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