WagnerWorldWide: Conference Blog

My first blog on the Bern conference was on identity and culture. This one deals with the public sphere, the publicity of opera and Wagner research. I know. A much too big topic for a blog. But the format makes it short.
What would Wagner ‘be’ as a phenomenon, if we would not write about him? An interesting thought: What kind of an existence would he and his work have, if there were no publications on him, just the performances? Christine Lemke-Matwey in her article in Die Zeit “Ekstasen mit viel Rosenwasser” (October 4, 2012, link below) also picks up on Wagner. She is looking at the academic outcome of the anniversary so far. She herself is somehow also writing on Wagner, but not exactly. She is writing on the people who write academically about Wagner; as I am writing about Lemke-Matwey who writes about the academics who write about … Her main point: Wagner studies is going in a cercle, and she is right; my point: We all participate being part of that circle. Sometimes – sure – this seems redundant. But sometimes this is fruitful and – also – fun. 
Let’s take another look at our conference again. First of all: It is amazing how information we know about transforms into something else once we create a new ‘case’ around this. As Daniel Jütte did with his talk on the German-Jewish reception of Wagner in the late 19th century. Second: Press, PR and also academic and general communication is basic to both the distribution and the politics of information. There were quite a high number of papers at the conference looking at 19th century press as a central instrument to shape up the relationship between identity and opera. In many cases these articles in the contemporary newspapers were more important than the actual outcome of reception within opera performances itself. Journalists took a great part in creating 19th century national discourses. This was done more and more on an international platform. Benjamin Walton showed in his paper: Not just the fact that a Rossini opera was performed in Calcutta makes 19th century opera more international than before. But the circumstances, how it was proudly communicated worldwide, gave culture a new kind of existence, which was a global one. 
The Wagner circle and the circus around Wagner studies will be also serving the book market (which could be actually much smaller than people assume right now …). There is a very high number of new books on Wagner already being published now. And, there is also a high number of old books on Wagner being either updated or just published again. And there is even a book being published before its event should have created it (I know…). The main Wagner conference next year in Leipzig scheduled for the birthday week of may already prepares for its proceedings now. The book will be out at the conference. There will be more of this next year: Other books on Wagner including more Wagner encyclopedias (one being edited by Nicholas Vazsonyi, host of WagnerWorldWide:America next year at the University of South Carolina).
And finally: www2013 wants to be part of the circle (and trying to avoid the circus aspect of this…), meaning: We will be presenting the results of our enterprise as well creating two or three volumes on WagnerWorldWide. That is more stuff being written on Wagner, on Wagner scholars and journalist, and also on Wagner performances and Wagner art.

http://www.zeit.de/2012/41/Richard-Wagner-200-Geburtstag-Literatur