I believe Nietzche admired Wagner's earlier works because he believed that he was bringing back the Dionysian into music--Nietzche believed music had become too structured, Apollinian, and Wagner's new modern works would change that.
However, as Nietzche got older, his opinion of Wagner changed. Nietzche and Wagner were no longer friends; so much of his criticism seems personal. Nietzche did not like Wagner's anti-Semitic and Christian views-his music of redemption. He also severely criticizes Wagner's pandering to the German masses-Wagner appeals "to mere Germans" (169). Nietzche makes his dislike of Germany obvious in both writings.
In both later writings, Nietzche seems obsessive about his resentment towards Wagner-angry with himself for ever liking him and his music. I think Nietzche believes Wagner sold out to appeal to the German masses. Nietzche writes that Wagner's music is "sick", "decadent," it has no style or substance, just overdone effects and histrionic, and basically just a bunch of chaos that has no structure-the body can not even dance or move to Wagner's music. He accuses Wagner of not being a musician, but a theatrical actor (173).
As shown in class, Wagner's music really does not have a distinct beat and it is kind of chaotic-but I kind of like Wagner's music-I have played the Die Meistersinger Overture and found it fun to play-all the different chaotic parts coming together-and it does have a great effect on both the musicians and listeners. I guess I am one of those that Nietzche would refer to as being taken in by Wagner.
Don't be worried about this - I think it's clear that people come to Wagner's music (to any music, for that matter) from many different directions, and one could like it for very different reasons than the reasons N hates it.
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