Decoding Wagner: An Invitation to His World of Music Drama (includes 2 CDs) (Paperback)

by Thomas May (Author) "The key to approaching Wagner is to realize that, above everything else, he is a man of the theater..." (more)
Key Phrases: Die Meistersinger, Das Rheingold, Good Friday (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review
In the voluminous Wagner bibliography, Thomas May's book occupies a special place. Concise but remarkably information-packed and accompanied by two CDs of excerpts, it is addressed to those who seek a deeper understanding of Wagner's operas. The controversies--artistic, human and moral--generated by Wagner's innovative ideas and reprehensible behavior frequently obscure the greatness of his achievements. May performs an extraordinary feat: although unflinchingly aware of Wagner's arrogance, self-aggrandizement, duplicity, faithlessness, hedonism, greed, political opportunism, chauvinism, and anti-Semitism, he communicates boundless admiration for the composer and passionate love for his works. Suggesting that the very schism between Wagner's flawed character and idealistic aspirations inspired "monumentally stirring meditations on the contradictory range of human experience," he correlates and reconciles his "monstrous ego" with his sublime genius. The evolution of Wagner's operas, from his early and incomplete attempts to the late, often extensively revised masterpieces, culminated in a lofty artistic vision: the "total artwork" which, combining all the arts, would result in heightened experience and spiritual elevation. Wagner wrote his own texts, considering poetry and music inseparable and himself equally master of both, an assessment not universally shared. May takes the librettos very seriously, following them from their historical or mythological origin to their final form with formidable but unobtrusive erudition. Among his references are the Buddha, Aristotle, Shakespeare, Thomas Mann, and T.S. Eliot, and he must have read everything about Wagner as well as Wagner's own often repellent autobiographical, theoretical, and political writings (which make one wish he had written nothing but music). May's musical analyses are equally riveting and absorbing. He traces the operas' ever-increasing depth, breadth, and grandeur, the growing importance and masterful use of the unifying leitmotif and the "Wagnerian" orchestra, and the often hidden strands that connect them despite their individual uniqueness. Opera lovers spurred by May's book to hear these works performed could not wish for a more knowledgeable, illuminating, and inspiring guide. --Edith Eisler

Review
" . . . savvy and concise . . ." -- Atlanta Journal Constitution, January 7, 2005

" . . . well written and clearly presented." -- American Record Guide, July/August 2005

". . . [an] excellent critical overview . . . you can't beat the pairing of the written word accompaniment with CD examples." -- The Bookwatch, April 2005

". . . interesting and intriguing . . ." -- Opera Opera, July 2005

". . . this primer leads the way to an appreciation for [Wagner] and his music." -- Forbes FYI, Spring 2005

"May offers compelling evidence of [Wagner's] complexity, alongside direct and illuminating discussions of the composer's most famous works." -- La Scena Musicale, July/August 2005

"This book is likely to make neophytes and connoisseurs alike eager to reexperience the Wagner operas on an ongoing basis." -- Opera News, June 2005

"Thomas May lives up to the promise of Decoding Wagner by de-mystifying the operas. . . ." -- Rocky Mountain News, January 29, 2005

"an approachable guide to appreciating the composer's operatic genius. . . . a generous selection of Wagner's music is included . . ." -- Operatoday.com

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Product Details

• Paperback: 220 pages
• Publisher: Amadeus Press (December 22, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1574670972
• ISBN-13: 978-1574670974
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 5.9 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #84,115 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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• This item is part of The Unlocking the Masters Series.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

55 of 56 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Very solid overview of Wagner's operas - 2 Good Music CDs , January 23, 2005

By	Dan Sherman (Alexandria, VA USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I found this to be an excellent overview of Wagner and his operas in a book of only 200 pages or so. This book is for someone who is fairly familiar with the plots of Wagner's operas -- no plot summaries are presented -- and gives a good sense of how Wagner developed as both a composer and dramatist. The book is written mostly around the ten major operas wrote -- a chapter for each with an extra chapter to introduce the Ring. Although the book is relatively short, the reader learns a lot about Wagner's sources, his use of these sources, and key features of the individual operas. A portion of the discussion of the operas is tied to the CDs - one for the Ring and the other for the non-Ring operas. The CDs are primarily "greatest hits" - from the operas, with text making reference to different points on the CD in terms of timing.

This book is probably not the first book you read on Wagner -- I would recommend "Wagner Without Fear" by William Berger as an introduction to Wagner and his work. For other readers, this book really provides quite a bit of diverse information in a small space. The book is well-written and meets the needs of many readers in that it written around individual operas. A reader can go right to the opera of interest, but I think may will also want to read through the entire book to better understand the context of individual operas and their place in Wagner's development.

The book has a good bibliography (though it would have been nice to have some annotation).

The book is a good value as is, but with the 2 CDs (primarily BMG recordings), it becomes an excellent value. Any reader interested in Wagner should consider owning this book. 5 stars.

36 of 40 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Accessible, lively and well-written, January 18, 2005

By	Meg C. Halverson (Seattle, WA United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This is a terrific read: entertaining and briskly paced. May considers historical and social factors in Wagner's work without bogging down the reader with theory or dull historicism. In fact, this work brings me a greater appreciation for Wagner than I thought possible (I'm not, my apologies, an opera fan). I would recommend it to the casual theater goer, the fine arts critic, opera fans, and anyone interested in music or 19th century theater.

27 of 31 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An opera celebration, February 8, 2005

By	Charles Decker (New York, NY) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I used to be an opera singer and I have to say this is a fabulous book for any fan of Wagner. Tom May has done a terrific job of making this difficult material accessible, and the accompanying CDs help considerably. Even if you feel you have read everything there is to read about the maestro, you will find this book absorbing and very illuminating. Plus you'll probably want to buy a new recording of Tristan und Isolde as well [maybe the most beautiful music ever written, in my humble opinion]. I think Amazon may sell that too. LOL