[Captain Jack Aubrey]

VIVA VERDI! I have come to Wagner slowly but surely. The music is really not as bad as it sounds.

I have seen the entire ring twice on TV over the past decades. This most recent time really won me over, although I did enjoy the Berhans Met videos from 1989ish. I have watched the ending of new Das Rhinegold about 10 times and it still gives me chills each time. And that is not even close to the best music in the Ring.

But I would still take any Verdi over any Wagner.

[SamAdams76]

So it took 52 replies for somebody to finally claim "Wagner's music is better than it sounds" as their own witty quote.

Wonder how many more replies it will take before somebody chirps in with "Wagner's music has wonderful moments but awful half-hours."

BTW, both these quotes were already tired cliches back in the 19th Century.