Wagner

by Barry Millington

Wagner is one of the most controversial of composers, and much that has been written about him--including his autobiography--is misleading. Barry Millington draws on the best previous scholarship and his own original research to set the record straight. The first part of this book is devoted to biography; the second, to a detailed study of the operas. Millington offers a historical review of the critical interpretation of each opera, including a discussion of recent methods of formal analysis. In this revised edition, two chapters, those on Tannhauser and Die Meistersinger, include significant new material. The bibliography has also been updated.

Genres: Music, Biography, Nonfiction

342 pages, Paperback

First published November 1, 1984

Reviews

[Carol · Rating 3 out of 5]

This biography of Wagner and his music was pretty straightforward. While I think the biography section could have used more depth and detail, I very much like Millington's approach to discussing the music. He does not give a running description and analysis, which would be very tedious given the length of the operas. Instead, he covers the origins, compositional process, big-picture musical features, and interpretations of the works. Thus the reader can see where the work fits into Wagner's development as a composer and what its significance is. I just wish that Millington didn't go quite so easy on Wagner where his most repugnant qualities are concerned.

[Marybeth · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is not a breath-by-breath biography of Wagner but a succinct overview of his life and work with splendid footnotes and bibliography. It’s extremely insightful in regard to the cultural and historical background against which his life played out.

[Vince C · Rating 4 out of 5]

This one was basically a two part book. The first was biographical with a lot of references to Wagner’s autobiography. The other part was all about his works. It would help if the reader can read music…. which unfortunately, I do not.

[Isidore · Rating 4 out of 5]

A splendid introduction to Wagner. Millington writes well, and succinctly conveys a great deal of information without becoming ponderous. His portrait of Wagner is balanced and well considered. A few brief sections assume the reader has some musical training, but these may be skimmed without impairing the overall usefulness of the book. If I dock it a star, it's because Millington's new book, "The Sorcerer of Bayreuth", is an even better introductory tome: not only is it up-to-date, it's a pleasure to read and MAGNIFICENTLY illustrated.