Wiktionary
wagnerism
n. 1 The philosophical ideals put forward by (w: Richard Wagner). 2 An attachment, sometimes fanatical, to the music of Wagner. 3 The use of the (w: Wagner Act), a form of labour union legislation.
Wikipedia
Wagnerism
Wagnerism has a number of meanings:
- the philosophical ideals put forward by Richard Wagner which indicate the traits of a "true" German, among other aesthetic ideas.
- an attachment, sometimes fanatical, to the music of Wagner.
- a form of adversarial labour union legislation, the Wagner Act in the United States, and similarly adopted in Canada, among other countries.
The first two of these aspects were promoted, often in distorted form, by the Nazi regime in Germany. Adolf Hitler argued that "Germany would be impossible without Wagner and all he represents."
Usage examples of "wagnerism".
Already signs are not wanting which show that Wagner and Wagnerism is on the decline.
Indeed, the reaction of Debussy from Wagnerism was chiefly the reaction of a profoundly socialized and aristocratic sensibility outraged by over-emphasis and unrestraint.