The only serious and dangerous Wagnerian is Nietzsche; why? Because he understood Wagner to the core (Hugo Dinger). Nietzsche admired Wagner and equally revered his wife Cosima. He hoped for a lasting intellectual exchange with both, but was bitterly disappointed in his expectations. Hans Bélart sheds light on the dramatic relationship between Friedrich Nietzsche, Richard Wagner, and his wife Cosima in this book, using sources from that time. In three parts, he illustrates their strong transformation; from an intimate friendship to its rupture, and finally to Nietzsche's hostility towards the composer. The author himself has been a confessing member of Wagnerism for 30 years; he shares with Nietzsche the journey from enthusiasm for the work and the person to a conceptual detachment. Bélart's insight into the relationship between these two geniuses is marked by a.