Moritz Eggert: 'I want to give Wagner back his innocence'

With Tragedy of a Friendship commemorates Flanders Opera the bicentenary of Richard Wagner's birth. It is a production by controversial artist Jan Fabre, author Stefan Hertmans and composer Moritz Eggert. When I approach the German tone poet to talk about this opera, he reacts with shock: there is ab-so-lutely no question of an opera! Could I please clear up this misunderstanding once and for all?

Why shouldn't Tragedy of a Friendship be called an opera?

Opera consists of the performance of a text, with an appropriate stage setting and a director, but Jan Fabre involved me and Stefan intensively in the creative process from the very beginning. It really is a joint piece of work. Nor have I set a single text by Stefan to music: the two singers only sing excerpts from Wagner operas.

You don't call yourself a Wagner fan. What stands against you and why did you join forces with Jan Fabre anyway?

I feel overwhelmed by Wagner's music, but I don't want to be overwhelmed, I want to remain an independent individual. At the same time, Wagner does set an example, because he thought deeply about how to integrate music, text and stage design.

I am a real fan of Jan Fabre, though, and was honoured to be asked by him. He knows exactly what he wants, is incredibly direct and takes an experimental and improvisational approach. I am not used to that and it was a great challenge to step outside my usual framework.

For instance, you had to write music to scenes that didn't even exist yet. What was that like?

Tricky because only a month ago approximately known what will be on stage, while of course I had to start composing earlier. Intuitively, I chose an intimate, three-piece ensemble versus the large, Wagnerian orchestra. With theremin, harmonium and cello, I approached Wagner's concept of the 'infinite melody', which begins in the voice and spreads across the orchestra.

Theremin and harmonium can form literally endless melodies, and the cello is closest to the human voice. Thanks to its range from the lowest bass to the highest soprano, I can tap into Wagner singing. Because we had to tape the orchestra, I wrote music that is flexible: although these are seven ready-made pieces, you can fade, cut up and move them around.

Three weeks before the premiere, I am still shuffling. So at the last recording session, I quickly wrote some transitional music so that I have extra choices during the performance.

 How is Tragedy of a Friendship constructed?

The play is about the friendship between Wagner and Nietzsche. There are 13 scenes, each of which seeks to capture the essence of one of Wagner's operas - not by retelling the action, but by magnifying the theme.

There are surprising love scenes, sexual motifs, there is violence, and it is sometimes ironic, sometimes tragic or comic. In a kind of knee-plays Wagner and Nietzsche enter into a dialogue with each other, based on original texts from their letters and writings.

For you, what is the tragedy of their friendship?

Nietzsche also composed and saw in Wagner a kindred soul, doing what he had actually wanted to do himself: develop a new art form. He became deeply disappointed when Wagner fell into a kind of religious delusion and did not pursue the development he had begun. Conversely, Wagner did not always understand Nietzsche well, but he was so taken with his Gesamtkunstwerk, that little mattered to him. So the tragedy lies mainly with Nietzsche.

With Jan Fabre and Stefan Hertmans, have you created a Gesamtkunswerk in the sense of Wagner?

We may have a Gesamtkunswerk pursued, but unlike Wagner, we don't want to impose religious, mythical, philosophical or aesthetic values on the audience. What bothers me in his work is the delusions of grandeur, and I responded to this in my music. While composing, I was inspired by Gustav Mahler, who, although influenced by Wagner, always stayed close to the people. - I tried to give Wagner back his innocence.  

Tragedy of a Friendship will premiere on 15 May at the Flanders Opera in Antwerp and can be seen in Amsterdam in June during the Holland Festival.

This article was written on behalf of Musicof.nu and was published there on 24 April 2013.