Wagner's Ring: A Listener's Companion and Concordance [Hardcover]

J.K. Holman (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 1, 2003

This book explores the mythology, story, music, characters and language of Wagner's monumental work. At its heart is a concordance of the keywords in the four librettos, a powerful reference tool. The volume also includes a brief synopsis of each of the four operas, a presentation of the 145 principal musical motives in order of appearance, and a discussion of the characters and their relationships, listing their appearances and the musical motives associated with them.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

It is said that more books have been written about Wagner's life, operas, and theories of drama than about any other artist and his oeuvre. One might ask why a writer would attempt yet another discourse on the Ring and Wagner's mighty labor in producing it. The answer might simply be that the very complexity and variety of existing sources provides an embarrassment of riches to the Wagnerian neophyte, while veteran Wagnerians with a couple of Ring performances under their belts, and a few more in their CD libraries, may want a single volume that contains most of the information one might otherwise have to pursue through half a dozen different references.

Holman's approach to the work is refreshingly straightforward. Neither a professional musician nor a journalist--in real life, he's a banker--he brings insights to this work that have perhaps escaped those who spend their entire lives working with music. While he gives a passing nod to Jungian interpretations of the text, and the many self-indulgent realizations that have been seen on-stage during the post-World War II period, his aim in analysis and explanation is to decipher Wagner's intention. For the neophyte, no method could be better calculated to begin understanding this epic. Both in his discussion of the historical sources that inspired Wagner and in his careful rendering of the motivations of each character appearing in the Ring, Holman is like a restorer of fine antique furniture, stripping off a century's accretion of sometimes ill-chosen varnishes.

The no-nonsense attitude toward interpretation is carried over admirably into the bibliography and discography. Not simply listing books and recordings, Holman makes cogent comments on the strengths and weaknesses of the sources he discusses. Two examples are Holman's apt observation on Robert Gutman's biography of Wagner, in which he points out that, at the end, "Gutman appears to lose his grip"; and in the discography and the excellent discussion of the various Ring recordings, including why the Solti/Decca recording is the benchmark recorded performance. The most novel component of the book is the concordance. More than an index, it painstakingly catalogs each circumstance and context under which over 160 significant characters, objects, or ideas occur in the entire text of the libretto. Most people think of a concordance as a tool for biblical study, but considering the almost religious fervor Wagner inspires in his admirers, perhaps the term is appropriate.

From Library Journal

This is indeed a "listener's companion" and will be of value both to scholar and neophyte. Included is a fascinating overview of the mythological and literary sources for the text of Wagner's four-opera cycle, Der Ring des Nibelungen; a chronology of the composer's creative process; and a brief but vivid history of the first Bayreuth festival. Of special interest is the chapter devoted to the operas' characters, tracing their mythological roots and clarifying their relationships and significance. The discography is the one weakness, because Holman, a member of the Washington Opera's board of trustees, has chosen to include only recordings that have been released on CD and devotes considerable space to defending his personal favorites. As the first English-language concordance to the Ring, this is an important book for scholars and students, but its attractive price and straightforward writing style make it accessible for the lay reader and the many who have discovered the Ring on videotape. Highly recommended.?Kate McCaffrey, Onondaga County P.L., Syracuse, N.Y.
Copyright 1997 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 440 pages
• Publisher: Amadeus Press (May 1, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 157467014X
• ISBN-13: 978-1574670141
• Product Dimensions: 9.7 x 6.2 x 1.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.9 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #983,056 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

17 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Useful Resource, October 17, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: Wagner's Ring: A Listener's Companion and Concordance (Hardcover)

Those considering buying this book should be aware of what it is: a concordance written by a non-specialist. Readers seeking interpretive essays or reviews may be disappointed.

That point made, this book is a wonderful tool to improve one's understanding of Wagner's Ring. The concondance lists the appearance of all the important themes, issues, emotions, and characters. This would be particularly useful for students or others anaylzing the work. The organization and presentation of this section is clear. The addition of plot summaries, reviews of productions, and various discussions create a well-rounded volume.

The fact that the book is written by a non-specialist is most refreshing: discussions of characters, plot developments, and so forth are wonderfully lucid. They are insightful, without being burdened by some of the heavy jargon found in some works. Every page reveals the author's love and respect for his subject. His reviews of stage productions and sound recordings are informative and fresh. Here again, common sense prevails over musicological jargon.

In short, this book gives a wealth of practical knowledge about Wagner's vast opera cycle, and is a pleasure to read.

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Above average., May 16, 2001

By 

R. E. P. Esq. (USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Wagner's Ring: A Listener's Companion and Concordance (Hardcover)

I found this book useful on many accounts when first enjoying the Ring, but I don't think it transcends the basic much in the way that it would appeal to a veteran of the Ring. It contains a scene by scene synopsis of the operas, but this is hardly adequate compared to a libretto. The character analysis, however, is helpful in that it details possible sources for each of the characters. In the end, I'm not sure if I would be as knowledgable in the Ring if I had never read this book, but I find I haven't used it very often as of late, which tells me it is not a very enduring read, though I still listen to the cycle itself regularly and dig up new topics and controversies when I can. Speaking of controversy, a testament to the book's lack of advanced Wagnerite materials is that it contains no essays or analysis of controversial material (such as the age-old controversy around why Siegmund sings the Renunciation of Love motif when he does). One of the best features of this book, however, is the section detailing each recording of the Ring. It contains a very indepth chart, for each recording supplying what each opera times in at, who is singing each part, and a small review for each of them. But then, this isn't entirely revolutionary when we have Amazon.com. In the end, I must confess that this is an excellent gift to give someone who is beginning to delve into the Ring (I graciously received this and the Solti Ring as a gift one Christmas), but not necessary for an advanced Wagnerite.

12 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A good synthesis, March 13, 2000

By 

Johnathan E Mansfield - See all my reviews

This review is from: Wagner's Ring: A Listener's Companion and Concordance (Hardcover)

Even though this is written by and aimed at "nonmusicologists," this book nicely synthesizes the major Wagner viewpoints. The non-pedantic approach makes this very readable. I appreciate the opinions, whether I agree or not. Perhaps because this is written by an interested amateur (though very widely-read and knowledgable), the opinions do not come off sounding like the reviewer who asserts as a fact that "the finest Wagner performances are not from the studio but broadcasts from the Metropolitan Opera during the 30's and 40's when they had Flagstad, Traubel, Lehmann, Melchior" et al. Overall, a fine book to have as you listen to the Ring in your living room or prepare for a full cycle at the opera.