Yes, but he would probably only make and listen to his own podcasts, as he was very full of himself - well, he had to be, as a genius you can't have other “gods” enthroned next to you.
Richard Wagner, this musical revolutionary of the 19th century, would undoubtedly have been a media phenomenon in the digital age. With his insatiable urge for self-expression and his need to explain his artistic visions, he would have discovered the podcast format as if it had been made for him. However, his podcasting work would have been dependent on the vagaries of his health.
Wagner suffered from various health problems throughout his life, particularly heart problems. He himself categorized his days as “rainy days” and “sunny days” - depending on how he was feeling physically. On his rainy days, he probably wouldn't have been able to stand microphones, but on sunny days he would have been almost unstoppable.
His beloved dog Russ would certainly have been a loyal companion at his side - perhaps even as a silent co-host who could occasionally be heard in the background. Wagner had a special relationship with this Newfoundland dog, who accompanied him during his time in exile in Switzerland. When Wagner returned to Paris in 1861, he had to leave Russ behind. The separation was difficult for him, and it is reported that in Paris he once thought he saw Russ in the distance - a hallucination that shows his deep attachment to the animal. Tragically, Russ later died after seeing a carriage he thought was Wagner's while walking with Wagner's wife Minna and running after it, overexerting himself.
Wagner's time in Switzerland would have been particularly productive for his hypothetical podcast, especially in Tribschen on Lake Lucerne near Lucerne. It was there that he experienced many of his “sunny days” and composed large parts of his “Ring des Nibelungen”. It was also in Tribschen that King Ludwig II of Bavaria visited him - the monarch who generously supported Wagner financially and ultimately enabled him to complete his artistic vision. Interestingly, it is said that the king actually slept on the floor during his visit, although he was offered a bed. Ludwig supposedly wanted to express his humility before Wagner's genius - a gesture that must have flattered Wagner.
Friedrich Nietzsche would certainly have been a candidate as a potential podcast guest. The relationship between Wagner and the philosopher was complex and went through various phases. Initially, Nietzsche was an ardent admirer of Wagner and his music. He saw Wagner as the artist who could renew German culture. Wagner, for his part, appreciated Nietzsche's intellect, albeit with a certain condescension. Behind Nietzsche's back, he did not always speak favorably of the young philosopher and occasionally referred to him as “strange” or “eccentric”.
Their conversations revolved around music, philosophy, ancient Greek tragedy and German culture - topics that would have turned a Wagner-Nietzsche podcast into an intellectual firework display. However, Nietzsche later broke with Wagner, not least because of his turn to Christianity in his last work “Parsifal”. A podcast between the two would probably have ended in a spectacular argument sooner or later.
Other possible podcast guests for Wagner would have been his patrons and admirers: Liszt, whose daughter Cosima married Wagner; Mathilde Wesendonck, with whom he had a complicated romantic relationship; or the singers and musicians who performed his works - although he would probably have invited them mainly to explain to them how to interpret his music “correctly”.
Wagner would be a podcaster if he wove words and made waves. This alliteration, a bar rhyme in the Wagnerian sense, sums up what we could have expected from a Wagner podcast: A firework display of words, ideas and self-expression. A Wagner podcast would certainly not have been without controversy.
Speaking of podcasts: I myself published the podcast called “Stenorcast” between 2016 and 2018. That's almost 10 years between the first episode back then and the present. The first episode went online on 28.10.2016, this episode was so bad, although we - Simon (my podcast partner) and I had chatted for 57 minutes. But you can listen to the second episode here in the attachment, I'm including it online for nostalgic reasons. We lasted a whole 46 minutes. Simon is still around in my work environment today. And we are considering whether we should re-record an episode from time to time. But then under the new name: Stenor Media Podcast. I've already designed the logo as a precaution - based on the old Stenorcast logo.
New podcast logo
Sapere aude!
S. Noir
The old Stenorcast episode from 2016 has been re-uploaded to GJW for this column.
An old podcast from 2016. This is the second episode, the second recording - and it was almost ten years ago in 2025. A lot has changed since then: the world has changed, we have changed. Maybe we'll podcast again from time to time. Everything is still open. And I still find it difficult to hear my own voice.
#stefannoir #dichterunddenker #Tondichter #stenormedia #podcast #stenormediapodcast
The link to the original German text: https://www.ganjingworld.com/s/3KqWG6GkRO
We are all podcasters in some way - and each of us is a library filled with countless stories to tell.
In memory of Wagner - a few sound images for context.
I have been passionate about Richard Wagner for many years. In a way, we have become very close - but it's hard to talk about that in public. But maybe one day I'll talk about it in a podcast. Here are a few more side notes on the subject of Richard Wagner.
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