Just because I don't like her

Once again, with the death of Elisabeth Schwarzkopf, there has been a fair about of talk about the personality and actions of an artist in relation to the art. Can they remain separate or should we weigh one against the other?

Richard Wagner was a loathsome human being. He used and abused his friends, was virulently anti-Semitic, and demanded complete devotion from anyone who he deigned to call his friend. And yet he created some of the greatest music known to man. How did people react to this before the Nazis? And once Hitler coopted his music for his purposes, through no direct action of Wagner's, how does that change our views of the artist.

Try as I might, I really want to hate Angela Gheorghiu. I've heard enough tales, publicly and privately, about her personality that I don't want to enjoy her singing. And yet I do. Does this make me flawed?

It is a dilemma to which I'm afraid we'll never have an answer. Nor will I even pretend. I'll just keep listening and try as best I can to keep an open mind and yet be sensitive to other's opinions.