Inside the Ring
Essays on Wagner’s Opera Cycle
Edited by
John Louis
DiGaetani
ISBN
978-0-7864-2330-9
43 photos, notes, bibliographies, index
268pp.
softcover
(7 x 10)
2006
Available for immediate shipment
Description
Once tainted by association with Hitler and Nazism, Richard Wagner’s work has experienced an international cultural renaissance in the last 25 years. His magnum opus, Der Ring des Nibelungen, which took him over 20 years to finish, is a complex tale with themes of greed, corruption and loss, spun out in more than 16 hours of powerfully moving opera. This book, with provocative essays for both the uninitiated and the seasoned fan, examines Wagner’s Ring cycle from a wide array of modern perspectives.
Divided into six parts, this anthology first offers a foundation for the Ring, with a chronology and an introduction, along with a look at Wagner as an enterprising marketer. Part Two explores different interpretations of the Ring, with reference to politics, romanticism and international inspirations. Part Three studies the complex relationship between Wagner’s Ring and Germany, with a summary of the opera’s influence on German culture and a discussion of its Munich premiere. Part Four offers a production history, including studies of the Ring’s effects in America and its influence on world literature. Part Five provides a technical examination of language in the Ring, as well as an interview with the famous Wagnerian soprano Jane Eaglen. The book concludes with an essay on the trouble with Wagnerian opera and an overview of the recorded Ring on disc, video and print.
About the Author
John Louis DiGaetani is the author of numerous books about opera and theater, including several about Richard Wagner. An English professor at Hofstra University, he lives in New York.
Other Book(s) by John Louis DiGaetani Available from McFarland:
Wagner and Suicide
Stages of Struggle
Wagner Outside the Ring
Reviews
"I can aver that I found much to enjoy and learn here. For instance, the interview with Eaglen alone is worth the price of the book...Inside the Ring contains many nuggets of gold, not the least of which is the bibliography, which lists audio and video resources, books, librettos, and music--Wagner Notes
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Table of Contents & Excerpts
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