 In the Beethoven essay, Wagner describes Schopenhauer as the first philosopher who gave a clear treatment of music’s place among the arts. Schopenhauer’s philosophy of music gives a privileged status to pure instrumental music (see  §1.2),  an assumption that contrasts with Wagner’s central commitment to a union of the arts, as well as with his related reservations about music alone. Under Schopenhauer’s influence, the late Wagner surrenders some central points of his earlier view, as evident from his claim that “a piece of music loses nothing of its character even when the most diverse texts are laid beneath it”, and the subsequent contention that the union of music and poetry always results in the subordination of the latter (Wagner 1870 [1896: 104). This stands in stark contrast with Wagner’s earlier characterization of melody as an element that should not attract the listener’s attention, functioning merely as “the most expressive vehicle for an emotion already plainly outlined in the words” (Wagner 1851 1852a: 372). Wagner denies a contradiction between his earlier and late views, although Young (2014: 101–107) notes that changes are evident both from Wagner’s writings as well as from the musical production that follows his encounter with Schopenhauer—especially the three works in the Ring cycle that follow Das Rheingold.