Wagnerism
By Alex Ross
Art and Politics in the Shadow of Music. Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2020.
Summary of Wagnerism book by Alex Ross
An exploration of the immense influence of Richard Wagner, the greatest titan of nineteenth-century music, and how he has reshaped culture far beyond music itself, from the philosophy of Friedrich Nietzsche to civil rights and cinema.
Chapters in Wagnerism book summary
What do you get from this book? A sweeping survey of the legacy of one of history’s most controversial composers
Wagner’s life was one of towering artistic achievement, scandal, and controversy—as well as a few love affairs
The friendship and feud with philosopher Nietzsche illustrate the turbulent relationships between Wagner and those influenced by him
“Wagnerisme” rejuvenated French literature by posing it with a challenge—could poetry ever be as expressive as music?
Victorian Britain and Gilded Age America adored Wagner—even if they sanitized or simplified him
Powered by his complex religion and spirituality, Wagner’s compositions inspired turn-of-the-century occultists, mystics and artists
The great modernist writers Joyce, Woolf and Eliot display the range of responses to Wagner, particularly following World War I
Du Bois’s antiracist thought displayed the influence of Wagner’s work, but the composer’s own racism is undeniable
Wagner’s relationship with Germany and Ludwig II’s German Empire is complex, with dark implications for the nation’s later history
The worldwide adoration of Wagner was complicated by the Nazis’ obsession with him
Leitmotifs became the lifeblood of movie soundtracks, while Hitchcock, Coppola and others directly employed Wagner’s music in their films
Since WWII, staging Wagner has meant confronting the political and cultural difficulties surrounding his work, as seen at the New Bayreuth
Summary of the key insights
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Wagnerism — Book Summary Snapshot
Who should read Wagnerism book
- Classical music fanatics
- political enthusiasts
- philosophers
- anyone intrigued by the impact music has on the world
About the author of Wagnerism
Alex Ross
Alex Ross is a music critic, formerly for The New Yorker and The New York Times. He studied music composition at Harvard and is the winner of a MacArthur Fellowship for music writing. His other books include the Pulitzer Prize nominee The Rest is Noise (2007) and Listen to This (2010).
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