Vanderducken

While we’re on the subject of “The Sorcerer of Bayreuth,” here’s a canard proceeding from a clearly truthful premise. Since “anti-Semitism is an intrinsic element of the Wagnerian world view” then it follows logically that this “element” must show up in Richard Wagner’s greatest works. And, to compound the canard, it must further “follow” that such characters as Alberich, Mime, Beckmesser, Kundry and Klingsor are intended as anti-Semitic caricatures.