The Complete Operas Of Richard Wagner (The Complete Opera Series) [Paperback]

Charles Osborne (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 22, 1993 | Series: The Complete Opera Series

Wagner's operas can be counted among the most important works of art of the nineteenth century. But Wagner was a composer around whom violent artistic, political, and literary controversies raged during his lifetime. Even today, Wagner's music seems to arouse either adulation or antipathy. In The Complete Operas of Richard Wagner, as in the first four volumes of his famous series on the great opera composers, Charles Osborne first describes the composer's life at the time he wrote each opera, thus providing a biographical thread which runs through the book; follows it with a thorough examination of the libretto and its sources; and lastly tells the story of the opera, which he links to the major musical features.This book is, in effect, a musical biography of Wagner, tracing his development from his first complete opera, Die Feen, to his last, Parsifal. It serves as an invaluable guide to the often perplexing Wagner oeuvre both for the regular opera-goer and the armchair listener.

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

Opera critic and historian Osborne closes his quintet of opera guides, which include previous titles devoted to Mozart, Puccini, Verdi, and Richard Strauss, with this volume. Osborne's previous Wagner studies include The World Theatre of Wagner ( LJ 12/1/82), a pictorial work that concentrates on actual productions. This time, biography--often in Wagner's own words--combined with criticism by Wagner's contemporaries, literary background, Wagner's librettos, plot summaries, descriptions of musical elements illustrated with musical examples, and Osborne's own insights form a clear picture of Wagner, his world, and the operas. Wagner's strengths and weaknesses are fully explored so as to inspire the serious reader to explore further. Though much has been written on Wagner, libraries with collections on opera will find this an essential purchase.
- James E. Ross, Seattle P.L.
Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

About the Author

Charles Osborne, well-known British musicologist, critic, and broadcaster, is the author of The Concert Companion, Richard Wagner and His World, The Complete Operas of Verdi, The Complete Operas of Mozart, and other works.

Product Details

• Paperback: 288 pages
• Publisher: Da Capo Press (March 22, 1993)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0306805227
• ISBN-13: 978-0306805226
• Product Dimensions: 8.8 x 6 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #589,449 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #21 in Books > Biographies & Memoirs > People, A-Z > ( W ) > Wagner, Richard
  • #36 in Books > Arts & Photography > Music > Theory, Composition & Performance > Sheet Music & Scores > Composers > Wagner

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

36 of 39 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Adequate; mediocre. Ernest Newman does same thing better., July 14, 1999

By 

Laon (moon-lit Surry Hills) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Complete Operas Of Richard Wagner (The Complete Opera Series) (Paperback)

Osborne gives some background on the writing of each of the mature Wagner operas. Then a quick plot summary, with some of the key musical themes. Since a synopsis comes with every complete opera recording, I'm not sure how useful these synopses are. We get too much explanation of plot and not enough critical commentary, by my standards. And little in the commentary is new; Ernest Newman's book "Wagner Nights", though 50 or so years older, is still a better introduction, making the same points as Osborne, and more.

Not all the commentary is reliable; the chapter on "Parsifal" buys into some of the nonsense first talked by Robert Gutman about this opera (the Grail knights as homosexual SS order, and so on), which has been comprehensively and devastatingly demolished by Lucy Becket in her book "Parsifal".

I find Osborne's "even-handedness" a little irritating at times. "Tristan und Isolde", he says, is a masterpiece, though it's too long, of course. That reminds me of Mozart's reply to the Emperor who thought his "Il Seraglio" score had "too many notes": "Which notes do you think I should take out?" (I'm quoting the "Amadeus" movie there, and from memory, so that's not quite what was really said, but close enough.) Like Mozart, I find that a dumb comment, unless Osborne cares to tell us which parts of "Tristan" etc we should do away with to make it shorter. And I think the job of someone writing an introduction to any composer is to be critical, certainly, but also to communicate enthusiasm, not weariness.

So for new insights, Tanner, Magee, Millington are better, and for "sources, plot plot summary plus musical commentary" Newman is better. It's not actually bad, just mediocre. Also, unlike Newman Osborne covers the first three Wagner operas, "Die Feen", "Das Liebesverbot" and "Reinzi", so that's quite useful.

Laon