6 Music, freedom, and the critique of metaphysics
Music, philosophy, and politicsEvaluations of the nature and significance of music were anything but
uncontroversial before the end of the eighteenth century: Plato’s com-
ments in theRepublic, and the battles over music during the Reforma-
tion make that clear. However, reflection on the significance of music
takes on a different quality during the course of the nineteenth century
and beyond. Music becomes more overtly linked to philosophical, ide-
ological, and political controversies that influence modern social and
historical developments. This chapter will explore some of the concep-
tual issues which arise in this context, as a prelude to a re-examination
in chapter 7 of the paradigmatic example of this intensification of con-
cern about the nature of music, the ‘case’ of Wagner. My extended
treatment of Wagner is justified by the fact that issues associated with
him have remained a part of disagreements about art, philosophy, and
politics ever since. These disagreements are also important for a rea-
son relating to a central theme of the book. Wagner’s ‘positions’ on
the issues involved cannot be reduced to what he says about them, but
must also be assessed in terms of what he does in his music.^1 Dahlhaus
suggests that it was not Wagner’s theoretical writings on cultural and
philosophical issues that were most influential, but rather ‘the effect of
the music itself, from which consequences for cultural politics emerged.
One can, exaggerating only a little, actually talk of the emergence of
the “Kulturkritik”ofthe end of the century from the spirit of music –
Wagnerian music’ (Dahlhaus 1974 : 13 ). Wagner’s theoretical writings
1 Magee ( 2001 ) seems to me to offer a plausible account of the personal issues (but see
also Deathridge and Dahlhaus 1984 ).
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