Wagner From a Queer Perspective

In recent years, a number of works of interest to queer Wagnerians have been published, including Laurence Dreyfus’s Wagner and the Erotic Impulse and Alex Ross’s Wagnerism.  This talk will explore these works as well as topics such as the homosexuality of key people in Wagner’s circle (such as King Ludwig II and Wagner’s son Siegfried), Wagner’s fetishes with respect to satin and perfume, the unorthodox sexual relationships and ethics in Wagner’s life and works, and LGBTQ+ devotees to Wagner’s operas from the 19th century to today.

The event will be followed by a social hour with refreshments, and livestreamed (viewable up to 36 hours after the start of the event). WSNY Members will receive livestream link automatically by e-mail; no need to pre-register.

About the speaker:

Dr. Patrick S. Cheng is the Visiting Professor of Anglican Studies at Union Theological Seminary in New York City.  An Episcopal priest and a lover of Richard Wagner’s works, Dr. Cheng enjoyed attending Der Fliegende Holländer, Tannhäuser, Tristan und Isolde, and Parsifal at Bayreuth this past summer.  Dr. Cheng has published three books on queer theology, including Radical Love: An Introduction to Queer Theology.  He holds a B.A. from Yale College, a J.D. from Harvard Law School, and a Ph.D. from Union Theological Seminary.