Wagner's reputation as a paranoiac, egocentric and anti-semitic individual has coloured our perception of his artistic genius. Yet, as a young man, he embraces revolutionary politics, and of all the great composers he was by far the most interested in philosophy. Setting Wagner against the background of his times, Bryan Magee explores the philosophical influences which permeate his mature operas. He provides a candid examination of the composer's vicious anti-semitism and Hitler's deep admiration for his music. And he shows how Wagner's intense relationship with Nietzsche provides rich insights into his ideas and personality. The result is a compelling portrait which illuminates Wagner and his music in ways, uncovering the decisive, and often ignored, intellectual influences on Parsifal, Tristan and The Ring.