ABSTRACT
Benjamin repeatedly and extensively returned to central ideas he had borrowed and assimilated from the author of The Theory of the Novel, History and Class Consciousness, and “The Metaphysics of Tragedy.” Whatever one’s view of Nietzsche’s theory, it can safely be stated that at least as far as the fourth constituent of his theory is concerned, it was far superior to that of Lukacs, Benjamin, Brecht, and, surprisingly, even Adorno. This is so because Nietzsche was able to grasp the crucial significance and general cultural relevance of opera as a potential modern substitute for, or continuation of, tragedy. Despite the insensitivity to the potentials of musical tragedy, both Lukacs and Benjamin seem to be incomparably more relevant explorers of the possibility of a modern theater than Nietzsche had ever been. Despite their encounter and alliance against Nietzsche’s perspective, Lukacs and Benjamin had obviously and profoundly divergent views concerning a possible history and sociology of the drama.
