The Wagner Compendium: A Guide to Wagner's Life and Music [Paperback]

Barry Millington (Editor)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 2001

Wagner is perhaps as renowned for controversy he inspires as for his music. The Wagner Compendium presents a comprehensive survey of the man, his ocuvre and his times. The musical and intellectual background and influences which helped shape the Wagnerian canon are considered along with the historical context of German unification and the creation of Bismarck's Reich. Wagner's character, opinions, and his behaviour towards women and Jews - the principal sources of the notoriety which has dogged him - are fully examined, and there is a special chapter on 'Myths and Legends' wittily correcting the extraordinary misconceptions with which Wagner has become associated. The operas, orchestral and choral music are analysed together with the lesser-known works for solo voice, the piano music, and the projected operas - intriguingly left uncompleted. Wagner's musical and literary style are treated in depth, as are the sources that throw light on both the man and his work. Chapters on orchestration and Wagner in performance are complemented by accounts of the reception and influence of his music. A detailed bibliography accompanies the most complete list ever published of his writings, speeches, open letters and reviews, as well as a glossary explaining the meanings and significance of Wagnerian terms, a calendar of his life and a Who's Who of his contemporaries.

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

This compendium is a very useful source for information on all aspects of Wagner and his music. It offers a calendar of his life; biographical sketches of his contemporaries; historical and intellectual background; and evaluation of his influences, opinions, prose works, and legacy. Eighteen Wagner authorities contribute to this broadly based and encyclopedic study of one of the most influential and controversial artists of the 19th century. The individual studies are clear, concise, and packed full with the most up-to-date information. This admirable undertaking is an indispensable reference tool for serious music collections.
- Timothy J. McGee, Univ. of Toronto
Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Review

"'Infinitely absorbing...indispensable' - Opera Now 'Invaluable' - Gramophone 'At the forefront of Wagner scholarship' - Guardian"

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Product Details

• Paperback: 432 pages
• Publisher: Thames & Hudson (July 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0500282749
• ISBN-13: 978-0500282748
• Product Dimensions: 10 x 7.6 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,728,497 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent essays on all aspects of this complex man, April 6, 2000

By 

Johnathan E Mansfield - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Wagner Compendium: A Guide to Wagner's Life and Music (Hardcover)

This is the most up-to-date and useful "general" volume on Wagner I have read. Rather than focusing on a single aspect of Wagner, this gives excellent, short and readable essays (by a variety of modern authors) on the historical and philosophical background; Wagners' views on his contemporaries, women, and the Jews (a particularly insightful essay on this difficult issue); Wagner's own writings; and fine short analysis of all of the music, not just the operas. This book is a mini-encyclopedia (though more comprehensive and readable than the new Grove entry). Well worth finding for anyone who has more than a passing interest in Wagner.