Il faut méditerraniser la musique. Anregungen für eine Kunstphilosophie Europas bei Nietzsche

The paper highlights selected aspects of Nietzschean aesthetics focusing on the notion of mediterranisierung. The north/south polarity in Nietzsche’s mature writings serves as a compass to navigate a spiritual territory that mirrors the geography of Europe. In a play of parts between classical and romantic, and to a greater extent between Wagner and Bizet, Nietzsche sets to music the conflicts and encounters of these two poles throughout the history of culture. The aim is to emphasise that there can be no Europe for Nietzsche without a proper understanding of its artistic dimension; that is the only way to envisage a European continent safe from the excesses of nihilism.