Wagner was far from being the only anti-Semitic artist of the times. Why was it that he specifically received such cultural backlash and do you think music and art is necessarily linked to the ideology of its creator?
hi! more input is welcome; meanwhile, you may be interested in this earlier related discussion
I can't answer with certainty. I think there are specifics that might suggest it might be a case of making a public statement.
Wagner was quite vocal about his views.
He was extremely influential as a composer. Even if his music was not universally accepted during or after his time, he had quite a lot of fans/followers (including public figures).
Hitler was personally very fond of his music and the regime adopted it. The Bayreuth festival was politicized. Hitler was close to the wife of Wagner's son.
Is there a better option to make a statement against the Nazis and anti-semitism in music?
do you think music and art is necessarily linked to the ideology of its creator?
No, not at all. There is the fact of who composed the music, we can't change that.
The origin of the music and the culture that surrounds it can certainly have an influence in our interpretation, aesthetic judgement, enjoyment, etc. of it. Those are inside people's minds, not in the music (yes, I am aware of other philosophical postures on this, thank you).
Sound is just one of many inputs for the brain during the experience of "listening" to music. Some of those inputs can have different significance for different people, and not all of us get the same inputs to work with.