Gott hat uns die Musik gegeben, damit wir erstens, durch sie nach oben geleitet werden. Die Musik vereint alle Eigenschaften in sich, sie kann erheben, sie kann tändeln, sie kann uns aufheitern, ja sie vermag mit ihren sanften, wehmütigen Tönen das rohesten Gemüt zu brechen. Aber ihre Hauptbestimmung ist, daß sie unsre Gedanken auf Höheres leitet, daß sie uns erhebt, sogar erschüttert. Auch gewährt die Musik eine angenehme Unterhaltung und bewahrt jeden, der sich dafür interessiert, vor Langeweile. Man muß alle Menschen, die sie verachten, als geistlose, den Tieren ähnliche Geschöpfe betrachten. Immer sei diese herrlichste Gabe Gottes meine Begleiterin auf meinem Lebenswege und ich kann mich glücklich preisen, sie liebgewonnen zu haben. Ewig Dank sei Gott von uns gesungen, der diesen schöen Genuß uns darbietet!
(God gave us music so that we, first and foremost, will be guided upward by it. All qualities are united in music: it can lift us up, it can be capricious, it can cheer us up and delight us, nay, with its soft, melancholy tunes, it can even break the resistance of the toughest character. Its main purpose, however, is to lead our thoughts upward, so that it elevates us, even deeply moves us. Music also provides pleasant entertainment and saves everyone who is interested in it from boredom. All humans who despise it should be considered mindless, animal-like creatures. Ever be this most glorious gift of God my companion on my lifes journey, and I can consider myself fortunate to have come to love it. Let us sing out in eternal praise to God who is offering us this beautiful enjoyment.)
Nietzsche in 1858, at the age of fourteen years
Über Musik [On Music] (in: Aus meinem Leben [From my Life])
All of his life, Nietzsche loved musicand he even declared that life without music is an error Already in his early youth, he learned to play the piano and he became quite skillful at it. He also continued to play piano for a long time; for example, it is known that, still in Basel, he liked to play piano four-handed with his best friend, Franz Overbeck.
Very early, he began to acquaint himself with the music literature of his time, particularly with the music of Wagner with whom he became acquainted as a student in Leipzig, and he even composed, himself: he wrote music to poems and wrote a Hymnus an die Freundschaft [Hymn to Friendship] for piano, and, following Schumanns example, a Manfred meditation. Of these compositions, you will find selected excerpts here that will be frequently exchanged. You can listen to them or download them. However, Nietzsche did not view his own musical creations without criticismrather, he sent his Manfred Meditation to the famous conductor and pianist Hans von Buelow. The latter attested that he had a certain facility for the composition of music to poems, was, however, of the opinion that his Manfred composition was Notzucht an Euterpe [a crime of rape committed on Euterpe]. On another occasion, he presented one of his compositions to the Wagners in Tribschenand, with it, was not met with a great deal of approval.
With such a love of music in Nietzsche it does not come as a surprise that he voiced his opinion on it during all of his life, and, above all, with respect to Wagnertwo of his works even feature his name in their titles:
the Vierte Unzeitgemäße Betrachtung, entitled Richard Wagner in Bayreuth
the writings that he left behind and which were edited posthumously, namely Der Fall Wagner and Nietzsche contra Wagner.
Therefore, on this page, in addition to Nietzsches music itself that you can listen to or download after clicking on the links below, Nietzsche will speak for himself in letters and writings that have been selected from his philosopical-poetical works.

| Volume I Compositions Of His Youth (1857-63)
| | 01. Allegro.mp3
| | 02. Hoch tut euch auf.mp3
| | 03. Einleitung.mp3
| | 04. Phantasie.mp3
| | 05. Miserere.mp3
| | 06. Einleitung.mp3
| | 07. Einleitung.mp3
| | 08. Huter, ist die Nacht bald hin.mp3
| | 09. Presto.mp3
| | 10. Mein Platz vor der Tur.mp3
| | 11. Heldenklage.mp3
| | 12. Klavierstuck.mp3
| | 13. Ungarischer Marsch.mp3
| | 14. Zigeunertanz.mp3
| | 15. Edes titok (Still und ergeben).mp3
| | 16. Aus der Jugendzeit.mp3
| | 17. So lach doch mal.mp3
| | 18. Da geht ein Bach.mp3
| | 19. Da geht ein Bach.mp3
| | 20. Im Mondschein auf der Puszta.mp3
| | 21. Mazurka.mp3
| | 22. Aus der Czarda.mp3
| | 23. Das zerbrochene Ringlein.mp3
| | 24. Albumblatt.mp3
| 25. Wie sich Rebenranken schwingen.mp3
Volume II Compositions Of His Mature Years (1864-82)
| 01. Eine Sylvestemacht.mp3
| 02. Beschwurung.mp3
| 03. Nachspiel.mp3
| 04. Standchen.mp3
| 05. Unendlich.mp3
| 06. Verwelkt.mp3
| 07. Ungewitter.mp3
| 08. Gern und gerner.mp3
| 09. Das Kind an die erloschene Kerze.mp3
| 10. Es winkt und neigt sich.mp3
| 11. Die junge Fischerin.mp3
| 12. O weint um sie.mp3
| 13. Herbstlich sonnige Tage.mp3
| 14. Adel Ich muss nun gehen.mp3
| 15. Das Fragment an sich.mp3
| 16. Kirchengeschichtliches Responsorium.mp3
| 17. Monodie a deux (Lob der Barmherzigkeit).mp3
18. Gebet an das Leben (Text Lou Andrea Salome).mp3
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