The Case of Wagner Complete Works, Volume 8

by Friedrich Wilhelm Nietzsche

"The Case of Wagner" by Friedrich Nietzsche is a book published in 1888. Subtitled "A Musician's Problem," it marks Nietzsche's dramatic break with composer Richard Wagner, whom he once admired. Nietzsche critiques Wagner's involvement with nationalism and antisemitism, while presenting him as a symptom of a broader European disease: nihilism. The work showcases Nietzsche's skills as a music critic and explores art's relationship to humanity's future health, standing in sharp contrast to his earlier praise of Wagner.