The Life of Richard Wagner

Newman's Life of Wagner, published between 1933 and 1947, the culmination of forty years' research, is a classic biography.

Ernest Newman (Author)

9781108007726, Cambridge University Press

Paperback / softback, published 20 March 2014

808 pages
22.9 x 4.5 x 15.2 cm, 1.17 kg

Ernest Newman's four-volume Life of Wagner, originally published between 1933 and 1947, remains a classic work of biography. The culmination of forty years' research on the composer and his works (Newman's first Study of Wagner was first published in 1899), these books present a detailed portrait of perhaps the most influential, the most controversial and the most frequently reviled composer in the whole history of western music. Newman was aware that no biography can ever claim to be complete or completely accurate: 'The biographer can at no stage hope to have reached the final truth. All he can do is to make sure that whatever statement he may make, whatever conclusion he may come to, shall be based on the whole of the evidence available at the time of writing.' In this aim he triumphantly succeeds. Volume 4 covers the years 1866 to 1883.

Foreword
1. The Malvina Schnorr episode: I
2. The Malvina Schnorr episode: II
3. Moves in Munich
4. Shadows falling
5. Fröbel and the 'Süddeutsche Presse'
6. The shadows deepen
7. The 'Meistersinger' year
8. The Bülow-Cosima crisis
9. Cosima decides
10. The breach with the king
11. The 'Rhinegold' aftermath
12. Sunshine and cloud in Triebschen
13. The Bayreuth idea
14. Planning Bayreuth
15. Wagner and Nietzsche: I
16. Wagner and Nietzsche: II
17. The foundation-stone
18. Polemics in 1872
19. Difficulties in Bayreuth
20. The king to the rescue
21. Spadework in 1874
22. Bayreuth in 1875
23. Preparing for the festival
24. The festival and after
25. Nietzsche in 1876
26. Elisabeth's false witness
27. The realities of the matter
28. The load of care
29. Bayreuth saved
30. The breach with Nietzsche
31. Work at 'Parsifal'
32. In search of health
33. Trouble with Bülow and others
34. On the way to 'Parsifal'
35. Nearing the goal
36. 'Parsifal'
37. The end in Venice
Appendixes
Index.

Subject Areas: Classical music [c 1750 to c 1830 AVGC4]