Overview

One of today's most outstanding conductors, Christian Thielemann, composes a brilliant account of the great--and controversial--Richard Wagner. Over the course of a distinguished career conducting some of the world's finest orchestras, Christian Thielemann has emerged as the leading modern interpreter of Richard Wagner. My Life with Wagner chronicles his ardent personal and professional engagement with the composer whose work has shaped his thinking and feeling from early childhood. Thielemann retraces his journey around the world--from Berlin to Bayreuth via Venice, Hamburg and Chicago--and combines analysis with revealing insights drawn from Thielemann's many years of experience as a Wagner conductor. Thielemann takes on each of Wagner's opera in turn, and his appraisal is illuminated by a deep affinity for the music, an intimate knowledge of the scores, and the inside perspective of a world-class practitioner. And yet for all the adulation Wagner's art inspires, Thielemann does not shy away from unpalatable truths about the man himself, explaining why today Wagner is venerated and reviled in equal measure. A richly rewarding read for admirers of a composer who continues to fascinate long after his death.

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9781681771250

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Reviews

Viscerally exposes the levels of perfectionism required in a virtuoso. Without alienating the lay reader, he gets across the complexity of a Wagner score and the infinite interpretive possibilities.

Thielemann's revelations about the complexities of conducting are likely to enhance any music lover's listening experiences. Besides exploring Wagner s life and times, Thielemann provides useful commentary on each of the composer s operas. A compelling take on what it s like to stand at the podium, ready to set orchestra and singers in motion for a performance created by one of the world s greatest composers. Viscerally exposes the levels of perfectionism required in a virtuoso. Without alienating the lay reader, he gets across the complexity of a Wagner score and the infinite interpretive possibilities. An act of homage and a revealing autobiography. An informative guide to the Wagner oeuvre. Thielemann's enthusiasm breathes life into these operas. A sometimes enigmatic and always entertaining memoir, which is also part music history. Drawing on his years of conducting, Thielemann characterizes the evocative beauty and power of each of Wagner's operas. Thielemann masterfully orchestrates this colorful introduction to Wagner's music and its themes. Besides exploring Wagner's life and times, Thielemann provides useful commentary on each of the composer's operas. A compelling take on what it's like to stand at the podium, ready to set orchestra and singers in motion for a performance created by one of the world's greatest composers.

An act of homage and a revealing autobiography. An informative guide to the Wagner oeuvre. Thielemann's enthusiasm breathes life into these operas. Thielemann's revelations about the complexities of conducting are likely to enhance any music lover's listening experiences. Viscerally exposes the levels of perfectionism required in a virtuoso. Without alienating the lay reader, he gets across the complexity of a Wagner score and the infinite interpretive possibilities. A sometimes enigmatic and always entertaining memoir, which is also part music history. Drawing on his years of conducting, Thielemann characterizes the evocative beauty and power of each of Wagner's operas. Thielemann masterfully orchestrates this colorful introduction to Wagner's music and its themes. Besides exploring Wagner's life and times, Thielemann provides useful commentary on each of the composer's operas. A compelling take on what it's like to stand at the podium, ready to set orchestra and singers in motion for a performance created by one of the world's greatest composers.

Author Information

Christian Thielemann has been the conductor of the Deutsche Oper, the Munich Philharmonic, and isthe current artistic director of the Salzburg Easter Festival. He is a regular guest of the Vienna and Berlin Philharmonics, as well as the Metropolitan Opera and has received an honorary appointment to the Royal Academy of Music in London. He won the Richard Wagner Award in 2015 and lives in Germany, where he is currently the conductor of the Staatskapelle Dresden. Anthea Bell is the recipient of the Schlegel Tieck Prize for translation from German, the Independent Foreign Fiction Prize, and the Helen and Kurt Wolff Prize in 2002 for the translation of W. G. Sebald's Austerlitz, and the 2003 Austrian State Prize for Literary Translation. She lives in Cambridge, England.

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