An introduction to Richard Wagner's Der Ring des Nibelungen : a handbook / William O. Cord.
| Author/creator | Cord, William O. |
| Format | Book |
| Publication Info | Athens, Ohio : Ohio University Press, 1983. |
| Description | xii, 163 pages : illustrations ; 24 cm |
| Subjects |
| Contents | The art of Richard Wagner: an overview -- Der Ring des Nibelungen: an overview -- The format of the Ring. Divisions ; Original titles ; The players, types ; The players, descriptions ; Major properties -- The composition of the Ring. The dramas ; The music -- The origins and the sources of the Ring. Origins ; Sources. The Germanic world ; Wagner's statement on his sources -- Primary sources. Edda Saemundar ; Volsungasaga ; Nibelungen Not une die Klage -- Secondary sources. Deutsche Mythologie ; Die deutsche Heldensage ; Deutsches Heldenbuch ; Heimskringla ; Wilkinsaga ; The studies of Franz Josef Mone ; The studies of Karl Lachmann -- Bayreuth -- First performances of the Ring. Bayreuth ; Europe ; The United States ; The Ring today ; The Ring in translation -- The poetry and the drama of the Ring. Poetry ; Drama ; The meaning of the Ring ; Wagner on the meaning of the Ring -- The music of the Ring. Wagner and orchestras ; The orchestra of the Ring, instruments ; The orchestra of the Ring, seating arrangement ; The Ring music and the leitmotif ; A musical sampler of the Ring -- The Ring in recordings. Appendix A: A chronological summary of Wagner's operatic works ; Appendix B: Notes on the cast and principals of the 1876 premiere of the Ring at Bayreuth. |
| Abstract | Today, more than a century after its first performance, Richard Wagner's The Ring of Nibelung endures as one of the most significant artistic creations in the history of opera. This monumental work not only altered previously accepted concepts of music and drama but also inspired creative and intellectual efforts far beyond the field of opera. Previous studies of the Ring have appealed only to those already acquainted in some way with the Wagnerian art. For the uninitiated, Wagner and his landmark creation have seemed forbidding, and those eager to learn about the masterpiece have faced a vast and frequently esoteric body of commentary. The author addresses the interests of the non-specialist by taking the reader first into Wagner?s unique intent, and then through the complete history of the Ring. The author, who has attended forty performances of the Ring, considers the conception of the poem, its development into a music-drama exemplifying Wagnerian thought, its introduction to the world, and the reactions and interpretation it elicits. |
| Bibliography note | Bibliography: pages 151-163. |
| LCCN | 82014417 |
| ISBN | 0821406485 : |
| ISBN | 0821407082 (pbk.) : |
Availability
| Library | Location | Call Number | Status | Item Actions |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Music | Closed Stacks - Ask at Circulation Desk | ML410.W22 C67 1983 | ✔ Available | Place Hold |