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Wagner
Books
 Wagner
and Philosophy
A contribution to the literature of 19th century culture, this
is a study of the close links between Wagner and the philosophy
of his age. The author tries to make sense of both the man and
his music by placing Wagner in the context of 19th-century thought.
His sympathy for Wagner's music is tempered by an independence
of mind which allows him to rethink much of the hostility towards
Wagner. Revealing his anti-Semitism as virulent, but certainly
not unusual, Magee argues that there is no reason to regard
him as a proto-fascist and that an opinion of his politics should
not cloud the judgment of his music. Wagner
Books.
 The
Wagner Operas
In this classic guide, the foremost Wagner expert of our century
discusses ten of Wagner's most beloved operas, illuminates their
key themes and the myths and literary sources behind the librettos,
and demonstrates how the composer's style changed from work
to work. Acclaimed as the most complete and intellectually satisfying
analysis of the Wagner operas, the book has met with unreserved
enthusiasm from specialist and casual music lover alike. Here,
available for the first time in a single paperback volume, is
the perfect companion for listening to, or attending, The Flying
Dutchman, Tannhuser, Lohengrin, Tristan and Isolde, Die Meistersinger,
the four operas of the Ring Cycle, and Parsifal.
Ring
of the Nibelung
Richard Wagner's vast "Der Ring des Nibelungen" cycle
comprises four full-length operas ("Das Rheingold",
"Die Walkure", "Siegfried" and "Gotterdammerung")
and is arguably the most extraordinary achievement in the history
of opera. His own libretto to the operas is an intricate system
of metric patterns, imaginative metaphors and alliteration,
combining to produce the music in text. This boxed set provides
a line-by-line translation of the four opera librettos, a running
commentary on the action and signals as to when each leitmotif
appears.
 Decoding
Wagner: A Basic Guide into His World of Music Drama (Unlocking
the Masters S.)
A music writer and commentator on the Web, radio, and print
media, May argues that German composer Richard Wagner's (1813-83)
operas are much richer, and therefore more artistically daring
and dangerous, than the standard cliches about them suggest.
He places each of his major operas in context, and considers
his art as the amalgam of drama and music. Wagner Books.
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