RESONANCE: How Richard Wagner’s Operas Could Have Spoken to H.P. Lovecraft

The music, too, was of ineffable inspiration. Insensible as I am to music in general, I cannot escape the magic of Wagner, whose genius caught the deepest spirit of those ancestral yellow-bearded gods of war & dominion before whom my own soul bows as before no others --
(Quote taken from “Lovecraft: A Biography” by Lyon Sprague de Camp)

H.P. Lovecraft, the master of cosmic horror and the creator of an intricate mythos was known for his complex relationship with art and music. In his letters, Lovecraft often expressed a rather limited appreciation for music, noting that his enjoyment was largely through associative memory rather than intrinsic appreciation. Yet, amidst his general indifference, he showed, at least on one occasion (see quote above) his admiration for Richard Wagner. Lovecraft’s sporadic admiration for Wagner provides a fascinating insight into how the operatic grandeur and mythological depth of Wagner's works could resonate with Lovecraft's own literary cosmos. (Lovecraft is not known to have ever attended a Wagner opera in full production. Note that what follows is a toying with ideas, this article by no means tries to prove something.)

​LOVECRAFT’S MUSICAL INDIFFERENCE AND WAGNERIAN EXCEPTION
Lovecraft's self-professed indifference to most music is well-documented. He confessed to deriving more emotional appeal from simple, patriotic tunes like It's a Long Way to Tipperary or Rule, Britannia than from the complex compositions of, let's say, Liszt, Beethoven and (also) Wagner. Lovecraft acknowledged his limitations in enjoying music but avoided the common pitfall of deriding what he did not comprehend. Instead, he expressed a form of reverence for those who could appreciate the musical intricacies.

THE MYTHOLOGICAL DEPTH OF WAGNER AND LOVECRAFT
One of the most compelling reasons Wagner's operas might resonate with Lovecraft lies in their shared affinity for mythological and ancestral themes. Wagner's operas, particularly his monumental cycle Der Ring des Nibelungen, draw heavily on Germanic and Norse mythology. These narratives evoke a sense of ancient grandeur and cosmic struggle, elements that are central to Lovecraft's mythos.
 
Lovecraft's writing often delves into the ancient and the cosmic, exploring themes of forbidden knowledge, ancient gods, and the insignificance of humanity in the face of the universe's vastness. The grandeur and complexity of Wagner’s mythological narratives could easily mirror the vast, eerie cosmos that Lovecraft constructed in his stories. Wagner’s ability to evoke a deep sense of the primeval and the sublime through music might have provided Lovecraft with a rare artistic resonance, bridging his literary worlds with the operatic grandeur of ancestral myths.

EMOTIONAL AND AESTHETIC PARALLELS
Emotionally, both Wagner and Lovecraft create works that transcend their mediums to evoke profound, often unsettling emotions. Wagner’s music is known for its ability to convey intense emotions, from (temporarily) triumph to the (inevitable) tragic downfall of heroes. Lovecraft, through his prose, elicits a different emotional response—fear, awe, and a sense of the unknown. The emotional depth in Wagner’s compositions might have spoken to Lovecraft’s appreciation for the dramatic and the otherworldly, offering him a glimpse into the emotional potential of art that he otherwise found elusive.
 
Aesthetically, Wagner’s innovative use of leitmotifs—recurring musical themes associated with particular characters, places, or ideas—parallels Lovecraft’s own use of recurring motifs and themes throughout his works. Just as Wagner's leitmotifs build a complex, interwoven narrative structure, Lovecraft’s recurring references to his pantheon of eldritch beings and forbidden tomes create a rich, interconnected mythos. This structural similarity might have further enhanced Lovecraft's appreciation for Wagner, recognizing a kindred complexity in the narrative techniques they employed.
 
OPERA & CTHULHU
To the Wagnerian universe, we add a monster. Because good stories, even those already rich in drama and conflict, can always use a monster (see the movie Godzilla Minus One). So what if Cthulhu, Lovecraft's most famous creation, pops up in a few of Wagner's operas?

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DIE WALKÜRE

From the inky depths, a monstrous shadow began to emerge. The sea swelled and churned violently, as if recoiling from the dark presence rising from its heart. Tentacles, each the size of ancient oaks, broke the surface, writhing and twisting as they reached for the sky. The water around them frothed and bubbled, releasing a noxious mist that spread across the coastline. The Valkyries gasped in unison, their courage momentarily shaken by the sight before them. 

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SIEGFRIED

Wotan meets Cthulhu:
Wotan, in his guise as the Wanderer, enters the scene. He is on a quest to observe the unfolding fate of his grandson, Siegfried, who is destined to forge a new future. As Wotan approaches the place where he wants to summon Erda, the goddess of the Earth, the atmosphere grows oppressive. The air itself seems to thrum with a dark energy.

Wotan:
What dark power stirs in this ancient wood?
A force beyond the ken of gods and men.
My spear, once mighty, quivers in my grasp,
As shadows deepen and the light grows dim.

(The mist thickens, and from the depths of the forest, Cthulhu’s massive form begins to emerge. The creature’s sheer size and otherworldly nature defy comprehension.)

Cthulhu (communicating telepathically, his voice a deep, resonant echo that reverberates in Wotan's mind):
Wotan, king of gods, your time has come,
The age of man and gods alike shall end.
I rise from depths where madness dwells,
To claim this world as mine, beyond your ken.

Wotan (struggling to maintain his composure, confronts the cosmic horror before him):
Great Old One, from realms unknown, you tread,
But this is not your time, nor your domain.
The Norns have woven fate’s unyielding thread,
And Siegfried’s hand shall forge a new refrain.

(Cthulhu’s presence warps the very fabric of reality around him, the forest seeming to bend and twist.)

Cthulhu (with an aura of ancient, incomprehensible power):
The fate you speak of matters not to me,
For I am eternal, beyond time’s frail chains.
Your world shall crumble, your Valhalla fall,
As chaos reigns and madness stains.

Wotan (steeling himself and raises his spear):
Then let us clash, titans of different spheres,
For the sake of man and gods, I’ll stand my ground.
Though doom may follow, and Valhalla fade,
In this twilight hour, our fates are bound.

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TANNHÄUSER

The Pilgrims’ Chorus
As the pilgrims sing, their hopeful hymn is interrupted by an unnatural silence. The air grows thick with an oppressive force. Emerging from the lake, Cthulhu's form casts a shadow over the procession. The pilgrims’ song becomes frantic, their hymns morphing into desperate pleas for salvation. The lush, redemptive melody of their song twists into something darker, reflecting the terror of encountering a being beyond mortal comprehension.

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TRISTAN UND ISOLDE

Emerging from the darkness, towering over the trees, was a grotesque, monstrous figure. Its eyes, glowing with an otherworldly light, fixed on Isolde. As she faced the eldritch horror, Cthulhu’s deep, resonant voice filled her mind. "The monster is within," it seemed to say, "for your deepest fears and desires have summoned me."

In that moment, Isolde realized that their forbidden love, their yearning to escape the confines of their mortal lives, had conjured this manifestation of their innermost darkness. The monster was not merely an external force but a reflection of her own tortured soul, an embodiment of the fears and desires that drove her into his arms.

AND IN CONCLUSION ...

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Software: DALL-E, Adobe Photoshop & After Effects

- Wouter de Moor