Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg is a masterpiece that over the course of 160 years since its world premiere has accumulated impressive literature on the subject. Wagner’s composition carries numerous meanings – ideological, philosophical, historical, not to mention purely musical. In this article, the author, first focusing on the ‘myth’ of the Renaissance Nuremberg, so important for German identity, finally arrives at the concept of ‘furor divinus’, which perfectly fits the idealized image of that city. The Platonic ‘furor divinus’ proposed by Wagner, was inspired by an article by Gustav Schilling, published for the first time in 1835. The author of this paper interprets that concept as a complex process in four stages: ‘enthusiasm of the heart’, devising the original idea, true inspiration, and work on a new work.
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