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"I, who rule by means of contracts, am now slave to my contracts."

— Richard Wagner

"Der durch Verträge ich Herr, den Verträgen bin ich nun Knecht."

Original text (German)

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Notes from Wikiquote

Wotan (ruler of the gods), Act 2, Scene 2

More quotes by Richard Wagner

The oldest, truest, most beautiful organ of music, the origin to which alone our music owes its being, is the human voice.

Opera and Drama (1851)

This is Alberich's dream come true — Nibelheim, world dominion, activity, work, everywhere the oppressive feeling of steam and fog.

Cosima Wagner's Diaries (1978)

I am writing Parsifal only for my wife — if I had to depend on the German spirit, I should have nothing more to say.

Cosima Wagner's Diaries (1978)

Certain things in Mozart will and can never be excelled.

Cosima Wagner's Diaries (1978)

"Property" has acquired an almost greater sacredness in our social conscience than religion: for offence against the latter there is lenience, for damage to the former no forgiveness.

Know Thyself (1881)

All Richard Wagner quotes →

Attribution

Quote text and notes from Wikiquote: Richard Wagner (page history), available under CC BY-SA 4.0. Source quality and labels are our own summary of what Wikiquote records.