Dear All, Like most, I have struggled with the anit semitism in Wagner's
music for a long time.

Can I contrast two different moments that I find disturbing:

1.  The end of Tristan Act I when the sailors sing Heil!  Heil!  to the
incomming ship.  The raised voices in the male choir sound unfortunately
like something from the old newsreels showing Hitler's goose-stepping
twits on parade.  It always sound threatening to me.  However, I think that
Wagner intended this moment to be threatening for different reasons - T &
L's love is threatened as the ship brings them closer to the reality of
the communmity and politics of their wider world.  In this instance my C21
subconscious association of this moment with the Nazis is clearly unfair to
Wagner's music.

2.  The finale of Die Meistersinger.  The racist sentiments here are
extrordinarily vile.  Hans Sach's final monologue is simply grotesque.  His
view of community is nakedly EXCLUSIVE not inclusive - beware the outsider
etc etc and clearly aimed at Wagner's archetypal 'non Germans' the Jews.
I think that an association with Wagner's rasicsm and the evil regime which
it clearly infuenced in this case is fair.  Having said that, I am glad I
cannot speak German as the music itself is glorious.  It is one of the
great mysteries that such a nasty human being could produce such beautiful
musical sounds.

I am a liberal and believe that censorship sould only be excersied
where it is clearly shown that harm could be done so I sympathise with Mr
Rothstein's views.  I would not presume to say what people in Israel should
decide.  If it was my decision I would say that works like Tristan are OK.
Die Meistersinger on the other hand should be treated like general erotica
in this country - available but with a polite warning.

All the very best,

David H
Nottingham, UK