids, as did Francis Ford Coppola to scenes of US helicopter attacks on Vietnam in `Apocalypse Now'. Wagner's great opera cycle Der Ring des Nibelungen "shows how disaster strikes those spurred by greed and lust for power." Wagner's rebellious grand-daughter Friedelind later called Hitler `Alberich-Hitler', identifying him with the Ring's lethal Nibelung, whose hunger for power sparks the saga that ends in the apocalypse of Götterdämmerung.

This is an extraordinary book that reads like a saga from the pages of The Godfather. A revelation to anyone thrilled by the majestic, thrilling music of the Master, but also shocking because of the longstanding antisemitism of the Wagner clan, and the unsavory family dramas. One can understand why the Master's music still provokes anguish in Israel despite the soaring notes. As Thomas Mann famously put it: "There is much Hitler in Wagner." The book is absorbing, well-researched, and reads like a thriller, documenting the backstage drama and unusual characters behind Bayreuth from the time of Wagner to the present. No wonder "The Economist" nominated it as one of the ten best books of 2007. Two big thumbs up for Jonathan Carr's achievement!

Yes well I thought this was a very interesting book. It explains alot of connections between Nationalists of the day and read like a who's who of the right. Really put alot of it all in context for me. I would recommend it to all Nationalists as a good history of what was going on at the time.

Wonderful history of the Wagner family that would be enjoyed by music lovers and non-music lovers alike.

If you are into Wagner (and all you have to do is listen to any of his music and you will be) this is a most interesting book. Great background on Bayreuth and the festival. Yes, sad that Winifred went gaga over Hitler and a low mark for Bayreuth. But it happened...let's move on. To attend the festival at Bayreuth is a grand experience. This book brings it back...with all the good and bad memories. Hitler did say one good thing: "You can never have too much Wagner." I highly recommend this book. Beautifuly written to boot.