Wagner’s Nightmare at Scholes Street Studio

Music Wagner Wouldn’t Like

Richard Wagner is the most incendiary, controversial, and influential composer of all time. The man, his music, and his reception have been Wagnerian – that is, ridiculous, excessive, over-the-top – and we’re going to poke some fun at them.

Wagner’s Nightmare is a recital of music for viola and piano of “music Wagner wouldn’t like.” Our inspiration for the concert’s theme was Wagner’s dissatisfaction with the viola – so much so that he had an alternative, supersized “Viola Alta” designed for Bayreuth – and a small body of repertoire was written with that instrument in mind.

Every piece on our program, from Mendelssohn’s Viola Sonata to Nietzsche’s Lieder to Satie’s “furniture music,” is connected to something or someone Wagner wouldn’t like. Through this program we ultimately hope to tell a touching story about the context, character, and gifts of a perennially troubling and admirable artist. 

Wagner’s Nightmare is a cultural retrospective and send-up to the most controversial composer of all time, Richard Wagner. It will culminate in an album of music for viola (Wagner’s least favorite instrument) and piano, which Wagner wouldn’t like. The Wagner’s Nightmare Album will be released February 2023 via CD and NFT only – no streaming.

Learn more at https://www.wagnersnightmare.com/