Decoding Wagner: A Basic Guide into His World of Music Drama

Unlocking the Masters #1

by Thomas May

This guide aims to unlock the world of Richard Wagner and his works, his monumental achievements, and, ultimately, the great emotional power inherent in his art. Decoding Wagner presents a straightforward, fresh overview of what Wagner attempted to achieve with his “artwork of the future.” Two accompanying full-length CDs illustrate and trace his growth as a composer.

Genres: Music

220 pages, Paperback

First published December 1, 2004

About the author

Apart from playing trombone in the school band and the usual radio pap, I discovered music in a serious way at a relatively late age – when I was around 12. That was around the time I went crazy over an abandoned piano and thought I could learn to play all the Ludwig van Beethoven sonatas in a year or so “if I applied myself.” At least I didn’t lack for foolhardy ideas about how music actually works. A year or so later I began my first attempt to compose a symphony — to “prepare the way” for the opera on "King Lear" for which posterity had destined me — when I discovered with horror that my main theme in E major had been stolen by Anton Bruckner. But I’ve been trying to make up for lost time ever since, and music is a passion inseparably bound to my love of theater, fiction, poetry, film, and the other arts.
After starting my writing career as a freelancer for "The Washington Post" under Tim Page, I was lured to resettle on the West Coast when I was hired as part of the first team of music editors at Amazon.com. Nowadays I’m a full-time freelance writer focusing on music. My interests are voracious, from early music to Nico Muhly, and I have a serious passion for exploring how contemporary composers are transforming the legacy of “classical music” (imploring indulgence for the quotation marks: it’s just that I’ve found they’re the most efficient way to deal with that burden of a misnomer).
These days I write for the online newspaper crosscut.com, Listen magazine, and Gramophone; I also regularly contribute to the program books of some of the leading institutions in the music world. Since 2009 I’ve served as the English writer and program editor for the Lucerne Festival; I also translate German for the Lucerne Festival and other institutions.

Reviews

[Michael Wilhelm · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a very accessible introduction to the world of Wagner. There is some historical context for each of his operas as well as the challenges he faced as a composer. His philosophical ideas are presented as well. I especially appreciated the 2 accompanying CD's. This book is easy to pick up for a quick brief before heading to the opera house.

[Rene Saller · Rating 4 out of 5]

After I renewed it three times from the library, I decided that i had to own my own copy. A fantastic reference work, written in an engaging and accessible style.

[Matthew Hodge · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'm a fan of the "Unlocking the Masters" series, but Thomas May's style is far too dry and academic to expect a newbie music person to get into Wagner. I'd recommend Denis Forman's Good Wagner Opera Guide instead for that one.