Overview

The four operas of Richard Wagner's epic opera cycle, the ""Ring"" (composed 1853-74), are probably among the greatest and most influential works in the genre. While their music has been the subject of lengthy discussion and analysis, there has hitherto been little scrutiny of their libretti, which Wagner wrote himself based on the German Nibelung sagas. This book reveals the resurgence of interest in saga and myth in Wagner's day, and, in establishing an authoritative bibliography of Wagner's Nibelung reading, shows how contemporary editors, scholars, and poets influenced the shape of Wagner's libretti. This influence can be detected both in the structure of acts, such as the finale of ""Gotterdammerung"", and also in details of the plot, such as in the riddle of Wotan's eye. The resulting study sheds new light on these musical pieces.

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9780198161905

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