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Book Review
May. 13th, 2021 01:19 pmThe Cambridge Companion to Wagner
edited by Thomas S. Grey
This volume was better than I was expecting. The authors largely eschewed tedious play-by-play descriptive analyses of the operas, instead concentrating on larger issues. The chapters take on a wide variety of topics regarding Wagner and his work, from the representation of Germany in Die Meistersinger to the origins of Wagner's politics, and present interesting perspectives on Wagner and Wagnerism. Happily, many of the authors take on Wagner's anti-Semitism and nationalism, and none of them are apologists for Wagner's bigotry. The only thing I think this book is missing is an examination of Wagnerism and Wagner fandom in the 19th century.
edited by Thomas S. Grey
This volume was better than I was expecting. The authors largely eschewed tedious play-by-play descriptive analyses of the operas, instead concentrating on larger issues. The chapters take on a wide variety of topics regarding Wagner and his work, from the representation of Germany in Die Meistersinger to the origins of Wagner's politics, and present interesting perspectives on Wagner and Wagnerism. Happily, many of the authors take on Wagner's anti-Semitism and nationalism, and none of them are apologists for Wagner's bigotry. The only thing I think this book is missing is an examination of Wagnerism and Wagner fandom in the 19th century.
