Editing Richard Wagner (section)

=== Racism and antisemitism ===
[[File:Wagnerclic.jpg|thumb|upright=0.8|right|Caricature of Wagner by Karl Clic in the Viennese satirical magazine ''Humoristische Blätter'' (1873). The exaggerated features refer to rumours of Wagner's Jewish ancestry.|alt=A cartoon figure holding a baton, stands next to a music stand in front of some musicians. The figure has a large nose and a prominent forehead. His sideburns turn into a wispy beard under his chin.]]

Wagner's hostile writings on Jews, including [[Das Judenthum in der Musik|''Jewishness in Music'']], correspond to some existing trends of thought in Germany during the 19th century.<ref>{{harvnb|Weiner|1997|p=11}}; {{harvnb|Katz|1986|p=19}}; {{harvnb|Conway|2012|pp=258–264}}; {{harvnb|Vaszonyi|2010|pp=90–95}}</ref> Despite his very public views on this topic, throughout his life Wagner had Jewish friends, colleagues and supporters.{{sfn|Millington|2001a|p=164}}{{sfn|Conway|2012|p=198}} There have been frequent suggestions that [[antisemitic]] stereotypes are represented in Wagner's operas. The characters of [[Alberich]] and Mime in the ''Ring'', Sixtus Beckmesser in ''Die Meistersinger'', and Klingsor in ''Parsifal'' are sometimes claimed as Jewish representations, though they are not identified as such in the librettos of these operas.<ref>See {{harvnb|Gutman|1990}} and {{harvnb|Adorno|2009|pp=12–13}}</ref>{{refn|{{harvnb|Weiner|1997}} gives very detailed allegations of antisemitism in Wagner's music and characterisations.|group=n}} The topic is further complicated by claims, which may have been credited by Wagner, that he himself was of Jewish ancestry, via his supposed father Geyer; however, there is no evidence that Geyer had Jewish ancestors.{{sfn|Gutman|1990|p=4}}{{sfn|Conway|2002}}

Some biographers have noted that Wagner in his final years developed an interest in the [[racialist]] philosophy of [[Arthur de Gobineau]], notably Gobineau's belief that Western society was doomed because of [[miscegenation]] between "superior" and "inferior" races.{{sfnp|Everett|2020}} According to Robert Gutman, this theme is reflected in the opera ''Parsifal''.{{sfn|Gutman|1990|p=418 ff}} Other biographers (such as Lucy Beckett) believe that this is not true, as the original drafts of the story date back to 1857 and Wagner had completed the libretto for ''Parsifal'' by 1877,{{sfn|Beckett|1981}} but he displayed no significant public interest in Gobineau until 1880.{{sfn|Gutman|1990|p=406}}