They are very different in the energy-depleting realm. I saw 'Die Meistersinger' in a magnificent Met production in 1995 or 1996, and that one is all about music and is very happy--all about music itself, with the minnesingers competing for the purest song. It's vicious in its own way, but the music to me is so gorgeous, even 6 hours went by fast.

I also love 'Flying Dutchman', but this is purely for the music, the whole drama is smart but a bit bizarre in that Senta never gets laid by the Dutchman as we understand the term. Also love 'Lohengrin' in a great perf., which there is a good DVD with Domingo at Vienna State Opera. Lohengrin's father is Parsifal, who is the hero of the one most can't get through. I watched the Syberberg movie a couple of times, and finally say LA Opera in 2005 in a beautiful Robert Wilson performance. But I think that movie is pretty fantastic too.

I know what you are talking about--Nietzsche turned on Wagner, although more interesting is that Debussy did as well. It seems that for many, it is like an incredible high from which they crash. I've long been expecting this to happen to me, and recently told a friend that I much preferred 'La Boheme.' Well, I end up adoring them both, and I like all the more populist
Verdi things, even the really cornball ones like Rigoletto. To address what you and Clemons are saying, I've been told that Wagner's music is good, but I really do like the sound of much of it--it's simply swaggeringly stirring; he succeeds at grandeur and nobility without getting tacky (most of the time). Now 'Das Rheingold' is VERY unforgiving as the intro to the complete cycle--you never get anything that plays to the audience in it, except maybe that silly stuff at the beginning with the Rhine Maidens going on and on with their Heijohelalas (motherfucker even makes ordinary tra-la-las weigh a ton.)

Delighted I'm giving off a 'green' quality. That means my Man Custard is still clean, fresh, and eau de vie....