The Vengeance Trio from Wagner's "Götterdämmerung"

Richard Wagner was one of the greatest composers in history. He was also a virulent anti-Semite who wrote numerous tracts denouncing Jews. I cannot say whether Wagner's anti-Semitic writings contributed to the anti-Semitism of the Nazi regime - that question must be left to the historians. Nevertheless, Wagner's operas were clearly popular with the Nazis, and many Nazis regarded Wagner as a champion of Germanic culture. For many years, I could not bring myself to listen to Wagner on account of his anti-Semitism. It seemed to have tainted everything he created. 

Not too long ago, I read some essays by Jewish writers that vigorously defended the value of Wagner's music. These writers did not defend the beliefs of Wagner himself, of course, but they argued that Wagner's music was a treasure, and that it deserved to be listened to. Still, I was unconvinced. That was until I read an essay by a brilliant Jewish lawyer (I think the essay was published in the LA Times) that argued that one cannot understand modern music, and especially Jewish modern music, without understanding Wagner. This argument convinced me. Whatever concerns I might have had about listening to Wagner, I knew that the lawyer was right - Wagner exerted an enormous influence on the development of modern music, and it would be wrong to deprive oneself or others of the pleasure of modern music simply because Wagner was such a horrible bigot. 

So, I started listening to Wagner seriously for the first time. And let me tell you - I am grateful for the experience. Wagner wrote some of the most beautiful music in the classical repertoire, and listening to him has changed my understanding of music as a whole. One of my favorite pieces by Wagner is the so-called "Vengeance Trio". It occurs in Götterdämmerung, the last opera of his Ring cycle. Here is a wonderful performance of that piece:



You don't really need to know anything about the lyrics, except perhaps that the three singers are all plotting the death of Siegfried, another character in the opera.